Name: Sourdough Banana Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1¼ cups (13¼ oz/375 g) mashed bananas (3 to 4); ¾ cup (4½ oz/128 g) dark brown sugar; ⅓ cup (3½ oz/100 g) active sourdough starter; 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) vegetable oil; ¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; 1¾ cups (8¾ oz/247 g) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt

Two square slices of homemade sourdough banana bread are served on plates next to the loaf in the baking pan.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHAT YOU GET: My Sourdough Banana Bread is a real spin on an old classic; it’s made with active sourdough starter, which truly intensifies the banana taste!

I’m not really sure how to explain it, but something about using a sourdough starter in my homemade banana bread really pumped up that banana flavor! If you’re nervous about it tasting sour, as a loaf of sourdough slightly does, the bananas take over — I don’t think your loved ones will even know this is a sourdough recipe!

This quick bread recipe results in one of the most unbelievably moist, sweet, and fluffy banana bread loaves I’ve ever had. The texture is almost silky, and the taste is (forgive me) just BANANAS! If you have a sourdough starter, you simply have to try this recipe the next time you feed it. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, follow my fool-proof sourdough starter guide!

I’ve come up with a lot of banana bread recipes in my time as a professional chef, but this Sourdough Banana Bread really blew me away. Who knew the secret to perfect banana bread was a sourdough starter?

How Do I Feed Sourdough Starter?

For this recipe, you will need to have fed your starter and get it bubbly and active. Your starter should be fed with a 1:1 ratio of flour and water. Be sure to read my more in-depth guide to sourdough starters.

How To Make Banana Bread With Sourdough Starter

As I said, to make this homemade sourdough, you want to be sure your starter has been fed and is bubbly — that is how you will get your sourdough to rise. To make this banana bread, you should whisk together 1/3 cup of the starter with your very ripe bananas, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Then, you will add the eggs, one at a time, vegetable oil, and milk. You want to mix each ingredient in completely before you add the next. In a separate bowl, you’ll whisk together your dry ingredients, then fold them into the wet ingredients until just combined. After that, you pour the batter into a baking dish and bake!

How Long Does Sourdough Banana Bread Last?

This quickbread will last up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can freeze sourdough banana bread for up to 2 months!

Tools You Need To Make Banana Sourdough Bread

Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Sourdough Banana Bread

Make sure that you have fed your starter and that it is bubbly and active before you begin this recipe. For a guide on all things sourdough starter, click here.
Always use spotty, overripe bananas when baking with them — they are the sweetest and most flavorful.
If you have old bananas but aren’t ready to make this bread, peel them and freeze them. When ready to use them, defrost them, and you are good to go.
If you like nuts or chopped chocolate in your banana bread, you can toss in 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) chopped nuts or 1 cup (6 oz/170 g) chopped dark chocolate just after you add the flour mixture.
Turn this simple snacking cake into an event: serve warm slices topped with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream, spiced rum caramel sauce, and freshly sliced bananas!

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