Banana Pudding Sourdough

Banana Pudding Sourdough Experiment: Dessert or Bread?

We’ve all been there: staring at a bowl of bubbly sourdough starter in one hand and a box of Nilla Wafers in the other, wondering… “Can I make this into bread?” Just kidding. This is just my intrusive thoughts kicking in. Not sure if many think this way hahaha.

I am a massive fan of banana pudding. It’s creamy, nostalgic, and arguably the king of potluck desserts. So, naturally, I decided to see if I could capture that magic inside a crusty, tangy loaf of sourdough. Was it a wild idea? Yes. Was it a delicious experiment? Absolutely.

The Vision: Banana Pudding in a Crusty Loaf

The goal wasn’t to make a cake, but to keep that classic sourdough soul while infusing it with the essence of a Southern bakery. I wanted the tang of the sourdough starter to play with the sweetness of the pudding.

I’ll be honest—bread is still bread. When I pulled it out of the oven, it didn’t transform into a bowl of custard. It still had that beautiful, chewy crumb and fermented tang we love, but with a delightful hint of banana and that unmistakable vanilla-wafer finish.

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The “Secret Sauce” Recipe

If you want to try this “mad scientist” bake yourself, here is exactly how I did it.

Pro-Tip: Because of the sugar in the pudding mix, this dough gets very soft and sticky. Don’t skip that 5th stretch and fold—your gluten needs the extra pep talk!

The Outcome?

Is it a dessert? Is it breakfast? It’s somewhere in between.

The house smelled like a banana heaven while it was baking, which was reason enough to try this. While it still tastes like a true sourdough, the pockets of banana pudding paste and the softened Nilla Wafers create these little “treasure chests” of flavor throughout the loaf.

It was a blast to experiment with, and it’s proof that sourdough doesn’t always have to be serious—sometimes, it can just be a little “bananas.”

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Banana Pudding Sourdough

Created by Sue Mun

Makes One, Sourdough Boule

Instructions:

1. In a large glass or ceramic bowl, mix together the warm water and the ripe sourdough starter.
2. Add in the banana pudding mix, bread flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
   1. Stretch and fold #1. Using wet hands, stretch the dough into itself about 8 times or until gluten develops. The dough will be very sticky but will come together as you perform your stretch and folds. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
   2. Stretch and fold #2. Using wet hands, stretch and fold the dough into itself until it can not stretch anymore. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
   3. Stretch and fold #3. Repeat the steps from above. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. 
   4. Stretch and fold #4. Repeat the steps from above. This is optional but during this step, you can add in about 6-7 crushed Nilla wafer cookies in and fold it in. Cover the dough and rest for 30 minutes.
   5. Stretch and fold #5. Repeat the steps from above. I recommend an extra 5th stretch and fold session because the sugars in the pudding mix makes this dough very soft so you want the extra step.
4. Cover and bulk ferment for 6-10 hours. Or until the dough has doubled in size and the dough peels away the sides of the bowl easily. If not, continue to proof longer. 

Shape the Dough:

1. Flip the dough over and gently stretch to a long rectangle.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining banana pudding powder mix with about 1/3 cup of whole milk to create a pudding paste. Dollop this pudding paste on top of the laid out dough. Crush up some Nilla wafer cookies on top as well as some diced bananas.
3. Then gently push/pull dough into a tight round in a candy cane motion. Careful not to tear the dough.
4. Dust with rice flour and place into banneton bread mold. 
5. Gently pull the edges of the round into the center of the dough. Just so it adds tension to the dough and helps improve oven spring when it bakes. 
6. Cover and proof in the fridge overnight (8-10 hours)

The Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 450F and place dutch oven in the oven to also preheat. 
2. Flip onto silpat or parchment and gently score the top of the dough using a lame knife.
3. Carefully place the sourdough into your hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid. 
4. Bake at 450F for 25 minutes with the lid covered.
5. Lower the oven to 425F. Uncover the lid and bake again for 15-25 more minutes. Or until the internal temp is above 190F.
6. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting and serving. 

Sue Mun