Sourdough Discard Zucchini Bread Recipe

If you keep sourdough starter on hand, this easy zucchini bread recipe is a great way to use discard! Sweet brown sugar balances tangy sourdough, buttermilk and oil make it soft and moist, and a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg with a hint of cloves makes it extra special.

Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Sourdough Discard Zucchini Bread, Sourdough Discard Zucchini Bread Recipe, Sourdough Zucchini Bread, Sourdough Zucchini Bread Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 312kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Butter and flour (for the loaf pan)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (reduce to 1/8 teaspoon if you're sensitive to cloves)
1/2 cup full-fat buttermilk (see Notes for substitute)
1/2 cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil or canola oil)
1/2 cup sourdough discard (see Notes)
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar (lightly packed)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
225 grams shredded zucchini (about 1 1/2 cups/1 medium-large zucchini; wash the zucchini and shred it; don’t peel it or wring out the liquid)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, or line all 4 sides with parchment paper.
Make the batter. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Add the buttermilk, oil, sourdough discard, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla to a separate medium-large bowl. Whisk until well-combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just to combine, then fold in the shredded zucchini, being careful not to over-mix. (TIP: A few streaks of flour are okay and better than over-mixing.)
Bake and cool. Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without crumbs or with just a few moist crumbs, about 60 to 75 minutes.
Cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Buttermilk Substitute: In a small bowl, add 4 tablespoons skim milk and 3 tablespoons heavy cream, and drizzle in 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle and thicken before stirring.
Sourdough Discard: Use a 100% hydration sourdough discard or active sourdough starter. If you use active starter, reduce the brown sugar to 1 1/2 cups (because active starter is less sour than discard).
Storage: Let the bread cool to room temperature. After that, wrap it well or pop it into an airtight container and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. (TIP: If freezing, slice the bread first so you can thaw as many servings at a time as you want. Also after freezing, I like to lightly toast the bread to refresh it before eating.)

Nutrition