Made with fresh peaches and light-as-air biscuits, this sourdough peach cobbler features tangy sourdough discard mixed in with butter biscuits. No need to peel the peaches! While we like the texture and look of rolled out biscuits, you can do a drop method if you'd like.
For some more peach recipes, try our easy cherry peach crisp, better-than-pie peach galette, or puff pastry peach turnovers.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Peaches: choose ripe peaches in season if you're using fresh fruit. We haven't tested this recipe with canned, but frozen peaches are a good substitution.
- Sourdough starter: you're using a lot of starter here, so go for a recently fed discard rather than one that's been sitting in the fridge for over a week (it'll be overwhelming). You can use active starter too but be sure to weigh it in that case.
- Flour: use up to 50% whole grain flour – we recommend whole wheat pastry flour – if you want this to have a slightly higher fibre content.
- Butter: while cold butter will always make for taller biscuits, you can use room-temperature in this recipe without much change.
- Make it vegan: replace the butter with a high-quality vegan butter that comes in block or stick form, like Miyoko's or Naturli. Use a non-dairy milk for brushing the biscuits.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
Method
Step 1: chop the peaches and mix with the sugar, flour, and vanilla.
Step 2: mix the dry ingredients for the biscuits, then cut in the butter.
Step 3: add the starter to the biscuit mixture.
Step 4: mix until just combined, using a light hand.
Step 5: gently press out the biscuit dough into a rough round.
Step 6: cut rounds from the dough.
Step 7: top the cobbler, and brush the biscuits with milk, optionally sprinkling with sugar.
Step 8: bake until golden and bubbling and cool before serving.
Top Tips
- Don't skip the flour: this is what thickens the fruit base and it'll be soup without it. While many recipes call for starch, we prefer the more traditional flour for both taste and consistency.
- Don't over-mix: as with any biscuits or other quick bread, light, quick hands when mixing is ideal. If you mix too long they'll be tough and chewy.
- Bake until bubbly: with any kind of cobbler, crisp, or crumble, you want to bake until you see the fruit mixture bubbling up around the edges. If it doesn't boil, it won't thicken properly, and you'll have a taste of uncooked flour or starch.
Recipe Notes
These are quite light biscuits, because they don't contain any cream or milk, and not much butter. The discard acts as the liquid so the flavour is a bit stronger and the texture very light. They're less rich than cream scones or biscuits.
The sugar can be reduced by half for the peach base, but note that it might be a little dry in that case.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
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Sourdough Peach Cobbler
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl
- Pastry blender or fork
- Biscuit cutter
- 8-inch (20 cm) round baking dish
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Fruit Filling:
- 6 cups chopped peaches
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Sourdough Biscuits:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup salted butter, cold
- 1 ¼ cups sourdough discard
- Milk, for brushing the biscuits
- Coarse sugar, optional, for topping the biscuits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch (20-cm) round or square baking dish with butter.
- In a large bowl, stir together the filling ingredients until well combined. Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the sourdough starter. Stir gently with a fork until a soft dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly and gently pat it with your fingertips to about a ½-inch (1 ½ cm) thickness. Use a 2-inch (5 cm) biscuit cutter to cut as many biscuits as possible. Lightly gather the dough and repeat.
- Arrange the biscuits over the peaches in the baking dish. Brush the top of each biscuit with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar if using. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil.
- Bake the cobbler for 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- This is about 2 pounds of peaches if you'd like to weigh them rather than measuring after chopping.
- You're using a lot of starter here, so go for a recently fed discard rather than one that's been sitting in the fridge for over a week (it'll be overwhelming). You can use active starter too but be sure to weigh it in that case.
- Frozen peaches are a good substitute for fresh, no need to thaw.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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