Name: Sourdough Zucchini Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 190g (1 1/2 cups*) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 200g (1 cup) light or dark brown sugar; 105g (1/2 cup) olive oil or melted coconut oil; 100g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter discard; 60g (1/4 cup) natural yogurt or sour cream; 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract; 180g (1 1/2 cups) shredded zucchini; 100g (3/4 cup) chopped pecans or walnuts

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This sourdough zucchini bread is moist and flavorful, with a perfect balance of sweetness and spice.

This sweet bread is a great way to use up your leftover sourdough starter discard and any extra zucchini you might have lying around. If you’re a home gardener you’ll likely have a ton of zucchini to get through when it’s zucchini season! It’s a super easy recipe to make and tastes amazing. For more sourdough discard recipes, check out this sourdough banana bread!

There’s the option to give the batter an overnight ferment. This extended fermentation time allows the flour to absorb more moisture from the batter, which can lead to a more moist crumb. Additionally, it helps break down the proteins in the flour. I do the same in this sourdough chocolate chip muffins and sourdough banana muffins recipes. If you want to bake this bread right away, you can.

sliced stacked sourdough zucchini bread.

Ingredients

Here’s a rundown of what you need for this sourdough zucchini bread. Find the amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt: The dry ingredients
Sourdough starter discard: Adds flavor and makes the bread tender.
Ground cinnamon and vanilla: Added flavor.
Olive oil, neutral vegetable oil, or coconut oil (warmed): Give the bread a really moist texture.
Light or dark brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a hint of molasses.
Large eggs: Bring structure and richness, ensuring a tender crumb.
Natural yogurt: Also brings tenderness
Shredded fresh zucchini: Brings moisture and a subtle taste. I like to grate mine fine with a box grater. There’s no need to remove any of the water from the grated zucchini.
Chopped pecans or walnuts: Optional, but I love the texture contrast chopped nuts bring.

Method

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small seperate bowl.

whisking sourdough starter, sugar, eggs and oil.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the oil, brown sugar, eggs, sourdough discard, yogurt, and vanilla extract until well combined.

hand holding spatula and folding dry ingredients.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir in the shredded zucchini and nuts until just combined.

a spatula folding zucchini and nuts into batter.

Cold-fermenting (optional) – Cover the bowl tightly and place it in the refrigerator for up to 16 hours.

Scoop the batter into a parchment paper-lined 9×5 inch bread loaf pan or an 8.5×4.5 inch one and bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.

Store leftover zucchini bread at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy a slice of this sourdough discard zucchini bread as is, or warm it up and spread a little butter on top for an extra treat. It’s a versatile bread that pairs well with coffee or tea.

Additions or substitutions

Swap out half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour for extra fibre
Chocolate chips can be added to the batter, too, if you like the combination of chocolate and spice.
To make it an extra treat, top it with cream cheese frosting! Here’s a brown butter cream cheese frosting that would suit it well.

More sourdough recipes