This is my favorite recipe for zucchini bread (best ever!) using leftover sourdough starter discard. My secret is a specific mixing order which creates the most amazing, melt-in-your-mouth texture every time!
Many of you have requested more sourdough discard recipes, especially muffins, quick breads and easy sweet treats. It’s such a great way to use up leftover starter without the waste! In fact, diving deeper into this topic was my favorite research while writing Artisan Sourdough Made Simple.
For this recipe, I’ve adapted my ultimate sourdough banana bread (with a few tips from the comment section) to create the best sourdough zucchini bread. It’s got that same velvety texture, notes of rich caramel, and for a simple twist, the batter is lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
How To Make Sourdough Zucchini Bread
For the Batter
Just like my sourdough banana bread, the secret to this recipe is the specific mixing order.
Cream only a portion of the wet ingredients first, followed by the dry ingredients, ending with the remaining wet ingredients (oil and milk). Follow the instructions exactly and you’ll get the best melt-in-your-mouth texture every time.
How To Grate Zucchini
After the batter is mixed, the final step is to fold in the zucchini.
I use a box grater to grate the zucchini because it’s quick, easy to clean and you don’t have to dig out an additional appliance like the food processor.
Additionally, there’s no need to squeeze out the excess water from the zucchini; it’s used to hydrate the batter.
TIP: The texture of the batter should be thick and pourable but not runny. This will all depend on the brand of flour you’re using and the thickness of your sourdough starter. Add more flour as needed to get it right.
Bake The Zucchini Bread
Pour the batter into loaf pans, either mini 7x3x2-inch pans (pictured above) or a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake until perfectly golden. Cool in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack. Be patient!
When ready to eat, try a slice (warm) with a pat of salted butter, or simply plain with a dusting of powdered sugar. It’s the best sourdough zucchini bread you’ll ever try!
To Freeze: Wrap the zucchini bread in a few layers of plastic wrap (or a reusable wrap of your choice), then foil, and freeze up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature. You can reheat to serve, which is optional. You can also freeze this bread in individually wrapped slices.
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Best Sourdough Zucchini Bread
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Packed with fresh zucchini, this sourdough zucchini bread recipe uses a simple mixing method for a soft, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that’s never soggy. It’s one of the best, ever!
Notes & Substitutions
- Non-Sourdough Version: Just leave it out. No additional adjustments needed.
- Dairy Free: Use unsweetened almond milk or another plant milk of your choice. Use oil or plant butter to coat the pans.
- Gluten Free: Use King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour & a GF sourdough starter
- Pan Sizes: (2 or 3) mini 7 x 3 x 2- inch OR (1) standard 9 x 5-inch
Ingredients
- Butter, for coating the pan
- 2 cups (220 g) grated zucchini, from appx. 1 medium zucchini
- 125 g banana weighed with the skin on (about 1 small banana)
- 225 g (1 1/4 cups lightly packed) light or dark brown sugar
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g (appx. 1/2 cup) sourdough discard OR bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 125 ml (½ cup) neutral flavored oil like sunflower (mild olive oil works, too)
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk or unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
How to Prepare your Sourdough Starter: if using leftover sourdough discard, make sure it’s in good condition (no brown liquid, no vinegary smell, not straight from the fridge). I use recently fed or just collapsed starter. Alternatively, if using active starter, you’ll need to feed it prior to making the recipe and wait for it to become bubbly and double in size.
- Preheat the oven to 360 F. Lightly coat (2 or 3) 7 x 3 x 2 mini loaf pans or (1) 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with butter. Note: Using 2 mini loaf pans instead of 3 will you get you slightly taller loaves.
- Using a box grater, grate the zucchini on an angle on the side with largest holes. No need to drain out the excess water. Set aside.
- Add the banana, sugar, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Cream with a hand held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, about 30 seconds to 1 minute (some small lumps of banana are okay).
- Add the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the sourdough starter.
- Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl. Working in batches, add this to the banana mixture.
- Add the oil and milk and mix until just combined. Do not over do it; the banana bread will be tough. The texture should be thick and pourable, but not runny. Add more flour if needed. Fold in the grated zucchini.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). For 2 mini loaf pans, fill about 3/4’s full. For 3 mini loaf pans, fill about 2/3’s full (these loaves will not be as high). Place onto a baking sheet and transfer to the oven.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes for the 2 mini loaf pans (about 30-35 minutes if using 3 mini pans) or 60-65 minutes or more for the standard 9 x 5-inch pan. Cover with foil if the loaf browns too quickly.
- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- To Store: wrap the loaves (plastic or reusable wrap) and keep at room temperature. Because of the moisture in the zucchini, the texture will get softer and softer each day.
- To Freeze: Once completely cool, wrap the loaves, label and date; they will keep for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.
- To Double: simply double the ingredients as listed. I recommend using a stand mixer.
Comments
Shermaine says
Thank you so much! I’m now making my sourdough starter and am on Day 6 — excited to see the results. Your instructions have been so clear.
For Sourdough Discard, can this also be kept during the first week? Or only when the starter is ready? Also, can you just collect it in a separate jar and keep it stored in the fridge?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there!I typically do not keep the discard when first creating a starter- it’s too acidic and smelly. Just use the discard when the starter is up and running.
And yes: you can collect the discard and keep it in the fridge. But I wouldn’t keep it for too long. It will start to ferment and get really sour/acidic which is not great for sweet baked goods. For best results, I recommend using discard with 1-2 days depending on its initial condition. :)
Claire Keating says
Hi If love to try this, what’s the best sub for eggs please? I’ll be using an active starter.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Claire! I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve heard from others that have made my banana bread version that a flax egg works beautifully.
Claire Keating says
Thanks so much Emilie. I’ll try this tomorrow.
I’m enjoying your recipe book (birthday gift) too. Hi from UK😊
Emilie Raffa says
Yay! Enjoy and have fun, Claire :) x
Julie says
Your recipes are amazing Emilie1 I’m new to sourdough baking and I’ve tried a few recipes from books and other sites but so far your recipes are the only ones that really work for me. I’ve tried your Sourdough Fluffy Pancakes, Sourdough Banana Bread and Sourdough Banana Bread. They turned out great and the family enjoyed it. Thank you!!! I’m a big fan now!
For the Zucchini Sourdough Bread, how can I make it into a Chocolate Zucchini Sourdough Bread? Do I substitute a portion of the flour with cocoa powder? And add some expresso coffee into parts of the liquid portion? Would appreciate your thoughts. There is a shop here that sells amazing Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Bread and after I found your recipes, I refuse to buy so please help me with this if you can! Thanks!!
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you, Julie! So glad they’re working out for you!
I haven’t tried a chocolate version of this recipe (although it sounds really yummy!), so I do not have exact amounts for you. But yes: you would substitute a portion of the the white flour for cocoa powder. Coffee in place of some of the liquid would work well too. I would also consider adding chocolate chips to enhance the chocolate flavor as cocoa powder alone won’t really taste chocolatey.
Please let me know how it turns out!
Shannon Viele says
Hi there! I recently tried your sourdough banana bread recipe (eating the last slice as I type this in fact) and fell in love. My mother is requesting I make sourdough carrot zucchini bread next and I have yet to find a single recipe that combines carrot and zucchini in the sourdough realm. Since carrot has a higher sugar content and a lower water content than zucchini, I doubt it would be as simple as subbing half of the zucchini for carrot, but do you have any insight on the matter?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Shannon! You know, I’ve been playing around with a version of this at home. And to be honest, I just swap out half of the zucchini for shredded carrots and the results are really nice! Try starting with that and see if you like the texture because the water content of shredded zucchini can vary. Hope this helps!
Erin B says
I followed this recipe closely except for the milk suggestion: I had some buttermilk to use up and since the recipe already called for baking soda instead of baking powder, I knew the buttermilk would work well. It was the best tasting and textured “tea loaf” typed bread I’ve ever made. It was ultra moist, had a tender, yet sturdy crumb, and a glossy domed top with a pretty crack right down the center. It was exactly the right amount of sweetness for my palate. Also, I greatly appreciate you listing the gram weights for the ingredients, especially the bananas. So many times banana recipes say “two small or 1 large”, etc… and we all know how much bananas vary in size. What’s a medium banana to me may not be to the recipe developer. I only wish I had made a double batch. Next time I will double it, and will probably fold in some chopped pecans or walnuts. But that is the only addition I would make. I know so many people love chocolate chips, but I need this perfect loaf to stay unadulturated by chocolate!
Emily, your recipes are amazing. I have yet to find one that failed me, even your more difficult sourdough breads are just spot on. Thank you for all the time and love and energy you put into this!
Emilie Raffa says
Erin, thank you so much for the incredible feedback (and sweet words!). I’ve yet to try buttermilk but am very excited to do so- I can only imagine the improvements! And agreed re: weights! x E
Ella Jones says
This one is so good, I’m looking forward to try your recipes. Very detailed
Katie Cronin says
I made your banana bread recipe last weekend and it was phenomenal! This weekend my son requested apple muffins for the first day of school; who can say no to that? I subbed 2 apples for the zucchini, everything else I kept the same. I baked in muffin tins for about 15 mins. They have the perfect crumb, flavor, and are already almost gone! Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe!
Emilie Raffa says
This so sound good. Did you chop or grate the apples? I’m going to try it for school lunches too! :)
Jamie says
I’ve now made this recipe several times, adapted to be both gluten and dairy free, and once adapted for blueberries. As typical for gluten free baking, I needed much less moisture. The one time keeping moisture levels constant (and completely drying my zucchini) the bread baked for nearly 2hrs and was still underdone.
I use King Arthur GF All Purpose. The flour measured at 280g for 2 cups. I increased the discard to 200g, and eliminated both the oil and milk. For blueberries, I used 1.5c frozen wild (small/low bush) berries. My GF sourdough content varies at the moment as I am testing different flours. It is currently 90% rice flour and 10% coconut flour.
Katie says
I just made this after making the banana bread for a new neighbor. Both are delicious. I used less sugar and added in blueberries and nuts. So amazing! Thanks for helping me use up my sourdough! :)
Kylie L Mahoney says
Second time making this recipe! For anyone interested I left out the eggs and added extra banana and it worked amazing! Perfect treat for everyone to enjoy and allergy friendly! Thank you 😊
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks for the tips, Kylie! xx
Cheri Fromm says
I have been feeding my new sourdough, it smells very nice, it has been doubling nicely, but no real bubbles. Help me please, I am so ready to bake bread.
Marisa says
Hello I cannot subscribe to your website. It won’t take my email address. Not working!!
Emilie Raffa says
Oh no! Sorry to hear that. I’ve manually added your email address on my end. When you receive the activation email, just follow the prompts to confirm the subscription ;)
Shayna says
Is there a way to adapt it for zucchini muffins?
Emilie Raffa says
Absolutely. Off the top of my head, I don’t have the exact bake time. But I’d say 18-25+ minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean :)
Jenny says
Would you also increase the oven temperature to make muffins, or leave it as-is?
Emilie Raffa says
Leave the current oven temp as is; just reduce the overall cooking time for muffins :)
Wajela Moer says
How can this be sourdough if it wasn’t fermented for eight hours?
Emilie Raffa says
Sourdough is extremely versatile! Not all recipes will follow the same methods and fermentation times. For example, some recipes will ferment for 3 hrs, 8 hrs and up to 24 hrs. It all depends. Additionally, this is a quick bread recipe (not an actual bread dough recipe) so different rules apply. Same holds true for most sourdough discard recipes in general. With that said however, you are more than welcome to ferment this batter if you’d like, adding the baking soda only before baking.
Wajela Moer says
Thank you. I have tried fermenting cakes and quick breads with starter many times, and when I add the baking powder and/or soda, the soured dough rises before I get it into the pans, which yields flattened and flopped results. Is there a way to avoid this?
Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
Depending on the recipe, try add the baking soda/powder while the dough ferments instead. Or, if adding it after the batter ferments, wait a while before putting it in the oven, stirring the batter down from time to time.
Wajela Moer says
Thank you!
Tivoli says
Is there a way to make this recipe lower in sugar?
Emilie Raffa says
I haven’t tested it, but I’m sure it could be done!
Kim says
You can probably sub the sugar with 1:1 Xylitol, that’s what I’ve taken away from being Keto last year. I missed (proper) baking for sure, but I have found this one sub to come in handy a lot.
Lisa says
I have zucchini in the garden and sourdough starter on the counter that are producing non-stop, so this recipe was a must try. It’s everything you said it would be, tender, flavorful and if you can hide it from your family it freezes very well. I’ve made it several times and today I tried a twist. I added 1/3 cup of organic cocoa powder with the flour and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips with the zucchini. Delicious, not too sweet and still melt in your mouth!
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds DIVINE!!!
Andrea B says
I really enjoyed the recipe. I used sourdough discard I had in the fridge and at the end of the recipe I needed slightly more flour. The loaf needed almost 15 more minutes than the recommended time as the middle was still raw after 65 minutes of cooking time. Very tasty!
Emilie Raffa says
Glad you enjoyed it! Depending on the consistency or your starter and/or the moisture content in the zucchini, you would have to add more flour and/or adjust the bake time. Makes total sense!
Matt says
Looking to add blueberries as well. Will I have to make any adjustments? I figure just add more flour at the end if needed.
Emilie Raffa says
You might want to reduce the liquid and/or add more flour, live you’ve mentioned. I know that the blueberries will make it more wet.
Matthew Sawtelle says
300g of flour
Amazing with blueberries!!!!!
Mari says
Amazing zucchini bread! Thank you for sharing.
SarahB says
This bread is insane! We can’t stop eating it. All of your recipes from your book are fantastic. Thank you for sharing this one.
mrssurly says
HOLY MOLY. This is by far the absolute best zucchini bread I have ever tasted. I folded nuts into the batter at the very end because I love nuts. I also used about 75% same day discard and another 25% discard from the fridge that I let warm up to room temp. I baked it in the short Pullman loaf pan and had to adjust the total bake time to 69 minutes. I’m feeding my starter right now to make sure I have enough discard to make more tomorrow. This bread did NOT last long in my house. Make this. You will not regret it!!!
mindy says
Looks delicious!
What do you think of adding chocolate chips? Any impact on the batter/bake?
Emilie Raffa says
Chocolate chips would be great. I do not believe it will make any difference to the bake time. Batter should be fine, too. If there’s any overflow, meaning it’s too much for a 9 x 5- inch pan, make a few muffins alongside.
Molly Tierney says
My loaf is in the oven now! Gluten free, with gf starter, and no banana. Oh my. I’ll let you know how it turns out 😉
Whitney says
This morning I thought “I wonder if that amazing banana bread would work with zucchini” and here you are, 2 days ahead of me! 😁 I have no banana; would it work to just leave it out and sub extra zucchini? Also, my grandma’s zucchini bread recipe has orange extract in it, as well as the spices, just if anyone wants to add a twist. Hers always tasted incredible!
Emilie Raffa says
I LOVE when that happens ;) It will work without the banana, although the texture and taste will be slightly different. Add more milk if the batter seems too thick. More zucchini might make it soggy! Orange sounds divine. Enjoy!
RSF says
I have lots of zucchini but no bananas and will not be going to the store anytime soon. Is there anything I can subsitute for the banana? Does it add something to the finished bread?
Emilie Raffa says
The banana adds a soft texture and a hint of caramel flavor to the finished bread. If you don’t have any, just leave it out. The batter will be a touch thicker (increase the milk if necessary), and slightly less sweet.