These delightful sourdough strawberry shortcake biscuits are a perfect way to use your sourdough discard in a sweet treat.

Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits with Discard 16

They’re fluffy, flavorful, and make a wonderful dessert or snack that’s both comforting and easy to prepare. Whether you’re new to baking with sourdough discard or a seasoned pro, this recipe offers a simple and delicious path to a homemade treat.

Get ready to transform your kitchen into a haven of sweet aromas with these tender, fruit-filled biscuits. They’re ideal for a weekend brunch, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a light dessert after dinner, proving that using discard doesn’t have to be complicated.

What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
Time Needed From Start To Finish
How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture

What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe

This recipe is a true gem for anyone looking to make a delicious homemade treat without a lot of fuss. It’s perfect for families because it uses simple ingredients and doesn’t require any advanced baking techniques. The beauty of these sourdough strawberry shortcake biscuits lies in their versatility and the ease with which they come together. You’ll love how they utilize sourdough discard, turning something often seen as a byproduct into a star ingredient that adds a subtle tang and wonderful texture. This recipe is ideal for a casual dessert, a special breakfast, or even a delightful snack. It’s a fantastic way to introduce kids to baking, as the steps are straightforward and the results are incredibly rewarding. Plus, the combination of fluffy biscuits and sweet strawberries is universally loved, making it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for any occasion.

Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress

Gathering your ingredients ahead of time makes the baking process smooth and enjoyable. You’ll find most of these items are likely already in your pantry, making this a convenient recipe to whip up on a whim.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1 cup sourdough discard, unfed and at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced or quartered
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for strawberries)
Whipped cream or ice cream, for serving (optional)

For the flour, all-purpose works best for a tender biscuit texture, but a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend could be used as a substitute if you need a gluten-free option, though the texture might vary slightly. When choosing butter, make sure it’s unsalted so you can control the salt content in the recipe. If you only have salted butter, omit the added salt from the recipe. The heavy cream adds richness and helps create a tender crumb; whole milk can be used in a pinch, but the biscuits might be slightly less rich. Fresh strawberries are highly recommended for their vibrant flavor and texture, but frozen strawberries can be used if thawed and drained well to prevent excess moisture.

Time Needed From Start To Finish

This recipe is designed for quick enjoyment, making it perfect for busy schedules.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 18-22 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 35-40 minutes

This realistic timeline includes gathering ingredients, mixing the dough, cutting the biscuits, and baking them to golden perfection. It also accounts for a few minutes of strawberry preparation, ensuring you can have these delicious shortcakes ready in under an hour.

How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues

Creating these delightful sourdough strawberry shortcake biscuits is a straightforward process. Follow these steps for perfect results every time.

Prepare the Strawberries: In a medium bowl, gently toss the hulled and sliced or quartered fresh strawberries with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Set them aside to macerate while you prepare the biscuit dough. This allows the strawberries to release their juices and sweeten up.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure all dry ingredients are well combined to ensure even leavening.
Cut in the Cold Butter: Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This is crucial for flaky biscuits.
Add Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a slightly shaggy dough is perfectly fine.
Shape the Biscuits: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a 3/4 to 1-inch thick circle or rectangle. Using a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter or a sharp knife, cut out biscuits. Reroll the scraps gently to cut out any remaining biscuits. You should get about 8-10 biscuits.
Bake the Biscuits: Place the cut biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about an inch between each. Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little extra heavy cream and sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked through. The biscuits should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Assemble and Serve: Once baked, let the biscuits cool slightly on a wire rack. To serve, split a warm biscuit in half, spoon a generous amount of the macerated strawberries over the bottom half, and top with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Place the top half of the biscuit on top and enjoy immediately.

Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life

These sourdough strawberry shortcake biscuits are wonderfully versatile, allowing for simple variations and diverse serving options to fit any occasion. For a kid-friendly twist, you can swap out some of the strawberries for other soft fruits like blueberries or raspberries, or even a mix of berries. A drizzle of chocolate syrup or a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips can also make them extra appealing to little ones.

If you’re serving these for a party or buffet, consider making mini biscuits using a smaller cutter, which makes them perfect for individual portions. You can also set up a “shortcake bar” where guests can assemble their own, offering bowls of different fruits (peaches, mixed berries), various toppings like whipped cream, ice cream, a simple fruit compote, or even a lemon curd. For a richer flavor, you could add a pinch of lemon zest to the biscuit dough or to the macerating strawberries. A splash of balsamic vinegar in the strawberries might sound unusual, but it actually enhances their sweetness and adds a sophisticated depth. For a slightly different texture, try adding a tablespoon of cornmeal to the dry ingredients for a subtle crunch.

Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them

Even simple recipes can have their pitfalls, but knowing what to look out for can help you achieve perfect results every time.

One common mistake is overmixing the dough. When you overmix, the gluten in the flour develops too much, leading to tough, dense biscuits instead of light and flaky ones. To avoid this, mix the wet and dry ingredients only until they are just combined and no dry streaks of flour remain. A shaggy dough is a happy dough!

Another frequent issue is using warm butter. Cold butter is essential for flaky biscuits. As the cold butter melts in the hot oven, it creates pockets of steam, which separate the layers of dough, resulting in that desirable flaky texture. Always ensure your butter is very cold and cut into small pieces before incorporating it into the flour. If your kitchen is warm, you can even pop the butter back into the fridge for a few minutes if it starts to soften.

Overworking the dough when shaping is another common pitfall. When you pat out the dough and cut the biscuits, handle it as little as possible. Each time you reroll scraps, the dough becomes tougher. Try to get as many biscuits as possible from the first pat-out, and reroll scraps only once or twice, very gently.

Finally, not preheating your oven properly can lead to biscuits that don’t rise as well. Make sure your oven is fully preheated to the specified temperature before placing the biscuits inside. A hot oven helps the biscuits rise quickly and achieve a beautiful golden crust.

How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture

Proper storage is key to enjoying your sourdough strawberry shortcake biscuits for as long as possible, and there are good ways to prepare parts of this recipe ahead of time.

Storing Baked Biscuits: Once baked and cooled, the biscuits are best enjoyed the same day for optimal freshness and texture. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To refresh them, you can warm them briefly in a toaster oven or microwave, though they might lose a little of

FAQs

Can I make these ahead? Yes—prep ahead, refrigerate, then serve when ready.
How long do leftovers last? Store covered in the fridge for 3–4 days for best texture.
Can I adjust sweetness? Yes—add more or less sweetener to taste.
Can I change the fruit? Yes—swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or sliced banana.