Sourdough discard zucchini bread recipe

This sourdough discard zucchini bread is the perfect alternative to the usual cafe style banana bread. Sweet, filling and delicious, these tasty slices will have the whole family ask for more.

If you have visited my blog before, you know that I always try and hide a few extra nutrients in my family’s food. I frequently take a few veggies and blend them into meals, or swap parts of all purpose flour to something more nutrient dense, like rye or spelt. This sourdough discard zucchini bread recipe takes the delicious base of a banana bread and hides a few extra delights without taking anything away from the yummy cake experience.

As with many other young kids, my little ones have been going through very fussy phases. My older one used to be an excellent eater in her younger years. She would try anything and everything we would serve her, to the point where I would have to surrender my curry dishes to her. I thought I had cracked the code. Sadly, this phase didn’t last. We went from curry to plain rice, from berry porridge to plain pasta and skipped the burgers in favour for chips. My little one followed suit and copied her big sister, like any good younger sibling would. It was infuriating!

Thankfully, after years of frustration, we are slowly coming out of the extreme part of this phase. But there are still a lot of things my kids won’t eat. So what do you do if you run out of options? You hide food in cake. Similar to my sourdough oatmeal cookies that are pretty filling with their high oat content, this sourdough discard zucchini bread recipe is sweet, but filling and so satisfying. A couple of slices will keep you and the little ones going for quite some time.

I love any recipe that can be made in bulk and stored in the freezer. This zucchini loaf is perfect to portion and store for later occasions. Being simple and delicious, it serves as an ideal option for a quick breakfast on the run, a lunchtime snack or a quick delight to enjoy with your afternoon coffee. And not to forget, it’s the perfect addition to your little ones’ lunch boxes. 

So let’s get the family together to help whip up this sourdough discard zucchini bread recipe. It’s a fun, hands on activity you will all enjoy. Let me know how you liked your creations in the comments. 

Ingredients

• Zucchini
• Walnuts
• Butter
• All purpose flour
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla essence
• Salt
• Eggs
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Sourdough discard

Tools you may need to make this sourdough discard zucchini bread recipe

Stand mixer with whisk attachment

Two separate mixing bowls

Whisk

Two bread tins for baking

Wire rack for cooling

Kitchen scales

Grater or grater attachment for your stand mixer

Small pot or sauce pan to melt butter

Strainer or sieve to drain zucchini

Other cake recipes to try

If you enjoyed my Zucchini Bread, why not try one of these sweet treats next:

• Lemon drizzle cake
• Earl Grey Honey Cake
• Sourdough Carrot Cake
• Rustic Rhubarb Granola Bowl
• Warming Bratapfel Porridge
• Sourdough Oatmeal Choc Chip Cookies
• Almond Flour Shortcut Biscuits
• Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl

Frequently asked questions

Do you leave the skin on zucchini when making bread?

I usually just leave the skin on my zucchini when making bread, yes. If you and your family don’t like coarse pieces, I would however recommend to either peel the zucchini, or use a very fine grater to shred, as this will soften any harder parts of the zucchini for your cake. Given the long baking time you should have a fairly soft loaf, but if there is any question in your mind at all, it’s always best to take the extra step. 

What causes my zucchini bread to fall in the middle?

If your oven temperature is too low the rise of your zucchini bread may be impacted, causing it to collapse. A similar thing can happen if your dough has too much moisture, which usually collects in the middle of your cake and keeps your bread soggy and unbaked. Try to eliminate any potential issues by always pre-heating your oven to the right temperature, and removing any excess liquid by squeezing your zucchini before adding it to the dough. 

How do you keep zucchini bread moist after baking?

Once baked, zucchini bread has a certain life span before it starts to go stale, just like any other baked good. The first step I usually take is to freeze any excess we are unlikely to eat within the next day or so. If you plan on serving your zucchini bread at a single occasion, wrapping an unsliced piece in beeswax wrappers or silver foil will keep the loaf moist. You can also store it in an airtight container. Should you wish to store single slices, I would recommend to store your loaf in an airtight container in a cool place.

What is the best way to get moisture out of zucchini?

Zucchini holds a lot of moisture, which starts to collect the finer you slice or shred your produce. If your recipe calls for shredded zucchini like my sourdough discard zucchini bread recipe does, squeezing your shredded zucchini over a strainer of sieve will get a lot of the moisture out of your zucchini without great effort. Additionally, pressing a clean towel or paper towel onto the zucchini can remove some more moisture if required. 

Do you take seeds out of zucchini before baking?

I have personally not needed to remove any seeds from zucchini for baking, no. The produce I usually buy shreds the seeds quite easily in my grater. Should you be concerned about some coarse seeds which may still feel quite harsh even after grating, removing the seeds before grating your zucchini may be a good extra step to add. The last thing you’d want is to have your baked goods compromised by some rough bits.

How to make my sourdough discard zucchini bread recipe from scratch

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius or 325 degrees Fahrenheit. While this is heating up, prepare two bread tins or tins of similar size. Rub them out with butter or if easier, lay them out with some parchment paper.

Next, lay out your ingredients. Bonus points for pre-measuring everything into small cups.

Take a small pot or sauce pan and melt your butter on medium heat. Start with this step to allow your butter to cook before using it. If you are in a rush, you may want to place your hot butter pot into an ice bath or cold water to cool down faster.

While the butter is melting, attach your grater attachment onto your stand mixer or place a free standing grater over a bowl. Grate your zucchini into fine strips. I prefer to use the finest setting on my KitchenAid grater here, as my family doesn’t like any flakey bits on their bakes goods. 

Zucchini has a fairly high moisture content, which can make your bread soggy. Place your grated zucchini in a strainer or sieve and squeeze as much moisture out of it as possible. You can do this by pushing the zucchini down with a spoon, or by simply squeezing it with your hand. 

In a medium bowl, mix together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until there are no clumps, then set aside. 

Attach a large bowl to your stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment. Add your eggs, sourdough discard, sugar and vanilla to the bowl and beat until well combined. Stop the mixer momentarily to scrape the edges of the bowl if your mixture is stuck to the edges. Once well combined, add your cooled butter and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. I like to add my butter last to ensure the eggs have been well incorporated and won’t run the risk of the butter “cooking” large clumps of it if too warm. 

Turn your mixer to a low setting and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until almost fully incorporated, then add your zucchini and walnuts. Keep mixing until well combined and no clumps of zucchini or walnuts remain. 

Take your loaf tins and divide the dough evenly between them. Keep in mind that uneven distribution will cause the fuller one to take longer in the oven. 

Place both tins in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Test each loaf’s centre with a toothpick after 50 minutes to ensure your bread is fully baked. If parts of dough cling to your tooth pick, give the loaf another 10 minutes in the oven before repeating the process.

Once baked, take your loaf tins out of the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool. Allow your loaves to cool in their tin for at least 10 minutes before turning them over. Turning your loaves over while still hot will likely cause them to crumble and break apart, which can be avoided by allowing for some time to cool. 

Follow the same guidance to cool before slicing your loaf. Once ready and baked, you can store the loaf as a whole or as individual slices for up to 3 days in an airtight container on the kitchen bench. The recipe is also great for freezing. I prefer to freeze individual slices and either thaw them in the toaster or under the grill for a quick and delicious breakfast. If you plan on taking them to work, simply grab a slice out of the freezer before heading out and allow the outside temperature to do the thawing for you. If your workplace has a toaster, you can always heat it up there.