Moist and Spiced Sourdough Gingerbread

Name: Sourdough Discard Gingerbread Quick Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1¾ cups all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¾ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon ground cloves; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ⅔ cup dark brown sugar (packed); ¾ cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap); ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter); 2 large eggs; ¾ cup sourdough discard (100% hydration, unfed is fine); 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons milk (plus more as needed); ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Nothing beats a sweet, spiced slice of gingerbread on a cold fall morning. This recipe uses your extra sourdough starter and combines it with lots of flavor for the best homemade treat.

Sliced loaf of dark brown gingerbread on a wood board with red flowers blurred behind.

What You’ll Need

batter

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
¾ cup unsulphured molasses – Try to avoid using blackstrap molasses, because it’s bitter and overpowering in a quick bread. Grandma’s brand is my favorite brand for this recipe
½ cup vegetable oil – you can also use melted butter
2 large eggs
¾ cup discard sourdough starter – 100% hydration, unfed and straight from the jar is fine

vanilla spice glaze (optional)

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Labeled ingredients for sourdough discard gingerbread including flour, eggs, molasses, brown sugar, oil, spices, and leavening on marble.

Equipment You’ll Need

You’ll want an 8½ x 4½ inch or 9 x 5 inch bread pan, as the baking time will work best with these sizes. I also recommend having some foil on hand for the baking process so the top of the bread doesn’t burn.

I always mix this by hand with a whisk but a hand mixer works as well.

Instructions

Preheat the oven

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Then grease your bread pan with butter or non-stick spray.

Whisk the dry ingredients

Grab a bowl to mix the dry ingredients.

Flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar mounded in a decorative bowl beside the printed recipe.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and brown sugar to the bowl and whisk together.

Beat the wet ingredients (and sugar)

Mix the sugar, eggs, molasses, oil, and starter together in a little bowl of their own.

Eggs, molasses, sourdough starter, and oil pooled over flour in a gold-rimmed bowl on a wooden counter.

I do prefer mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately, but it’s not a huge deal if you don’t. You can simply mix the wet ingredients in the bottom of the bowl and then put the dry on top.

Combine wet and dry

Now you can combine the two. I add a little bit of the dry ingredients, mix, and then add some more.

Whisking smooth caramel-colored gingerbread batter with sourdough discard in a leaf-patterned ceramic bowl beside a recipe card.

Save This Post

I'll send you a link so you can find it later.

You'll join my email list which you will love. And if you don't, unsubscribe in one click. ❤️

It usually takes about three repetitions to fully add the dry ingredients.

Don’t overmix it, though, or the bread is going to come out tough. You want a thick and dark batter.

Bake the bread

Pour the batter into your loaf pan and smooth it over with a rubber spatula so it’s even in the pan. Bake for about an hour.

Side-by-side loaf pans showing raw gingerbread batter on the left and baked risen loaf on the right.

This is when you need the foil to protect the top of the loaf. After about 30 minutes into the baking time, tent some foil over the top of the pan so that the top doesn’t burn. You know the loaf is done when you can stick a toothpick in, and it comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.

Cool the loaf

When the bread is done, let it cool in the pan for about ten minutes. Then you can remove it and let it cool on a wire rack until you’re ready to glaze (if you’re choosing to do that).

Make the glaze (optional)

This bread tastes amazing without a glaze, but it’s also super delicious with that extra sweetness on top. To make the glaze, whisk together the glaze ingredients until it’s the best consistency to pour over the loaf. You may need to add more milk to thin it out, or more powdered sugar to thicken it. You can’t really mess it up; just keep trying until you get it.

Sometimes I add a little lemon zest (or lemon juice) to the glaze, too. The ginger and lemon pair great together, and acidity from the lemon always brings out the best flavors in just about anything.

Glaze and serve

Once the loaf is completely cooled down, you can pour the glaze right over the top. I like to do this with the loaf on a cooling rack with a sheet tray underneath so it’s not super messy, and the glaze covers evenly while not pooling at the bottom of the loaf.

Let the glaze set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Sliced gingerbread loaf on a wooden cutting board with a milk jug and striped towel nearby.

Storage Instructions

Honestly, this bread tastes the best the next day. The spices settle in, and the texture is perfect.

The bread can be stored at room temperature for a few days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. To store at room temperature, just wrap it up with plastic wrap so that it doesn’t dry out.

If you’re going to store the bread in the freezer, I suggest storing it without the glaze. You can wrap the whole loaf for storage, or individual slices. Then thaw the bread before glazing if you’re pulling it from the freezer.

Questions and Troubleshooting

Do I really need to use two bowls?

You don’t really need to, but using two bowls is the best way to make sure the ingredients (both wet and dry) are distributed equally without overmixing the batter. If you want to use just one bowl, I suggest mixing the dry ingredients, then making a well in them and then pouring the wet ingredients into that. Use a fork to give it a stir to mix it as best you can before blending together.

Can I use cold sourdough starter?

You sure can! No problem using it right out of the fridge.

What if my bread is sticking in the pan?

You might just need to be a little more patient, as the loaf might not be cool enough. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes and run a knife along the edges to loosen it away from the pan. Then you can use a thin spatula under the loaf and gently flip it out by holding a plate on the top and turning it over.

Why is there a crack in my bread?

No harm done, I promise! Honestly, I think it gives the bread some character and more of a rustic, homemade look. A crack on top might have something to do with your oven temperature being a little high and the crust just cooked faster than the rest of the loaf. You’ll often find that there are cracks in thicker batter recipes like gingerbread and banana bread. As long as a toothpick is coming out clean and the bread is fully cooked, you’re good to go!

More sourdough discard recipes

Sliced loaf of dark brown gingerbread showing moist crumb texture on a wooden cutting board.

Sourdough Discard Gingerbread Quick Bread

A dark, spicy molasses gingerbread loaf that uses up ¾ cup of unfed sourdough discard, finished with an optional vanilla spice glaze. Makes 10 slices.

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 5

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: slices

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Katie Shaw

Equipment

Standard loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 OR 9×5))
Two mixing bowls
Whisk
Spatula or wooden spoon
Aluminum foil
Wire cooling rack
Nonstick spray or butter

Ingredients

Batter

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅔ cup dark brown sugar packed
¾ cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
½ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
2 large eggs
¾ cup sourdough discard 100% hydration, unfed is fine

Vanilla Spice Glaze (Optional)

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk plus more as needed
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Make the Batter

Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray.
Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Beat the wet ingredients. In a second bowl, beat the brown sugar, molasses, oil, sourdough starter, and eggs until smooth and glossy.
Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions, mixing until just combined.

Bake and Cool

Bake the bread. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake 55 to 65 minutes, tenting the loaf loosely with foil 30 minutes into the bake.
Test for doneness. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter, or an instant-read thermometer should read 200 to 205°F in the center.
Cool the loaf. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze and Serve

Make the glaze. If using the glaze (it’s optional), whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until thick but pourable. Add more milk if it’s too thick, or more powdered sugar if it’s too thin.
Glaze and serve. Drizzle the glaze over the fully cooled loaf and let it set for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray before measuring the molasses and it will slide right out. Gingerbread is even better the next day, once the spices settle in: wrap the cooled, unglazed loaf tightly and glaze before serving.