Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake Easy Discard Recipe

There is no better way to enjoy strawberry season, than with this delicious sourdough strawberry shortcake... This dessert motivates kids to do all the strawberry picking in June!  

This recipe combines the tangy sweetness of sourdough with fresh berries, creamy whipped cream for a showstopping dessert. 

Makes 9 individual servings of beautiful strawberry shortcake with a tangy sourdough sweet biscuit, fresh fruit, and whipped cream topping.

Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake Simple Ingredients

• ¾ cup sourdough starter (can be sourdough discard)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons teaspoons baking powder (or 1.5 teaspoons baking soda)
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ½ cup frozen unsalted butter
• Optional - 2 tablespoons milk, cream, or melted butter to brush over tops before baking.
• Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
• 1.5 pounds fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Optional - lemon zest for garnish

How to Make Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet (I just use a cookie sheet) lined with parchment paper. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: sourdough starter, egg and vanilla extract. 

Add the dry ingredients: 1 cup flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt to the bowl with the sourdough egg mixture.

Grab your box grater and the stick of frozen butter (cold butter works too). Using the large holes of the grater, shred the frozen butter directly into a large bowl.

Gently fold everything together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Don't overmix, a few streaks of flour are perfectly okay. Overmixing can make your sweet sourdough biscuits tough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press the dough out on your floured work surface into a rectangle about ½-inch thick. Imagine the rectangle divided into thirds lengthwise. Now, fold the top third of the dough down towards the center.

Next, take the bottom third of the dough and fold it up and over the top third, like you're folding a letter. This creates layers of dough and butter, perfect for flakiness!

Now, gently fold the short ends of the dough rectangle inwards to meet in the center, forming a square. Finally, use your hands to lightly press the dough square out again to an even thickness of about ¾ inch.... It's better to have them a bit thicker than too thin for those fluffy layers! 

Use a sharp biscuit cutter or a bench scraper to cut out 9 circles or squares from the dough.

Place the cut-out biscuits on your prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them for even baking. Brush the tops with melted butter, cream or milk and course sugar for a beautiful finish.

Place shortcakes into the preheated hot oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown and flaky. The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven. Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes to ensure they don't become over-browned.

Take your sweet biscuits out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes.

Enjoy your warm, fluffy, sourdough shortcakes with strawberries and a dollop of homemade whipped cream!

Optional - Long Fermented Shortcakes

For long fermented shortcakes follow steps 2-5, then wrap your dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 8 hours. Then continue to cut out shortcakes, and bake.

Make Juicy Strawberries

In a large bowl, combine sliced strawberries and sugar.  Give them a gentle stir with a rubber spatula.

Let sit for at least 15 minutes, allowing the strawberries to release their juices.

Make the Whipped Cream

In a chilled bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.

Assemble the Sourdough Strawberry Shortcakes

Once the sourdough shortcakes are cooled a bit, slice each one in half horizontally.

Place the bottom half of a biscuit on a plate.

Spoon a generous amount of macerated strawberries over the biscuit.

Dollop with whipped cream, and a bit more strawberry.

Top with the other half of the biscuit and repeat the layers of strawberries and whipped cream for all 9 servings.

Tips

• Leftover macerated strawberries can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Leftover whipped cream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. However, for best results, freshly made whipped cream is recommended.
• You can also use strawberry freezer jam as a strawberry sauce to garnish! 

More Sourdough Recipes

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