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Sourdough Zucchini Bread

Sourdough zucchini bread with a moist, tender crumb and a golden crackled crust—made with either active starter or discard for a tangy, complex flavor. This sourdough quick bread bakes until set, then rests so the sourdough flavor deepens after a day.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Rest (cooling) 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
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 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
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.
Add zucchini
  1. Stir grated, squeezed-dry zucchini into the wet mixture.
Combine
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined; fold in walnuts or chocolate chips if using.
Bake
  1. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden.
Cool and rest
  1. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes before slicing, then note the sourdough tang develops more after one day.

Notes

For best moisture, squeeze the grated zucchini very dry so the loaf bakes up rather than turning dense. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices in an airtight bag for up to 2 months. Dietary swap: replace the walnuts/chips with an equal amount of chopped toasted pecans (or omit for nut-free), keeping the loaf structure the same.