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Sourdough Zucchini Bread

Sourdough zucchini bread is a moist, tender quick loaf with a lightly tangy crumb from active starter or discard. This golden summer bread bakes until the top is deeply colored and a toothpick tests clean, with grated zucchini for moisture and optional walnuts or chocolate chips for texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Wet ingredients
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup sourdough starter (active or discard)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Zucchini and mix-ins
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
  • 0.5 cup walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x5 loaf pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Set up your workspace for a quick batter by clearing a space for mixing dry and wet ingredients.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together until evenly combined.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, sourdough starter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine and add zucchini
  1. Stir in grated squeezed zucchini until the batter looks evenly speckled.
  2. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, then fold in walnuts or chocolate chips if using.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes in the pan before slicing so it sets and holds its crumb.
  2. For best tang and flavor depth, slice after resting; the sourdough tang develops more after one day.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini well so the loaf stays tender instead of gummy. Store tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days (reheat slices briefly for a softer crumb); freeze for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free option, keep it as written—this recipe is already egg-and-starter based and needs no dairy.