1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease and line an 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with a parchment paper sling for easy removal. Set aside.
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream room-temperature butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This can also be done with a hand mixer.
113g (1/2 c) unsalted butter, softened, 200g (1 cup) sugar
3. Once combined, add the eggs to the mixture, one at a time. Continue to beat on medium speed until it is light, fluffy, and pale yellow in color. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl when necessary.
2 eggs, room temperature
4. In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk until combined. Set aside.
230g (1 2/3 c) flour, 6g (1 tsp) baking soda, 3g (1/2 tsp) salt
5. While mixing on stir/low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and sourdough discard to the egg mixture. Occasionally stop mixing to scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix until there are just a few streaks of flour left.
100g (1/3 c) sourdough discard
6. Lastly, add the mashed banana and vanilla extract to the batter. Mix on low until just combined.
275g (1 c) mashed bananas, 4g (1 tsp) vanilla
7. If adding mix-ins, gently fold into the batter using a rubber spatula.
65g (1/2 c) chopped walnuts or 85g (1/2 c) chocolate chips
8. Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with additional chopped nuts or chocolate chips on top, if desired. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Begin to check at 55 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 30 minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool completely. For easiest slicing, wait at least an hour. Enjoy!