Today we’re talking gluten-free sourdough banana bread. Yes, I’m writing another sourdough related recipe. Courtesy of my new obsession with gluten free sourdough, I have a lot of sourdough discard on my hands. I’ve made many snacks with it – namely gluten free sourdough brownies and gluten free sourdough crackers. Before I move back into the serious territory of sourdough breads and foccaccia, however, I wanted to add another treat to the sourdough list. That’s why today we’re chatting gluten-free sourdough banana bread. 

Gluten-free sourdough banana bread

This gluten-free sourdough banana bread is nut free, FODMAP friendly and probably the lightest and fluffiest of all my banana bread recipes. It is just sweet enough and takes complexity from the sourness of the sourdough discard. 

It uses sourdough discard from a gluten free sourdough starter. The banana bread contains no xanthan gum, no yeast and is nut free. It’s quick and easy to make,

If you don’t have any sourdough starter, here are my other banana bread recipes:

• Vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free banana bread
• Gluten free brown butter, blueberry and salted dark chocolate banana bread
• The banana bread recipe in my cookbook

Recipe notes for your gluten free sourdough banana bread

You’ll need a thick, bubbly and active gluten free sourdough starter for this recipe. At the moment my sourdough starter is about 110% hydration and is made from white rice flour. I find it very effective once you’ve gotten your starter going. As always, I recommend quinoa and sorghum to start.

If your sourdough discard is not thick, bubbly, active and mature, this is probably not the discard recipe for you. You can try it, but you’ll need to use your own judgement in adding liquid as you see fit. Note that if you use a super strong smelling starter that hasn’t been fed in a while, that overpowering flavour will translate into your banana bread. See the section below on starter. 

If you’re using a different sourdough starter, you might have to adjust the recipe a little to suit. Keep an eye on the batter and adjust as necessary. 

I use light brown sugar in this recipe for the complex caramel flavour. I haven’t tried it with any other sugars, ‘refined’ or not. Personally, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work with panela sugar or coconut sugar, but I haven’t tested them myself. There’s a refined sugar free banana bread recipe linked above, if that’s what you’re looking for. 

I don’t see why you couldn’t use frozen bananas for this recipe. That said, see below for my tips.

If you’re using them, I highly recommend cutting your banana coins super finely. Not only does this mean using less banana (for the fructose aware) but it also ensures the sections under the banana aren’t raw at the end of baking.

What kind of starter do I need for this sourdough banana bread?

Firstly, as this is a gluten free recipe, you’ll need a gluten free starter. See my guide to making your own here.

Note that the flours you use in your starter will translate into the flavour of the loaf. At the moment, I use a 100% white rice flour starter. It’s cost effective and seems to be very happy. However, as I mention in the starter post, I find a combination of sorghum and quinoa flours the best for getting a starter going. It seems to be a good combination of wholegrains and protein content. 

You can use a starter that has been fed the night before and thus not on a peak rise. This means the recipe will use up some discard, leaving space for you to feed the starter and refresh it. 

It is also possible to use starter that is on rise and has been fed 3-4 hours prior. This might result in a loftier loaf. 

A few starters that are not a great fit for this recipe? A starter that has been left unfed for a few days, a runny starter, or a very new starter. The ideal consistency of your starter for this purpose is like a bubbly, airy light yoghurt. Anything less might adversely impact the banana bread.

Can I use frozen bananas in this gluten-free sourdough banana bread?

As I mentioned above, I tested this recipe with fresh, super ripe bananas that I cultivated (ie left on the bench) specifically for this recipe. That said, with a few tweaks I’m confident you can use frozen bananas in this recipe.

1. Peel the frozen bananas if you haven’t already, and weigh them. Slice them into chunks.
2. As you’re preheating the oven, place the bananas in a small, lined baking dish. I use my reusable baking paper and leave the edges scrunched up so the juices don’t escape.
3. Once the oven is ready, pick up the bananas and drain off all the liquid. 
4. Proceed with the recipe, but pay attention to the liquid-ness of the batter. I’ve included a photo of the ideal viscosity – add a little less milk if your batter is a lot thinner. 

Can I make this banana bread dairy free?

Yes! This banana bread can be made dairy free. You can use oil instead of butter, or you can use 40g of plant based butter. This is instead of the 50g in the recipe card, to account for the volume traditional butter loses when it browns.

To use oil, substitute 40ml (2 Australian tablespoons or 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons American) instead of the butter.

Again, to use plant based butter, use 40g.

The milk in this recipe can be plant based, or you can simply use water.

Can I make this banana bread vegan?

Yes! This gluten free sourdough banana bread can be made vegan.

1. Use 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable or olive oil in place of the butter.
2. Remove the eggs from the equation.
3. Use 1/2 cup (125ml) plant based milk instead the listed amount. Proceed from step 3, noting that the batter won’t be as thick as the version with eggs.
4. I have found the vegan gluten free sourdough banana bread only needs about 40-50 minutes in the oven, as opposed to the listed time. It often looks done but is still a little soft in the middle, so be sure to check.

Is gluten free sourdough banana bread low FODMAP?

I’m going to head this one off before it even begins – yes, this loaf contains bananas. It is a banana bread, after all. And yes, bananas can be a problematic food for people who malabsorb oligos-fructans.

Monash states that ripe banana is low FODMAP in 35g serves per person. This loaf contains 250g banana, so when using ripe bananas, the loaf will need to serve 7-8 to be low FODMAP. The loaf makes 8-10 serves, so this should be within acceptable limits.

Monash states that firm bananas (just ripe without brown spots) are FODMAP friendly in 100g per serve. This means that, technically, the loaf need only serve 2.5 people if you use just ripe bananas. If you can eat half a loaf in a sitting, all the power to you.

So yes, this gluten free sourdough banana bread is low FODMAP in the right serves and with the right ingredients. If you still have concerns, maybe try the pumpkin chai loaf instead.

Gluten-free sourdough banana bread additions

I mean, this is always fairly self explanatory. That said, the following are my suggestions:

• A handful of blueberries or strawberries
• Some chopped walnuts
• Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or mixed spice
• Chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips (vegan if it needs to be) 
• A tablespoon or two of peanut butter or almond butter 

More gluten free sourdough recipes

• These sourdough brownies
• Sourdough pancakes
• Discard crackers
• Sourdough cinnamon rolls from my cookbook, Intolerance Friendly Kitchen
• These sourdough pizza bases
• Sourdough brownie cookies