Naturally Leavened Sourdough Banana Bread

This naturally leavened sourdough banana bread is a long ferment sweet bread. I wanted to make a banana bread that’s made with a natural sweetener and long fermented to make it more tolerable for those that are gluten sensitive. Another great aspect is this bread rises naturally and no baking powder or baking soda is needed.

Why we love Naturally Leavened Sourdough Banana Bread

My husband absolutely loves banana bread. Sadly, I never made it much until the last few months. When I did start making it again I wanted to make it with sourdough. Everyone seems to love it. I know I really like it.

I have always loved banana bread topped with cream cheese. My husband prefers it plain. But how good does sweet banana bread, warmed a bit in the toaster oven and smothered with cream cheese? Delish!

Once again this makes my list for a quick little pre-breakfast snack. Just like the peanut butter no-bake oatmeal cookies. I’ll leave a link for those cookies HERE.

To Long Ferment or To Not

I choose to ferment it for a long time because I believe it helps me handle the flour better. For years, I’ve had some issues and since switching everything that I make to a long ferment with sourdough, things are getting better.

Another reason is that there is a health benefit from using sourdough in our food. Though the probiotics don’t survive the baking process you still have the healthy bacteria left from the lactic acid from the fermentation.

By allowing the bread to naturally leaven this makes sure that the phytic acid is being broken down so that our body can easily process these modern day grains. Your body will also get more nutrients from the grain itself like zinc and iron.

Lastly, the third reason is because I wanted the bread to naturally rise. I did not want to use any more processed ingredients then I had to.

So I decided not to use any baking soda or baking powder. I wanted to use the natural yeast in the sourdough to make it rise. I also like the idea of having less ingredients to add and keep this sweet bread as healthy and natural as possible.

If you choose not to long ferment that is fine as well. You will still get the sourdough taste and some of the health benefits from the sourdough starter.

Though you will want to add baking powder and baking soda. I have not tested the amounts needed for these with this recipe but 1 tsp each should do the trick.

Naturally Sweetened

Once again I used honey as a sweetener for this banana bread. I am slowly trying to move away from using processed sugar. Natural sweeteners like honey are slowly digested making you feel full longer. It also keeps your metabolism stable unlike processed sugar.

Very Ripe Bananas

When ever I make banana bread I always use the ripest bananas I can find. The more brown spots the better! This is best because as the banana ages the starch in the flesh of the banana starts to break down and it then converts into sugar. What I have always done is when my bananas a too brown for fresh eating I put them in the freezer to save for future banana bread. When it comes time to use them I just pull them out to thaw on a plate. Another good bonus is this will add some extra sweetness to your bread.

How to make Naturally Leavened Sourdough Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt (I use pink Himalayan salt)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 bananas (as ripe as you can get them)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 cup fed and bubbly sourdough starter

First thing you will need is fed and bubbly sourdough starter. I usually feed mine in the evening the day before I want to make the bread and I let the starter ferment for about 12 hours or more.

After the 12 – 24 hours, begin to prepare the banana bread.

In a large bowl add your flour, salt and cinnamon. Mix well together.

In a smaller bowl add the bananas and egg and mash those together well.

Then add the vanilla, honey and coconut oil and mix well.

Lastly, add 1 cup of the sourdough starter and fold it in. I find that it’s better to add the starter in last and fold it in. It seems to make the bread rise the most doing it this way.

Grease your bread pan with coconut oil all over and completely up the sides. If given warm enough temperatures, the dough should at least double in size.

Cover with a tea towel, cheese cloth or large cloth napkin.

Place in a warm spot for at least 12 hours. I placed mine in my oven with the oven light on. Depending on the temperature in the house I may leave the oven door open a crack so it didn’t rise too quickly. Since I typically make this in the evening, I don’t want it to rise too fast and I can then bake it when I get up in the morning.

Once your bread has doubled in size preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Note: Depending on how much the bread rose the baking time may vary. If it rose to the top of the bread pan it may take closer to 45 minutes. Once its been in there for about 30 to 35 minutes, check the center with a knife to see if it comes out clean.

Tip: If you would like your bread sooner you could place it in a casserole dish (8×8) prepared the same way. This will allow it to bake a bit faster since it’s not as thick.

Once your bread is done baking, let it cool in the pan for a bit.

Then with a knife loosen up the sides of the bread from the pan and it should slide right out.

You can let it cool a bit before you cut into it. This will help to keep the bread from squishing as you cut it. I usually can’t wait long enough before I break into it.

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