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High Altitude Sourdough Discard Banana Walnut Bread

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • For the bread:
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas about 2–3 bananas
  • ½ cup sourdough discard unfed is perfect
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup melted butter slightly cooled
  • 2 large eggs room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts
  • For the golden glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 –3 tbsp milk
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey this is where the golden magic happens
  • Splash of vanilla
  • Pinch of salt

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper because we are not risking sticking after all this effort.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, sourdough discard, sugars, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth-ish (banana lumps are part of the charm, we are not perfectionists here).
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently fold into the wet mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix—this is banana bread, not a stress test.
  4. Stir in chopped walnuts. Try not to eat half of them beforehand. (I fail at this every time.)
  5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. High altitude tip: start checking around 48 minutes—things move a little faster up here.
  6. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Let it cool completely before glazing…or at least mostly cool if you enjoy a slightly melty glaze situation (which I very much do).
  7. Golden Glaze
  8. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, maple syrup (or honey), vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable.
  9. Drizzle generously over the cooled loaf and watch it cascade down the sides like the domestic goddess you are.

Notes

Notes from My Slightly Chaotic Kitchen
The riper the bananas, the better. If they look questionable, they’re perfect.
Toast your walnuts if you want to feel fancy—it adds so much flavor.
This bread somehow tastes even better the next day…if it survives that long.
Pairs beautifully with coffee, tea, or standing at your kitchen counter in silence for five minutes while no one asks you for anything.
Listen, I cannot control the weather. I cannot make Colorado act like Colorado. But I can make banana bread that feels like a warm hug, and sometimes that’s enough.