Ultimate Sourdough Zucchini Bread

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Sourdough Zucchini Bread

Sourdough zucchini bread is a delicious quick bread that tastes amazing, has a lovely texture, and is easy to make. Our recipe can be made using a sourdough starter or discard, or without any sourdough. This recipe is one of my all-time favorites, and I am so excited to share it with you! I hope you will love the zucchini bread recipe as much as I do! Check out our step-by-step instructions and how to make this delicious bread below.

Sourdough Zucchini Bread close up

Best Sourdough Zucchini Bread

Making the best sourdough zucchini bread is surprisingly quick and easy. You don’t even have to include the sourdough starter if you don’t have any. Any way you want to make it this bread recipe is the best. I am so excited to share this recipe with you today, as zucchini bread is one of my all-time favorites, and this recipe does not disappoint.

This recipe that I am going to share with you today has been in my family for a long time. I have even entered this bread in local fairs, without the sourdough included, and received first prize for the bread. The bread is perfect for summertime, or any time of the year when you can acquire some zucchini. This recipe for zucchini bread is easy to make and tastes amazing. 

The Best Zucchini Bread With Sourdough Discard

When you add a bit of sourdough discard or sourdough starter to this recipe, you will be rewarded with a delicious bread that is super moist and dense. This bread is hard to go wrong, as it is just so good. 

Why You Will Love This Recipe:

I really hope that you will love this recipe as much as I do. This recipe is delicious, is very easy to make, and you are rewarded with a delicious quick bread at the end of it. This recipe is one of my all-time favorites, and I hope you will enjoy it too. 

Quick Mix. Long Bake. Delicious Zucchini Bread

Making sourdough zucchini bread is a quick process of mixing the bread together. Then takes approximately an hour to bake, depending upon your oven, and at the very end of the process you are rewarded with a delicious zucchini bread that tastes amazing.

Making your own sourdough zucchini bread is well worth the time and effort, to be rewarded with such a delicious treat. Let’s turn our attention to what you will need to make homemade sourdough zucchini bread. 

Recommended Kitchen Tools 

To begin, there are a few kitchen staples that we recommend you have on hand in order to make this recipe. Please see the list below for our recommended kitchen tools:

Mixing bowl
Cooking spray
Mixer
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Two bread pans

What You’ll Need

Below is a list of what ingredients you want to gather in order to make homemade sourdough zucchini bread. 

Eggs
Granulated sugar
Oil
Vanilla
Freshly grated zucchini
All-purpose flour
Cinnamon
Salt
Baking Soda
Baking powder
Sourdough starter or discard (optional)
Nuts (optional)
Raisins (optional)
Chocolate chips (optional)

How to Make Sourdough Zucchini Bread

In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Add zucchini, flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Mix until smooth. Mix in salt, and baking powder. Add optional ingredients and fold in if desired. Pour batter into greased bread pans and bake for 1 hour at 325°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow for the bread to cool before serving. Serve and enjoy. 

About The Recipe

This recipe will yield two loaves of bread, and typically takes at least one hour to bake, and between 10 to 15 minutes to prepare the batter. We recommend letting the bread cool before removing your loaves from the bread pans so that the loaves do not break. 

What I Like About The Recipe

There are many things that I like about this recipe. It is an easy recipe to make and only takes a few minutes to prepare the batter. There is not much fussing around when it comes to making the batter for this zucchini bread recipe. Plus, the bread tastes great no matter if you include the sourdough starter, or leave it out. This bread is all-around delicious and it’s very hard to choose one or two things that I like about it the best. 

Expert Tips

Below are a few tips that will help you when making your sourdough zucchini bread. Following these tips will help your bread turn out amazingly.  

How to Grate Zucchini

I prefer to use a box grater when grating my zucchini. I typically use the side of the grater that allows you to have the largest grate but does not slice them. Before you start grating your zucchini, be sure to wash the zucchini and chop both ends off. Then carefully take your zucchini and run it over the large grate. Be careful to keep your fingers back as you are grating your zucchini. Collect the grated zucchini on a plate or in a bowl. 

You can also use a food processor to grate zucchini if you have that add-on as an option. Simply run your zucchini through your food processor and grate it, then measure your zucchini before adding it to your recipe. 

How To Prepare Zucchini For Bread

Some recipes will instruct you to drain your freshly grated zucchini of any liquid. For this recipe, it is not absolutely necessary. However, if you prefer your zucchini bread to not be super moist, you may want to place your grated zucchini into a paper towel and squeeze it so that any extra liquid leaves your zucchini before placing it into your batter.

Sometimes I enjoy making zucchini bread using frozen zucchini. To use frozen grated zucchini when making zucchini bread, you will want to place your frozen zucchini into the microwave and defrost it. Then, once your frozen grated zucchini is thawed, drain any liquid from your bowl. Be careful to keep the zucchini, but dump the liquid. Once your zucchini has been drained, you can then add it to your zucchini bread batter.

Wringing Out the Zucchini 

To wring out your zucchini that has been grated, it works best to transfer freshly grated zucchini to a paper towel. Fold it so that the zucchini is entirely enclosed in the paper towel. Then gently squeeze so that any liquid is wrung out from the zucchini. When the liquid has been removed, you can transfer your remaining grated zucchini to your mixing bowl.

Sourdough Discard in Zucchini Bread

Using the sourdough discard or starter in the zucchini bread recipe is completely optional. If you have the starter or discard it, including it in the zucchini bread recipe will add a delicious texture and moisture to the bread. It is a great use for any discard from your sourdough.

Baking Temperature and Time

The baking time may vary depending upon your location, the time of year, and your specific oven. We recommend baking two loaves of bread at 325°F (163°C) for one hour. However, please note that you may be required to bake your bread longer if a toothpick inserted into the center does not come out clean. 

Without further adieu, let’s get baking your Sourdough Zucchini Bread!

Now that you know all the details, tips, and tricks for making amazing zucchini bread from scratch, it’s time to get baking! Below, you will find a detailed recipe of how to go about making your sourdough zucchini bread from scratch, with step-by-step instructions. If you have any questions as you go, feel free to drop us a comment, or send us an email. 

Sourdough Zucchini Bread Recipe 

Details

Makes: 2 loves
Bake Temp: 325°F
Bake Time: 1 hour 

Ingredients

3 medium eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup oil
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon 
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 ¼ cup sourdough starter (or discard)
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Step by Step instructions

Step 1: Make The Batter

Make your batter by mixing eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until combined. 

Add zucchini, flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Mix until the batter is smooth. 

Add salt and baking powder, mix in. 

Finally, add the sourdough starter, nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips if desired. Fold until ingredients are combined. 

Step 2: Bake The Zucchini Bread

Grease your bread pans with cooking spray, then pour your batter into two loaf pans. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Step 3: Allow To Cool Then Serve

Before serving, allow your loaves of bread to cool slightly before removing them from the pan. Once they have cooled, serve and enjoy! 

Nutrition

The above recipe is estimated to make two loaves containing a total of 16 slices of bread. The following nutritional facts are based on the nutritional facts for one slice of bread, or 1/16th of the above recipe. One serving contains 317 calories, 14.7g total fat, 31mg cholesterol, 167mg sodium, 44g total carbohydrates, and 3.7g protein. 

Notes & Substitutions

Notes

Please note that the sourdough starter or discard is an optional ingredient in this zucchini bread recipe. Adding the sourdough starter to the zucchini bread simply makes the bread have a moister texture and enhances the flavor.

Switch it up!

There are several optional ingredients that can be included when making sourdough zucchini bread. A few of these include your choice of nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins. There are many other optional ingredients that you can include if you wish, these are just a few of our favorites. 

Make Your Sourdough Zucchini Bread Great

Make your sourdough zucchini bread great by adding your favorite ingredients to it such as dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, Craisins, or raisins. Get creative and add your favorite to make your zucchini bread even more delicious!

Sourdough Zucchini Bread whole loaf close up

Recipe Variations

There are all kinds of recipe variations for sourdough zucchini bread. Below are a few of the most popular recipe variations that we thought you might enjoy. 

Variations: 

Vegan Zucchini Bread with Sourdough Starter

To adapt the above recipe into a vegan-friendly recipe, you can simply prepare as stated above, only leave out your eggs, and replace them with one large, mashed banana, and be sure to use canola oil for your oil. Otherwise, prepare as instructed above, and enjoy a delicious vegan zucchini bread. 

Zucchini and White Cheddar Sourdough Bread

Another recipe variation is that you can make sourdough zucchini bread using a basic sourdough bread recipe, then add the zucchini and white cheddar cheese to it. This makes a delicious and beautiful loaf of bread that you can enjoy. 

Rustic Zucchini & Walnut Sourdough Bread Recipe

There are two main ways that you can enjoy rustic zucchini and walnut sourdough bread. The first way is to use the above recipe, and simply add walnuts to make delicious bread. Another way is to use a basic sourdough bread recipe, and add zucchini and walnuts to that bread dough before baking. Our favorite is the first way, however, feel free to experiment and determine your favorite zucchini and walnut sourdough bread recipes. 

Recipe: Sourdough Banana Zucchini Quick Bread

Sourdough banana zucchini bread is quick and easy. There are a few different ways you can go about doing this. The first way is to use your favorite zucchini bread recipe, like the above, and simply add some ripe bananas. If using the above recipe, we would recommend using approximately 3 to 5 ripe bananas that have been mashed. Otherwise, you can add zucchini and sourdough to your favorite banana bread recipe. 

Recipe: Gluten-Free Sourdough Whole Grain Zucchini Bread

 The above recipe for sourdough zucchini bread makes a good gluten-free recipe. To make the above recipe into a gluten-free one, simply substitute your normal all-purpose flour, for gluten-free all-purpose flour. Otherwise, prepare as instructed above. If you wish you can use whole grain flour as well.

Sweet Sourdough Zucchini Bread with a Glaze Topping

Sweetie sourdough bread with a glaze topping, simply prepare as stated in the above recipe. Then, for the glaze, melt one stick of butter, and combine it with 1 tablespoon of milk, and ½ cup of brown sugar. Stir to combine, then drizzle on top of your fully baked loaf of sourdough zucchini bread. 

Easy Zucchini Sourdough Discard Muffins

Sourdough zucchini muffins can be easily made using the above recipe and including sourdough discard. Simply prepare as stated above, and then add your sourdough zucchini bread batter into greased muffin tins. Bake at 325°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cardamom & Citrus Sourdough Zucchini Bread

If you like extra flavoring, simply include some cardamom and citrus extract to your sourdough zucchini bread. This will give you a lovely citrusy flavor to go along with your sourdough zucchini bread. 

Sourdough Zucchini Nut Bread

Sourdough zucchini nut bread is a favorite recipe. To make this, simply prepare as instructed above, then add crushed nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or any of your favorite types of nuts. You can also add a variety of nuts if you would like. 

How To Store and Freeze

To store: The sourdough zucchini bread is best when stored in an airtight container, or sealable plastic bag. This will help it stay fresh, and retain its moisture. If desired, you can store your sourdough zucchini bread in the fridge, however, if it is not hot and humid at your location, we do not recommend it. Storing your baked loaves at room temperature will give you the best results unless you are in a hot and humid climate. Then, if you are where it is hot and humid all the time, you will want to store your finished loaves of sourdough zucchini bread in an airtight container in the fridge. 

To freeze: To freeze your loaves of sourdough zucchini bread, you can either freeze them in whole loaves, or slices. You will want to be sure that they are wrapped securely in plastic wrap, sealed in a plastic bag, or in an airtight container before placing them into the freezer. Frozen sourdough zucchini bread can last for up to three months in the freezer. 

To thaw: To thaw sourdough zucchini bread that has been frozen, you can allow it to sit at room temperature until thawed, or you can microwave it for a few seconds, or you can place it into the oven at 350°F for a few minutes until the bread has thawed all the way through. For best results, we recommend leaving the bread at the room or warming it in the oven. 

Other quick bread recipes:

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of sourdough do I need for this recipe?

Your basic sourdough starter works well for this recipe. You can make a sourdough starter using only water and flour, or you can make a starter using water, flour, sugar, and yeast. Either way works for this recipe.

What’s the Best Way to Eat Sourdough Zucchini Bread?

The best way depends upon your taste preferences. My preferred way to enjoy sourdough zucchini bread is fresh out of the oven, maybe with a little bit of butter on it. 

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is what occurs when you are feeding your sourdough starter. This is the amount of your mixture which is removed from your starter mixture, sometimes sourdough discard is thrown in the trash, or you can use it for recipes like this. 

Can I make sourdough zucchini muffins with this recipe?

Yes! Simply prepare as instructed above, but bake in muffin tins for about 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. 

Can I freeze this sourdough zucchini bread?

Yes, this recipe for zucchini bread may be frozen. For best results, store in an airtight container, plastic wrap, or freezer bag before placing into the freezer. 

Can I use sourdough discard?

Yes, sourdough discard works well for this recipe. 

Does this recipe taste sour?

No, surprisingly, there is only a slight hint of the sourdough taste of this bread. It mostly impacts the texture and helps it to rise. 

What add-ins can I use with this zucchini bread?

A few add-in ideas include chocolate chips, raisins, Craisins, pecans, walnuts, almonds, and anything else you can dream up. 

What type of flour?

We typically use all-purpose flour when making this quick bread recipe. However, if you want, bread flour may also be used. 

How is this different from traditional sourdough?

This recipe is different in that it is a quick bread, and not your traditional sourdough. Traditional sourdough requires much more time to rise and proof, this recipe is simply mixed together and baked. 

What Is The Point Of Zucchini Bread?

The point of zucchini bread is to enjoy a lovely quick, sweet bread. Zucchini bread is great for breakfast food, or a side dish. Although this is not your normal bread, zucchini bread makes a lovely treat. Making zucchini bread also gives you something different to make with fresh zucchini in the summer.

What ingredients do I need?

The basic ingredients needed to make this bread include eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, zucchini, flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and sourdough starter. 

Do you squeeze water out of zucchini for bread?

Although you can squeeze the extra water out of the freshly grated zucchini for the bread, it is not a requirement for making this recipe. Your sourdough zucchini bread will still turn out delicious if you are not able to squeeze the extra water out of the zucchini. However, if you are using frozen grated zucchini, we do recommend squeezing the water out before adding the zucchini to your bread dough. 

How Long Does Zucchini Bread Last?

Homemade sourdough zucchini bread typically lasts 3 to 4 days if stored at room temperature.

How long can you freeze zucchini bread?

When freezing zucchini bread, it can be kept in the freezer for up to three months if stored in an airtight container, wrapped securely in plastic wrap, or in a sealed plastic bag.

Why does my zucchini bread sink in the middle?

If your zucchini bread has sunk in the middle, there are a couple of things that may have gone wrong with it. First, check to see if it has been completely baked in the center. This is the most common cause of thinking in the center of your loaf. To tell if it is fully baked, insert a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, then your bread is fully baked. However, if it comes out with dough stuck to the toothpick then your bread needs to bake longer. 

Another cause of your zucchini bread thinking in the center may be caused because of your baking soda, or baking powder being old. As baking soda and baking powder age, they do not work as well, which causes the leavening agents in your bread to fail. Try using new baking soda and baking powder to see if your bread turns out better. 

Do zucchini muffins need to be refrigerated?

No, zucchini muffins do not have to be refrigerated after they are fully baked. 

How do you grate zucchini?

The best way to great zucchini is using a box grater. Carefully run your zucchini up and down the box grater after your zucchini has been washed in the end removed. 

What’s unique about this zucchini bread?

One thing that is unique about this zucchini bread, is that it can be made with sourdough, or it can be made without it and still turned out delicious. This bread is also a delicious, sweet bread that is quick and easy to make, and does not require a ton of work. At the end of making this bread, you are rewarded with a delicious treat. 

Sourdough Zucchini Bread streight on

What can you have with sourdough zucchini bread

There are so many things you can have with sourdough zucchini bread. Sourdough zucchini bread works great as a side dish to any meal, or as a snack, or even as a breakfast or brunch dish. Things such as fruit, vegetables, salad, or main dishes such as chicken, steak, meatloaf, or roast go well with sourdough zucchini bread. Honestly, it’s very difficult to go wrong with what you have alongside sourdough zucchini bread.

Sourdough Zucchini Bread – The Special Recipe Kids LOVE!

Whenever I make zucchini bread, my nieces and nephews absolutely love it. Especially if there are chocolate chips included in the bread, it’s almost like they are eating cookies or something they enjoy the bread that much. Give it a try and see how the kids in your life enjoy this recipe. 

Easy Sourdough Zucchini Bread Recipe

Making homemade sourdough zucchini bread is easy and you are rewarded with a delicious treat. This recipe is made from basic household ingredients and is for home cooks of all skill levels. Don’t take our word for how easy and delicious this recipe is, give it a try for yourself and let us know what you think about it. 

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Faith
Faith Has been cooking and baking for many years! she loves to share her recipes with the world, and hopes you will enjoy them too!

2 thoughts on “Ultimate Sourdough Zucchini Bread”

  1. I have made these loaves once before and they were a hit with my family!! Of course, I’m making them again but was wondering if it would be better to put them in the fridge for a few hours (in the pans) before baking, to allow them to ferment??

    Reply
    • Hi Dar,
      Sure you can try letting them sit in your fridge for a few hours before baking to allow extra time to ferment if you want. You may want to cover them with plastic wrap or something, but otherwise, that should work! 🙂

      Reply

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