Sourdough Zucchini Bread

This moist sourdough zucchini bread is spiced with cinnamon and almond extract. It’s the perfect recipe to use up the overflow of summer zucchini bounty!

I didn’t grow zucchini this year, but I have in the past and I know how FAST the crop produces. It’s like all of the sudden there are 1.000 zucchinis picked, washed and waiting, ready to be processed on the kitchen table, and the thoughts of How do I use up all of my zucchini?! pour into your head!

We were gifted a hefty bag of zucchinis last weekend and my husband immediately suggested zucchini bread. I am all about this idea! I’ve never made zucchini bread, so I figured let’s throw some sourdough into the mix while we’re at it. Let the recipe making begin.

This is a great recipe if you’ve let your sourdough levain sit too long (longer than 12 hours) and still want to use it, or if you’re still using the wet sourdough starter method, this is a great recipe to use up your sourdough discard (though I HIGHLY recommend converting your wet starter to a dry starter!).

Since this recipe has leavening agents like baking soda and powder, it won’t need an active sourdough starter for the bread to “rise”. So again, it’s ok to use levain that sat too long or sourdough discard. Your choice!

How to make Sourdough Zucchini Bread

Tools you may need

• 2 Large bowls – one for the wet ingredients, another for dry ingredients.
• Spatula and/or standing mixer
• Box grater or food processor
• Parchment paper (optional)
• 9x5x3″ bread loaf pan (I like this Pampered Chef stoneware bread loaf pan. I’m not affiliated with Pampered Chef, I just LOVE their stoneware!)
• Cooling rack

Ingredients you’ll need

Wet ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded and drained/squeezed zucchini
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sourdough levain or starter

Dry ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt

Step by step instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Shred 2 cups of zucchini (I used a box grater). Wrap the zucchini in a tea towel or cheese cloth (I used the cloth top of my bread banneton basket) and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
3. In a large bowl, mix together shredded and drained zucchini, honey or maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, almond extract, 2 eggs, and sourdough levain or starter.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, a sea salt.
5. Fold in dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix until combined well.
6. Line a 9x5x3 inch bread loaf pan with parchment paper. Fold 1-2 inches of parchment paper over the edge of the pan – this will make removing your loaf much easier after baking.
7. Pour sourdough zucchini bread batter in pan.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-65 minutes.

Note: Since this is a moist batter due to the zucchinis, I’ve always baked my loaf around 68 minutes, though my oven runs bit cool. Check your loaf at 50 minutes by sticking a knife down in the middle – you’ll know the loaf is done if the knife comes out clean with no batter.

Variations and additions to Sourdough Zucchini Bread

• Add 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• Add 1/4 cup chopped nuts and seeds, like walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds
• Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips, because why not 🙂
• No honey or maple syrup in your cupboard? Sweeten with 1 cup of coconut or brown sugar.
• Sourdough Zucchini muffins! Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

My other sourdough recipes

• Intro to Sourdough and Sourdough Starter
• Easy, Fluffy Sourdough Tortillas
• The Easiest Rosemary, Garlic, & Parmesan Sourdough Focaccia
• How to make Sourdough Levain
• Converting and Wet Sourdough Starter to a Dry Sourdough Starter