Wondering what to do with all of your sourdough discard? Other than making bread, there are a lot of ways to use your sourdough discards! In this post I’m going to share a recipe I adapted (and include info for the original) that uses sourdough discard for the topping.
You can store your sourdough discards in a jar in the refrigerator for a long time before it goes bad. I have a jar in my fridge, but mostly I use discards from my active starter when I make something other than bread.
I made this cobbler over the weekend and it was a huge hit in our family.
Blueberry, Thyme, and Lemon Sourdough Cobbler
Adapted from “The Sweet Side of Sourdough” by Caroline Schiff
Note: I advise having a 10” cast iron skillet for this recipe.
Ingredients:
Filling:
4 cups of fresh blueberries, rinsed and stems removed
150g Panela cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
18g cornstarch
15g lemon juice
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Topping:
125g all purpose flour
4 tbsp cold butter (unsalted preferred), cut into small cubes
24g Panela cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3g Kosher salt (1/2 this amount if using any other kind of salt)
6g baking powder
110g sourdough starter discard
1/4 c heavy cream
Whipped Cream:
3/4c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple sugar (my preferred) or powdered sugar (optional, may also opt for less or more depending on desired sweetness)
Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in the middle.
For the filling, combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and thyme leaves. Mix well and set aside.
For the topping, combine the flour, butter, sugar, thyme, salt, and baking powder. With a pastry cutter, or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
In another small bowl, gently whisk sourdough discard and 1/4c of heavy cream together. Add it to the dry mixture and combine it with a spatula until fully incorporated. It should resemble biscuit dough.
Putting it together:
Add berry mixture to a 10” cast iron pan. Use a spoon and leave behind any liquid that has accumulated in the bowl. Divide your topping into 7 evenly sized balls, flatting them a bit before placing them on top of the berries. Brush tops of the topping with a little bit of remaining heavy cream.
Bake for 45 min. Place a sheet pan underneath to catch any bubbling juices.
Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes prior to serving.
Making whipped cream:
Add cream to the bowl of a stand mixer and turn on to medium high speed. Add desired sugar and vanilla extract. Run until cream comes together and is smooth, leaving stiff peaks when you pull out the whisk. You can also do this with a hand mixer. Store whipped cream in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Top cobbler with whipped cream (ice cream would also be excellent) and fresh thyme leaves. Enjoy!
If you have any of this left over, store it in a glass container in the refrigerator.