Sourdough Zucchini Bread Recipe

Hello sourdough friends! Are you ready for a great way to use more discard? This Sourdough Zucchini Carrot Bread is the perfect way to use sourdough discard in a moist, warmly spiced quick bread packed with vegetables. The loaf includes shredded zucchini, carrots, and a little apple for sweetness, along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of molasses for more flavor.

Even though this is a sourdough discard quick bread, the finished bread doesn't taste sour. The starter simply adds subtle brightness and helps create a tender crumb. The combination of zucchini and carrots keeps the bread soft and moist, while apple adds its own flavor and sweetness and complements the spices. I use a combo of cinnamon and nutmeg, but you can add more spice if you feel like it.

This recipe makes two loaves, which is perfect for sharing, freezing, or keeping one loaf for yourself and gifting the other.

Why Add Sourdough Discard to Quick Bread?

Sourdough discard works beautifully in quick breads like zucchini bread and carrot bread. Because the batter already contains eggs, oil, and moisture from vegetables, the starter blends right in without changing the texture too much. So the reason for using it is to add moisture, a subtle flavor and to avoid food waste. Throwing out a little discard is not a big deal, but I would much rather put it in another baked good than in the trash.

No Discard, No Problem!

This is actually a re-make of my old recipe which did not have sourdough discard. If you don't have discard and liked the old recipe, simply use 30 grams more flour (3 carefully measured cups, 390 grams) and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. The flour replaces flour in the discard and the lemon juice adds acidity and helps activate the baking soda.

Use 8x4 Inch Loaf Pans

And finally, it's worth seeking out a pair of small 8x4 inch (or close 2) size pans. That size is harder to find these days, as most sizes are at least 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch. That doesn't sound like much of a difference, but it is. The 8x4 inch pans that I like usually come in pairs and aren't very expensive, but they make small yet nicely shaped loaves.

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Recipe

Sourdough Zucchini Bread

Anna

Quick bread made with zucchini, apples and carrots topped with (optional) vanilla icing. A little sourdough discard makes it extra moist and adds subtle flavor. This recipe makes two small loaves that weigh about 1 ½ pounds each.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Cooling Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 slices

Ingredients

 

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (360 grams)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar (300 grams)
• 4 large eggs
• ⅔ cup vegetable oil (130 grams)
• ½ cup sourdough discard (130 grams)
• 1 teaspoon molasses (7 grams)
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini, chopped (120 grams)
• 1 cup shredded apples, chopped (100 grams)
• 1 cup shredded carrots, chopped (100 grams)
• ½ cup toasted and chopped pecans

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the bottom only of two 8x4 inch loaf pans and line with strips of parchment paper.
• Mix the flour, baking soda,baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, eggs, oil, molasses, sourdough discard, and vanilla.
• Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until mixed. Stir in the zucchini, carrots, apples and nuts.
• Scrape the batter into the two greased loaf pans. It will be a very thick batter.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.
• Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes (check earlier) or until bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. The internal temperature should be a little over 200F when measured with a meat thermometer probe.
• Let cool for 15 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves with a knife, then carefully turn from pan (or lift your strips of parchment) and let cool completely before slicing.
• If you choose to ice it, make the icing by mixing together 1 tablespoon of melted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and enough milk or water (I used water) to make the icing drizzling or piping consistency. Spoon or pipe the icing over the top of the loaf and leave at room temperature to set.

Notes

My preferred method is to line the pans with a narrow strip of parchment paper that goes the length of the bottom of the pans and up the short sides. Theoretically, the sides of the loaf pan should be left ungreased, as this is supposed to help the batter cling to the pan and rise upward instead of inward. The loaves will dome nicely.

Keyword Apple Bread, Carrot Bread, Quick Bread, Sourdough Discard

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