This Sourdough Zucchini Bread is super moist, fluffy, and perfectly spiced. It's based on my original zucchini bread recipe, but I think it tastes even better. The inside feels moister, and the extra tang from the sourdough brings the bread to life.
Looking for more sourdough discard recipes? Try my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls or Sourdough Brownies next!
About This Recipe
I am a huge fan of making sweet breads, whether it's banana bread, zucchini bread, or even pumpkin bread. They're great for sharing with friends and family, and they're really nice for having in your fridge for a sweet breakfast with your coffee and tea throughout the week.
If you've been following my blog, you know I've been experimenting with various sourdough recipes in the last few months (things like sourdough crackers and sourdough cinnamon rolls). I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but I realized I could sourdough-ify my sweet bread recipes as well. Since my grocery store downstairs had zucchini on sale this week, I decided to try zucchini bread first. I added ½ a cup of discard to my base recipe, and to my surprise, it came out perfectly on the first try.
The flavor is actually even better than the original recipe. The extra acid from the sourdough balances with the sugar nicely and keeps it from tasting overly sweet. Another thing is that the texture feels more bread-like rather than cake-like, which I prefer.
Key Ingredients
All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is all you need for this sourdough zucchini bread recipe.
Granulated sugar: I use 1 and ½ cups for this recipe, but you can reduce this by up to ½ cup for less sweetness.
Cinnamon: I love the addition of cinnamon in zucchini bread because it gives it an extra cozy and warm flavor. You can also substitute it with some allspice, cloves, or even pumpkin spice.
Baking powder: For giving the loaf a fluffy texture.
Baking soda: This reacts with the sourdough discard to immediately generate some bubbles inside the batter. These bubbles will expand during baking and make the inside extra fluffy.
Salt: Even for desserts, adding a tiny bit of salt will enhance all the flavors.
Zucchini: You'll need 1 large zucchini or about 2 small ones. Grate them on the largest holes of a cheese grater and gently press them into a measuring cup.
Vegetable oil: Oil (or melted butter) gives moistness to the bread. Without oil, it will feel very dry.
Sourdough discard: ½ cup of active starter or discard is okay. I prefer discard that is a few weeks old because the flavor is more tangy.
Eggs: Acts as a binder for all the ingredients.
Vanilla extract: For warm flavor.
Walnuts: I love walnuts in bread recipes because it gives a satisfying texture. You can leave these out, substitute with pecans, or even swap them out for chocolate chips.
Instructions
STEP 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
STEP 2: In a medium bowl, mix together the grated zucchini, oil, sourdough discard, eggs, and vanilla extract.
STEP 3: Pour the zucchini mixture into the dry ingredients and fold until JUST combined. Fold in the walnuts.
STEP 4: Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
STEP 5: Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I like to cover with a sheet of aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from browning too much.
📋 Recipe
Sourdough Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and levelled)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 small)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts (or pecans)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the grated zucchini, oil, sourdough discard, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the zucchini mixture into the dry ingredients and fold until JUST combined. Fold in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I like to cover with a sheet of aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from browning too much.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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