• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Cook, Craft, Cultivate
  • Recipes
    • Baking
    • Classic Recipes with a Healthy Twist
    • Fermentation
    • Kitchen Staples from Scratch
    • Lean and Green
    • Smoked and Grilled
    • Snacks
    • Veggie Focused
  • Gardening
  • Recommended Products
  • About
    • About Kristi
    • Creations
    • Photography
    • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Recipes / Sourdough Banana Bran Muffins

Sourdough Banana Bran Muffins

August 10, 2021

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
pinterest image for sourdough banana bran muffins
pinterest image for sourdough banana bran muffins

Do you keep a sourdough starter in your kitchen? If you answered yes, then chances are you are always looking for new ways to use up that discard starter after you refresh it. One great way to use up discard starter that may be a day or two old is baking quick breads and muffins with it!

muffins in the muffin tin

This sourdough banana bran muffins recipe is one of my creations for substituting discard starter into a previously non-sourdough recipe. Essentially you just use the discard starter as a substitute for some of the flour and liquid in the original recipe. But don’t worry, I’ll walk you through all the substitutions! I’ll also give you some basic guidelines for how to experiment with starter as a substitute in your baking.

This banana bran muffins recipe is an easy (and tasty!) way to use up that discard starter. I hope this not only gives you a new recipe to try, but some ideas for how else you might substitute discard starter into other recipes you like to bake!

finished bran muffins

If you aren’t currently keeping a starter and you want to get one going, or if you want to read more about the basics of keeping, feeding, and using a sourdough starter, check out the article I’ve written on the what, why, and how of sourdough starter.

A couple of my other go-to recipes for using up discard starter are the cracker and oatmeal pancake recipes below.

Seeded Sourdough Crackers
Seeded sourdough crackers are the perfect healthy dipper! Full of healthy fats, whole grains, and flavor. Excellent for dipping in everything from hummus to peanut butter.
Check out this recipe
Finished crackers with dough
Oatmeal Sourdough Pancakes
Fluffy sourdough pancakes get an extra boost with oatmeal! These are flavorful, tender, and hearty.
Check out this recipe

How to Substitute Sourdough Starter in a Recipe

I have found a lot of great baking substitution advice on the Wild Yeast Blog, particularly for quick breads and muffins. The author dissects the use of sourdough in different types of recipes and talks about ways to make substitutions in those recipes. There are also some excellent recipes featured over there! This site has been a great resource in my sourdough baking adventures. I highly recommend you take a look for yourself.

When substituting sourdough starter into a recipe, the key substitutions to calculate are for flour and liquid. Basically, you substitute all or a portion of the flour and liquid in the original recipe with your starter, and voila!

If you are in a pinch to have enough liquid volume in a recipe to substitute with your starter, you can also consider replacing some of the fat like oil or butter.

One last tip to keep in mind when experimenting with a sourdough substitution. If the bread (or muffin, etc) you are baking turns out too dense, try adding 1/2 – 1 tsp of baking soda to the recipe. The baking soda reacts with the acid in the starter causing additional rising when baking. This banana bran muffins recipe already includes some baking soda. But I wanted to call this out specifically in case you decide to experiment beyond this exact recipe ๐Ÿ™‚

muffins on cooling rack

Some Numbers to Keep in Mind

  • The starter that I keep is a 100% hydration starter, which means equal parts by weight of flour and water. So in 100g of starter, there are 50g flour, and 50g water.
  • Many baking recipes don’t include weights, but just measurements. Since we need to substitute by weight, it is helpful to note that 1 cup of water = 237g and 1 cup of all purpose flour is ~120g.

Picking a Bran Muffins Recipe to Work With

I decided to work off this recipe from Eating Well. I chose this recipe for a couple reasons:

  1. Ingredients. I love recipes that use enriched ingredients like buttermilk, and in my opinion cinnamon makes anything better.
  2. Texture. I like the texture of quick breads and muffins that use oil as the fat.
  3. Flexibility. Since it includes 1 cup of buttermilk, that gives me the flexibility I need with the liquid component for subbing in sourdough starter. Not all recipes include this volume of liquid!
bran muffin texture

Making the substitutions

In the original

Flour in the original recipe:

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour = 90g
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour = 152g (Bob’s Redmill stone ground whole wheat flour)

After converting the measurements to weight, this bran muffins recipe has 242g of flour in total.

Liquid in the original recipe:

  • 1 cup buttermilk = 4 tablespoons powdered buttermilk plus 1 cup water (237g)

In order to keep the buttermilk but substitute in the liquid portion of my starter, I switch to powdered instead of liquid buttermilk. I always keep a container of Saco powdered buttermilk on hand for baking recipes like this! Subbing in powdered buttermilk gives me 237g of water to work with in my substitution. If you can’t find powdered buttermilk, you can use powdered milk instead. It will still add a nice enrichment to your batter. And any acidity that is needed from the buttermilk will be covered with the addition of the starter.

In the sourdough version

  • 300g sourdough discard starter (150g flour + 150g water)
  • 92g whole wheat flour (242g of flour in the original recipe minus 150g of flour from the starter leaves us with 92g of flour to add in)
  • 87g water (237g of water in the original recipe minus 150g of water from the starter leaves us with 87g of water to add in)
cooling bran muffins

Now let’s put it all together for the final sourdough banana bran muffins recipe! Compared to the original recipe, I also reduced the sugar, and substituted applesauce for the oil. Just for an extra healthy twist on these bran muffins ๐Ÿ™‚ And bonus – they still taste A-Mazing! I hope you love these muffins as much as we do! I also hope this recipe gives you some ideas for how to use that discard starter in new ways. Happy baking!

pinterest image for sourdough banana bran muffins

Sourdough Banana Bran Muffins

These banana bran muffins use discard sourdough starter as a substitute for part of the flour and liquid. The starter makes a tasty and nutritious addition!
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Bread, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 muffins

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Kitchen scale

Ingredients
 

Wet Ingredients

  • 3-4 mashed ripe bananas (about 1 cup)
  • 70 g applesauce (about ยผ cup, or substitute oil by volume (ยผ cup) – 56g for vegetable oil, 60g for EVOO)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 60 g brown sugar
  • 300 g discard sourdough starter
  • 90 g filtered water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

  • 60 g wheat bran (I like Bob's Redmill brand)
  • 95 g whole wheat flour
  • 25 g powdered buttermilk (I keep Saco or Bob's Redmill brands on hand for baking)
  • 1ยฝ tsp baking powder
  • ยฝ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ยผ tsp salt (table salt)

Optional Additions

  • 50 g raisins
  • 75 g walnuts (toast if desired)

Instructions

Prep

  • Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF.
  • Mash the bananas. If they were frozen, transfer to a fine colander to drain out any excess liquid.
  • Add the applesauce to the colander as well to also drain excess liquid.

Mix

  • Whisk together the eggs and brown sugar.
  • Add the vanilla, water, and starter and whisk until combined.
  • Add the mashed banana and applesauce (after straining excess liquid).
  • Mix in the wheat bran.
  • Whisk together the remaining dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredient mixture above – mix just until combined.
  • If adding walnuts and/or raisins, mix them in now.
  • Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes – it should thicken up a bit and start to get a little bubbly.

Bake

  • While the batter is resting, prep 12 muffin tins with liners, or spray with nonstick spray.
  • Spoon the batter into the tins, you can fill most of the way to the top.
  • Bake @ 400ยฐF for about 20 minutes, until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes

Storage: Keep in an air tight container for up to 3 days. To keep longer, put in the fridge. These muffins are moist and can spoil if left at room temperature for too long.
Long term storage: These muffins freeze well! Just wrap them in saran, place in a sealed bag or container, and keep for up to 3 months frozen. To eat, let come to room temperature or defrost in the microwave.
Serving suggestion: Heat up in the oven or toaster for a few minutes before enjoying. You can do this whole, or split in half. If you want to add a little of that fat back in then lightly butter before eating ๐Ÿ™‚
Tried this recipe?Let’s see it! Mention @cookcraftcultivate or tag #cookcraftcultivate!

Post Category: Baking, Classic Recipes with a Healthy Twist, Fermentation, Recipes, Snacks

Previous Post: « Date Nut Energy Bar Recipe
Next Post: Smoked Turkey on the Traeger »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tari A

    July 15, 2022 at 3:48 am

    I havenโ€™t tried these yet, but I was looking for sourdough bran muffins and yours came up. Next time I have overripe bananas, Iโ€™ll try them. I have a question though- why are some of your measurements in gm and some in cups or tablespoons? Wouldnโ€™t all in gm be easier to measure and more accurate? Iโ€™ve gotten used to liking to weigh all my ingredients.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Kristi

      July 24, 2022 at 1:15 pm

      Hi Tari, thanks for the question. I’ve updated the recipe to be fully in grams now, that was an over-site on my part. I agree that once you start baking in grams it is quite convenient, and have been working on converting my recipes over. The exception I typically make for this is very small measurements like teaspoons and tablespoons. I’ve found that the typical kitchen scale may not have the accuracy needed to get these small amounts correct, so I generally stick to measuring spoons for small ingredients.

      Reply
  2. Lorissa

    June 5, 2022 at 2:23 pm

    Just made this for the 1st time, and so tasty! Subbed real 2% milk for water & no buttermilk powder, plus added walnuts (always looking for more healthy protein!): baked 24 mins at temp. Made 15 total so extra 3 went in their own tin w semi-sweet chocolate chips: will add to all next time!
    Shared on Insta: so tasty & healthy!!!

    Reply
    • Kristi

      June 5, 2022 at 9:06 pm

      Hi Lorissa,
      So glad you liked these! I love hearing about recipe tweaks, thanks for sharing yours! I’m always hoping to inspire someone else’s creativity ๐Ÿ™‚ I’ll have to try chocolate chips in these next time I make them, sounds delicious!
      -Kristi

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

About Kristi

Picture of KristiJourney with me in my homemade adventures - creating more from scratch and increasing my self-sufficiency, in my small suburban home setting.
Read Moreโ€ฆ

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Featured Recipes

pork shoulder with smoke crust

Tender, Juicy, Traeger Smoked Pork Shoulder / Pork Butt

Pie pumpkins

How to Make Pumpkin Puree in 3 Easy Steps

Smoked Turkey on the Traeger

Einkorn Chocolate Chip Cookies – Twist on a Classic

Peanut butter protein bars

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Bar Recipe

Sourdough starter - bubbles/refreshed!

Fermented Foods Part 1: Sourdough Starter

Instagram

And... we have saffron!! We planted some saffron b And... we have saffron!! We planted some saffron bulbs last fall as an experiment ๐ŸคžThey grew lots of green but didn't flower, so we cut them back in the spring, turned off their water, and waited. And waited. Towards the end of summer, we started watering them again. And guess what?!? They grew back! And this time with flowers ๐Ÿค— Those red stamen you see are the saffron spice that you harvest, with tweezers ๐Ÿ˜ณ Yep. Good thing we don't have too many (yet!!) They multiply every year, so we are looking forward to increasing abundace. I love it when garden expeirments work out ๐Ÿ‘ And the pretty fall flowers are a definite bonus ๐Ÿ‘Œ
๐Ÿ‘‰ Did you know that saffron is the most expensive spice you can get by weight?!? Makes it doubly worth the effort to grow some of your own!
.
#cookcraftcultivate #cultivate #azfallgardening #azfallgarden #azgardening #azgarden #azgardener #saffron #bulbs #growyourfood #growwhatyoueat #gardenexperiment #gardenfresh #gardeninthedesert #growsaffron
Got most of our fall and winter garden planted tod Got most of our fall and winter garden planted today! ๐Ÿค— Still need to take out the eggplants and replace them with lettuce/spinach/arugula seeds ... but they are growing so well I am having a hard time pulling them out just yet ๐Ÿ˜ซ ... soon. Maybe even tomorrow ... we will see.
But otherwise, so excited to have gotten all the other seedling starts into the ground, and my first round of lettuce and spinach seeds sown! The seedlings have been inside under grow lights for a couple months and were ready for their new home ๐ŸŒฑ
If you are new to gardening in zone 9b ... we actually have a great growing season through fall and winter - all your brassicas and greens really love this time of year!
.
#cookcraftcultivate #cultivate #azfallgardening #azgardener #azgarden #veggiegarden #fallgarden #growyourownfood #growwhatyoueat
Japanese eggplant from the garden for a Sichuan in Japanese eggplant from the garden for a Sichuan inspired stirfry dinner tonight ๐Ÿค— A tip I learned about stirfrying eggplant: soak it in salt water for 10-15 minutes after cutting, before stir frying. It breaks down the tough skin making it more tender in the finished dish (similar to steaming first,  as some recipes recommend). If you want it to be crispy, coat it with cornstarch after soaking, and then shallow fry in your wok.
The eggplants are loving this 80s weather we are having in Scottsdale right now! 
.
#cookcraftcultivate #cultivate #azfallgardening #azgardening #azgarden #azgardener #vegetablegarden #eggplant #japaneseeggplant #homegrown #growyourownfood #growwhatyoueat #sichuanfood #sichuaneggplant #fishfragranteggplant #eggplantstirfry #howtocookeggplant
The sewing project is done! A poof for the living The sewing project is done! A poof for the living room ๐Ÿ˜ƒ It's may not be perfect but I'm pretty darn proud anyways ๐Ÿค— I am not a seamstress, this is a new skill I am working on. There are so many possibilities when one has aquired some skill with a sewing machine. Pretty pleased with how this one turned out! What will I tackle next... ๐Ÿค”
.
#cookcraftcultivate #craft #sewing #sewingproject #poof #imadethat #imadeathing #sewingisfun #projectfortheheat
Wow Paige! Look at all that fur ๐Ÿคฏ Don't know if Wow Paige! Look at all that fur ๐Ÿคฏ Don't know if this is her blowing out her puppy coat or if this will be a regular occurance but we sure de-furrred this morning with our @furminator_inc ! You can tell by the light color it's mostly all undercoat ... Also, have to bribe with treats to get anything accomplished around here ๐Ÿ˜† But it works! She's looking for more outta that jar... ๐Ÿถ๐Ÿ’—
.
#cookcraftcultivate #paigepuppy #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #furminator #instadog
Ever tried a fried egg on top of your oatmeal? It' Ever tried a fried egg on top of your oatmeal? It's become a class favorite over here ๐Ÿ˜‹ We just poke the yolk while it's cooking so it cooks through and then toss it in our bowl. This one is cooked with and topped with basil from the garden ... ๐Ÿ‘Œ
.
#cookcraftcultivate #cook #breakfastinspiration #breakfast #breakfastideas #oatmealinspiration #oatmeal #oatmealtoppings #basil #gardenfresh
Getting crafty this weekend ... What's it going to Getting crafty this weekend ... What's it going to be? ๐Ÿค”
.
#cookcraftcultivate #craft #crafting #sewing #sewingproject #beginnersewer #beginnersewing #projectfortheheat
#gardenfail ๐Ÿ˜ญ We planted our pomegranate tree t #gardenfail ๐Ÿ˜ญ We planted our pomegranate tree three years ago, and every year the fruits split. This year we had about 25 fruits on the tree, they lasted longer than usual, but this last week as our temps ramped up they ALL split!! I'm so bummed ๐Ÿ˜” They are supposed to be EASY to grow here!! ๐Ÿ™ˆ We've tried regular watering, no extra watering, feeding, not feeding ... ๐Ÿคท
Anyone out there have tips they can share for growing pomegranates in Phoenix?? #pleasehelp ๐Ÿ˜†
.
#cookcraftcultivate #cultivate #azgardening #azgardener #azgarden #pomegranatetree #pomegranates
Follow @CookCraftCultivate

Footer

Cook Craft Cultivate

  • Homepage
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy

Our Other Brands

  • Kristi Stephenson Photography
  • Kristi Stephenson Creations

Copyright © 2018–2023 Kristi Stephenson Creations LLC