Sourdough Discard Zucchini Bread
Sourdough Discard Zucchini Bread uses a whole pound of zucchini and a full cup of sourdough discard. This loaf has a special flavor that’s unlike your typical zucchini bread. The sticky lemon-glazed top is the perfect finishing touch.
Table of contents
Why this is a standout recipe
This zucchini bread is super-moist. A hint of zesty lemon plays nicely with the subtle tang of the sourdough discard.
It took several rounds of testing to get the texture just right. I had to tweak my regular zucchini bread recipe to accommodate the added flour and water from the discard.
The result is a loaf with plenty of moisture, a soft crumb and a unique flavor.
If you don’t already have one, I can show you how to make a sourdough starter and how to feed a sourdough starter.
If you don’t have a starter yet, you can make fabulous Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bread or Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread in the meantime.
If you’ve got your discard ready to go, let’s get started….
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Sourdough Discard – The recipe was tested using a 100% hydration sourdough discard. If your starter has a different percentage of water you may need to adjust the flour or liquid in the recipe.
- All Purpose Flour – Medium protein content AP flour is perfect for making quick bread that is tender but still has enough body that it doesn’t taste like a cake.
- Zucchini – Blotting the shredded zucchini with paper towels wicks away excess moisture.
- Baking Powder/Soda – Baking powder provides plenty of lift for the heavy batter. Baking soda reacts with the acidic sourdough discard to bolster the leavening.
- Lemons – The zest is added to the batter to enhance the tangy sourdough flavor. The juice is used to create a sticky, sweet glaze on the top of the bread. See the flavor variation section below if you’d like to make a traditional “spiced” Zucchini bread.
Process Photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Place the shredded zucchini between layers of paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Put the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Fold until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with a parchment “sling. Use the tip of the spatula to draw a trench down the center of the batter.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, pour the lemon glaze over the top.
- Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes then use the sling to lift it out of the pan.
Flavor Variation
For a more “traditional” spiced zucchini bread make the following changes to the recipe: Skip the lemon zest and lemon glaze. Replace half the granulated sugar with brown sugar. Add 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp. ginger and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg along with the dry ingredients. You can also add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts for texture.
Storage
Sourdough Discard Zucchini Bread will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days. Left over slices can be frozen. Do not refrigerate the bread.
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Sourdough Discard Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 16 oz zucchini (2-3 medium)
- 10 oz all purpose flour (2 cups, see note)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 oz granulated sugar (1 ¼ cups)
- 8 oz sourdough discard (1 cup)
- 1 ¾ oz vegetable oil (¼ cup)
- 2 large eggs
- zest from 2 lemons (very finely grated)
Glaze
- 2 oz lemon juice (¼ cup)
- 2 oz granulated sugar (¼ cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter a 9×5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper in one direction.
- Use the large holes of a box grater or the grating disc of a food processor to shred 16 oz zucchini. Spread the zucchini in an even layer on a paper towel and cover with another paper towel. Press to absorb the liquid. Let the zucchini sit while you mix the batter.
- Combine 10 oz all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt and 10 oz granulated sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk together 8 oz sourdough discard, 1 ¾ oz vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. Stir the zucchini, and zest from 2 lemons into the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once and stir just until combined. The batter will look quite dry at first, but will loosen up as you mix it.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Use the tip of the spatula to draw a crease down the center of the loaf. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, 50-55 minutes.
- While the bread bakes, combine 2 oz lemon juice and 2 oz granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.
- As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, pour the lemon glaze over the loaf. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Wrap and store at room temperature until serving. The bread will keep for several days at room temperature. Individual slices can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month.
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