This sourdough scrap banana bread comes together very quickly, is wonderfully moist, definitely tasty, and is an easy way to use up sourdough scraps. The added sourdough brings a light tang to the flavor profile, complementing the rich, sweet components. I love this recipe because the ingredients are flexible and include staples I always have on hand: baker’s banana bread, if you will.
Banana bread is something I ate at least once a month growing up. A family of four always seems to have excess bananas on hand—you know, the ones in the kitchen that are so black and mushy that no one ever touches them. Well, these are the bananas you want to use for this banana bread. Grab the darkest, most mushy, ripest bananas you have (or put some in the kitchen and wait a week until they’re perfect).
As you can see below, I love using my Staub cast iron bread pan make banana bread because the cast iron gives it a thin but noticeable crust with just a little crunch. Plus, it cleans up so, so easily.
But let’s go back for a second and look at how banana bread came to be. I mean, if you think about it, I’m not sure I could have been the first person to say, “Hey, let’s try banana in this bread.” It’s a strange concept when you take a step back, but man, it works so well.
A brief (but interesting) history of banana bread
Banana bread is a sweet, moist, quick bread made with mashed bananas, a fruit native to the tropics of Southeast Asia (I mean, we all know what bananas are!). In the 18th and 19th centuries, bananas were considered a luxury good in the continental United States, which makes sense. They grew far away and transporting them was expensive. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the American-owned United Fruit Company began importing bananas from Latin America, making them more affordable.
Banana bread is generally believed to have gained popularity in the early 1930s. Quick bread is often said to have gained traction during the Great Depression, a way to use up overripe bananas at a time when food waste was avoided at all costs. Additionally, because bananas have a high sugar content and are sweet, they are a great substitute for white sugar.
The invention and spread of baking powder also contributed to the growing popularity of banana bread. During the early 1930s, yeast became more accessible, allowing chefs and bakers to experiment with new baking techniques and rise baked goods without sourdough or baking powder. This new category of quick bread included banana bread.
Today, banana bread is the most American thing you could ask for. Chances are you’re like me with a parent (hey, mom!) or grandparent who’s done this a lot on the weekends. It’s a classic quick bread whose simplicity and resourcefulness have made it a staple in nearly every American kitchen.
Which sourdough scraps should I use?
For this banana bread, use a mature sourdough starter: it has fermented for a number of hours (overnight for me), smells slightly sour, bubbles on the top and sides, and has a softer texture than when you fed him for the first time.
If you keep a reserve of sourdough starter scraps in the fridge, like I do, you’ll always have ripe scraps ready to make this banana bread!
Add moisture with olive oil
I’m not sure if olive oil is a common ingredient in banana bread or not, but I add it here just like I would add it to sourdough bread: it adds richness, moisture, and softness. Olive oil is key in helping this banana bread stay moist.
Olive oil is key in helping this banana bread stay moist.
Turn this banana bread into zucchini bread
Zucchini may not immediately seem like a great addition to a quick sweet bread, but trust me, in the heat of summer, when zucchini grows like a weed, this is what you’ll turn to.
Because zucchini has an incredible amount of moisture, and when chopped, it acts a lot like a banana, bringing a lot of moisture and softness to whatever it’s mixed with.
To turn this banana bread into courgette bread, omit the banana and add 300g of chopped courgettes (I use mine steel grater grate the courgettes). Instead of mixing the sourdough starter with the banana, add the sourdough starter to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add the courgettes to the egg mixture just before incorporating the flour.
How is it different from the banana bread in your cookbook?
In my sourdough cookbook, I have a recipe for starter unwrapped banana bread that I call “Banana Bread 2.0.” It’s an evolution of this recipe, which has been on The Perfect Loaf almost as long as the site has existed (10 years!). I modified that recipe to align with what I remember my mother making for us as kids.
They are both wonderful recipes, you can’t go wrong making both 🙂
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Description
This banana bread made with sourdough starter scraps is a simple and tasty way to use up extra sourdough starter. You’ll find that this quick bread is your go-to for lazy weekends and anytime you want a quick snack!
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose white flour, spelled, wholemeal, einkorn or a mix
- 3 g (1/2 tsp) sodium bicarbonate
- 3 g (1/2 tsp) fine sea salt
- 125 g (1 cup) chopped walnuts (and/or pecans), plus a handful more for topping
- 113 g(1/2 cup or 1 stick) of butter, at room temperature
- 100 g (1/2 cup lightly packed) brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 125 g (3/4 cupmixed) the sourdough scraps
- 42 g (2 tbsp) Honey
- 4 (From 365 g) super ripe, mashed bananas
- 28 g (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 4 g (1 tsp) vanilla
- zest of 1 lemon (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
- In a large bowl combine Flour, baking sodaAND salt.
- In a small bowl mix a handful of mince nuts and a few pinches of sugar. Set aside to use later as a garnish.
- In another bowl (or in a stand mixer), whip the cream butter AND sugar until it becomes soft. Add the eggone at a time. While mixing, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add sourdough starter, Honeycrushed bananas, vanillaAND olive oil.
- Fold the flour mixture into the wet side, stopping to scrape the sides as necessary. Then, fold the remainder nuts AND lemon zest. Pour the mixture into the 9″x5″ baking pan. and smooth the surface with a spatula. Sprinkle over the reserved chopped nuts and sugar.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes until the internal temperature in the center is 93-96°C (200-205°F). Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then gently remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- This banana bread will stay moist for days after baking, but be sure to wrap it in beeswax wrap, a kitchen towel, or place it in a closed container to prevent major moisture losses.
Notes
To turn this banana bread into courgette bread, omit the banana and add 300g of chopped courgettes. Add the chopped courgettes to the egg mixture just before incorporating the flour.
Instead of walnuts, try pecans or slivered almonds, or eliminate walnuts entirely.
What’s the next step?
If you’re looking for more sourdough starter treats, check out my 3 best starter recipes (think: waffles, pancakes, oh my!).
Or, for more inspiration, check out all our sourdough scrap recipes.
