Sourdough Discard Pear and Ginger Tea Bread

Name: Sourdough Discard Pear and Ginger Tea Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: british
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) active sourdough discard, at room temperature; ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; ¼ cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar; 2 large egg, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon (2½ g) baking soda; ¼ teaspoon (1¼ g) baking powder; ½ teaspoon (2½ g) fine sea salt; 1½ teaspoons (4 g) ground ginger; ½ teaspoon (1¼ g) ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) freshly grated nutmeg; 2 ripe Bartlett or Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/4-inch (6 mm) pieces; 1 tablespoon (8 g) fresh ginger, finely grated on a Microplane; 1 tablespoon (15 g) demerara or coarse sugar (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A moist, tender quick bread that transforms sourdough discard into something special. Fresh pear and warming ginger create a sophisticated flavor profile, while the sourdough adds subtle tang and remarkable keeping qualities. This British-style tea bread is wonderful served warm with a cup of tea or sliced and buttered the next day.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 55 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 30 min
Makes: 1 loaf (10 slices)

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Ingredients

1 servings

1 cup (240 ml) active sourdough discard, at room temperature
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
2 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
¼ teaspoon (1.3 g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) fine sea salt
1½ teaspoons (4 g) ground ginger
½ teaspoon (1.3 g) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) freshly grated nutmeg
2 ripe Bartlett or Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/4-inch (6 mm) pieces
1 tablespoon (8 g) fresh ginger, finely grated on a Microplane
1 tablespoon (15 g) demerara or coarse sugar (optional)

Equipment (7)

9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan
Medium and large mixing bowls
Whisk
Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
Microplane or box grater
Sharp knife
Cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)
Line a 9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper or grease it well
Remove sourdough discard from the refrigerator 30 minutes ahead so it is at room temperature
Have all ingredients measured and ready

1
Mix wet ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the room-temperature sourdough discard, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until well combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- The mixture should be thick but pourable.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and well combined, no streaks of ingredients visible
2
Combine dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Whisk for about 30 seconds to evenly distribute the leavening agents and spices throughout the flour.
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Ready when: Dry ingredients are evenly mixed with no visible pockets of baking soda or powder
Tip: Whisking the dry ingredients ensures even leavening and spice distribution, which prevents dense spots or unevenly flavored bread
3
Fold in dry ingredients
- Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold together gently using 12-15 strokes until just combined.
- The batter should look slightly lumpy and shaggy—do not overmix, as this will make the bread tough.
- Stop as soon as you do not see streaks of dry flour.
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Ready when: Dry ingredients are incorporated with no visible flour streaks
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes quick breads tough; fold just until combined, leaving small lumps of dry mixture
4
Add fruit and fresh ginger
- Gently fold in the chopped pear pieces and grated fresh ginger using 3-4 additional folds.
- Distribute them evenly throughout the batter.
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Ready when: Pear and ginger are evenly distributed throughout the batter
Tip: Add the fruit at the end to minimize handling and keep it chunky rather than broken down
5
Transfer and top
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan, using a rubber spatula to scrape out all the batter and smooth the top.
- If using demerara sugar, sprinkle it evenly over the top of the batter for a subtle sweetness and appealing crust.
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Ready when: Batter is evenly distributed in the pan with a smooth top surface
Tip: Demerara sugar adds a nice textural element and will create small crunchy bits on the crust, but it is optional
6
Bake until goldenOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place the pan in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it (not wet batter).
- The loaf should spring back slightly when gently pressed on top.
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Ready when: Top is deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs
Tip: Start checking at 45 minutes, as oven temperatures vary; if the top is browning too quickly, place a loosely tented piece of foil over it for the final 10-15 minutes
7
Cool in pan and turn out
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Run a thin knife around the edges to loosen it, then turn it out onto a cooling rack, removing the parchment paper if used.
- Let it cool completely, about 30 minutes, before slicing.
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Ready when: Loaf is cool to the touch and firm enough to slice without crumbling
Tip: Cooling completely allows the crumb to set properly; slicing a warm loaf will compress and tear it

Good to know

Tips

Sourdough discard should be active, recently fed, and bubbly, preferably fed 4-8 hours before use; old discard will be sluggish and the bread may not rise as well
Choose pears that are ripe but still firm; very soft pears will break down into a sauce. If your pears are mushy, drain them in a fine-mesh sieve for a few minutes before adding
This bread has excellent keeping qualities thanks to the sourdough, which naturally extends shelf life; wrapped properly, it tastes even better on day 2 or 3 as flavors meld
Serve warm with butter, or toast slices the next day to revive them; the bread's crumb becomes more tender and moist as it sits

Make ahead

You can prepare the batter up to 8 hours ahead; cover it and refrigerate, then bake as directed (add 5 minutes to baking time if baking from cold). The baked loaf is best eaten the day it is made but keeps beautifully for 2-3 days, actually improving in flavor and texture as it sits.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: Store wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerator: Wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freezer: Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil; freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving, or toast individual slices from frozen.

Substitutions

ripe Bartlett or Bosc pear → apple (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and chopped. Use 1.5 to 2 medium apples; the flavor will be more assertive than pear, so increase vanilla extract to 1.5 teaspoons
fresh ginger → 1 teaspoon candied or crystallized ginger, finely chopped. Candied ginger is sweeter and softer; reduce granulated sugar by 2 tablespoons (25 g)
ground ginger → ground cardamom or a mix of 1 teaspoon ground ginger + 0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom. Cardamom is delicate and fragrant; start with a small amount as it is assertive
active sourdough discard → 1 cup (240 ml) Greek yogurt or sour cream. The bread will lack the subtle sourdough tang but will be moist and tender; reduce granulated sugar by 1 tablespoon (12 g) to account for slight sweetness in yogurt