Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Bread
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Warm, sweet, and perfectly spiced—this sourdough discard cinnamon quick bread is everything you love in an easy-to-make loaf. With just two mixing bowls and about 10 minutes of hands-on time, it’s a delicious way to use up extra discard, whipping up a treat with a tender crumb, swirls of cinnamon sugar, and an irresistible aroma that fills your kitchen.
Sourdough Cinnamon Quick Bread
I was staring down a couple of jars of sourdough discard in my fridge—you know the ones, tucked behind the half sour pickles and patiently waiting for their time to shine—when I had a thought: could I turn my classic Amish Friendship Bread into a sourdough discard recipe?
I’ve already transformed my discard into everything from sourdough discard pasta to sourdough discard brownies, to sourdough discard peanut butter cookies, so this felt like the next delicious challenge.
Spoiler: it turned out even better than I hoped.
This sourdough discard cinnamon bread recipe is dedicated to challenges.
Tips
- I love to let my dough rest after mixing for 15-30 minutes – kind of like my classic cornbread. I find it makes for a lighter, more airy loaf because it gives time for the leavening agent to work it’s magic!
- Wait until the loaf is cooled before slicing! Slicing them before they are completely cooled can lead to the texture becoming drier and crumbier.
- Whip up extra brown butter – trust me, that’s something you’ll never be sad about having quickly at hand! It keeps in the fridge for at least 4 weeks in an airtight container. You can use it in sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough brownies, and sourdough cinnamon rolls!
- If you find the crust on your bread hard, store it in an airtight container overnight, the crust will soften right up!
- Make sure to use room temperature discard – during testing, I tried with discard straight from the fridge and it took too long to cook, making for an extra crispy crust.
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Key Ingredients
Cinnamon
This spice helps to give the bread its signature flavor. I prefer Saigon cinnamon to Ceylon cinnamon for this recipe. It’s more affordable, easily accessible, and has a rich, spicy flavor that can stand up to the sourdough discard.
Brown Butter
There is something magical about cooking butter until the milk solids brown and take on a sweet, nutty fragrance and amber color. You’re going to be making a bit more browned butter than required for the recipe because the rendering process can be a bit unpredictable based on your butter, but don’t despair, you can use the leftovers on your toasted sourdough bread!
Sourdough Discard
Use room temperature discard in this recipe. I prefer to use a fresh sourdough discard – discarded within the last few days – in this recipe, too much sour in a sweet recipe can be off-putting!
How To Make Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Bread
Brown The Butter:
- In a medium-sized sauce pan, over medium-low heat, melt 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter and simmer stirring regularly, until it takes on an amber color, the milk solids have browned, and it smells nutty. The butter will foam up two distinct times, and it’s ready shortly after the second foam. It usually takes 5-10 minutes
- Transfer the browned butter to a heat proof container and place in the fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Note: You’ll only be using 1 cup of the browned butter. Reserve the remainder for use in other recipes.
Make The Dough:
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup sourdough discard with 3 large eggs. Then add 1 cup melted brown butter and beat until completely combined. The mixture may be separated, but it will come together with continued stirring.
- Add 1 cup sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and stir until completely smooth.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for 15 minutes.
Assemble The Loaf:
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350f and grease a 9×5″ loaf pan with butter, margarine, or nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, make cinnamon sugar topping by combining 1/8 cup of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, set aside for now.
- After 15 minutes, spoon about half of the batter into the greased loaf pan – reserving the remaining batter.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the batter.
- Spoon the remaining batter on top of the sugar mixture. Sprinkle again with remaining cinnamon sugar topping.
Bake:
- Bake at 350f for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Allow your sourdough cinnamon quick bread to cool in the loaf pan for 10 or so minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.
Variations + Substitutions
Batch + Storage
Batch:
This recipe makes 1 loaf of yummy sourdough cinnamon swirl bread.
Storage:
If you’re going to eat this sweet treat within a couple of days, you can store the quick bread at room temperature. Simply allow the loaf to cool completely before sliding it into resealable plastic bags or airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Freezing a Whole Loaf:
To freeze, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.(HA! As if it will last that long!)
When you’re ready to enjoy it, let the loaf thaw at room temperature for a few hours—no need to unwrap it until it’s fully defrosted.
Freezing Slices:
For easy, grab-and-go portions, slice the cooled loaf and lay the slices in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. This way, you can pull out just what you need. Toast or let thaw at room temperature and you’re good to go!
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📖 Printable Recipe
Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Browned Butter
- 1 ½ cup unsalted butter
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour 260g
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder 7g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 3g
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt. 3g
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough discard 220g
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup brown butter 220g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 225g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 8g
Cinnamon Topping
- ⅛ cup granulated sugar 25g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3g
Instructions
Brown The Butter:
- In a medium-sized sauce pan, over medium-low heat, melt 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter and simmer stirring regularly, until it takes on an amber color, the milk solids have browned, and it smells nutty. The butter will foam up two distinct times, and it’s ready shortly after the second foam. It usually takes 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the browned butter to a heat proof container and place in the fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes.Note: You’ll only be using 1 cup of the browned butter. Reserve the remainder for use in other recipes.
Make The Batter:
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup sourdough discard with 3 large eggs. Then add 1 cup melted brown butter and beat until completely combined. The mixture may be separated, but it will come together with continued stirring.
- Add 1 cup sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and stir until completely smooth.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for 15-30 minutes.
Assemble The Loaf:
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350f and grease a 9×5″ loaf pan with butter, margarine, or nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, make cinnamon sugar topping by combining ⅛ cup of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, set aside for now.
- After 15-30 minutes, spoon about half of the batter into the greased loaf pan – reserving the remaining batter. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top of the sugar mixture. Sprinkle again with remaining cinnamon sugar topping.
Bake:
- Bake at 350f for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Allow your sourdough cinnamon quick bread to cool in the loaf pan for 10 or so minutes before turning out and cooling on a wire rack.
Notes
Batch:
This recipe makes 1 loaf of yummy sourdough cinnamon swirl bread.Storage:
If you’re going to eat this sweet treat within a couple of days, you can store the quick bread at room temperature. Simply allow the loaf to cool completely before sliding it into resealable plastic bags or airtight containers for up to 3 days. Freezing a Whole Loaf:To freeze, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.(HA! As if it will last that long!) When you’re ready to enjoy it, let the loaf thaw at room temperature for a few hours—no need to unwrap it until it’s fully defrosted. Freezing Slices:
For easy, grab-and-go portions, slice the cooled loaf and lay the slices in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. This way, you can pull out just what you need. Toast or let thaw at room temperature and you’re good to go!
Nutrition
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