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A close-up of a sliced loaf of homemade zucchini bread on a wooden cutting board, showcasing its moist texture and green flecks.

Easy Sourdough Zucchini Bread

A delightfully moist and flavorful quick bread, perfect for using up garden zucchini and unfed sourdough discard. This recipe is simple to make and yields a wonderfully spiced, tender loaf.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Breakfast, Quick Bread, Snack
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Wet Ingredients
  • 1 cup Sourdough Discard unfed, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Large Eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Dry Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
Zucchini & Optional Mix-ins
  • 2 cups Fresh Zucchini grated, squeezed of excess moisture
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips optional
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans optional

Equipment

  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Medium Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Grater
  • 9x5 inch Loaf Pan
  • Parchment Paper
  • Wire Rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few streaks of flour are okay.
  5. Gently fold in the squeezed grated zucchini. If using, fold in chocolate chips or chopped nuts until evenly distributed.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
  7. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
  8. Once baked, remove the loaf pan from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
  9. After cooling slightly in the pan, use the parchment paper overhang (or a knife around the edges) to remove the bread from the pan and transfer it directly to the wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
  10. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Don't skip squeezing the grated zucchini! Excess moisture will make your bread soggy. Place grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and wring out as much liquid as possible. Store leftover zucchini bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It also freezes well, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. For variations, add a simple lemon glaze, cream cheese frosting, or a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top before baking for extra texture.