No dessert drumrolls the warm weather season quite like strawberry shortcake. Floral-sweet berries swimming in their own juices, soft pillows of cream, supported by a simple, personal-sized, cake. More often than not (including this case) that cake is actually a biscuit. Where cake can be spongy or dense, the inside of a biscuit is pillowy-soft—the perfect texture to pair with whipped cream and juicy berries. And a biscuit made with sourdough starter discard for a bit of extra tang? So much the better. Plus, when the weather is warm, you probably don’t want to spend too much time inside with the oven on: These sourdough starter discard drop biscuits are done in about half an hour, from start to finish.
Personally, I think the best vehicle for shortcake is a drop biscuit, specifically a cream-based version. The dough, which is just six ingredients, comes together in barely 10 minutes, then is simply dropped—or scooped, you’ll see—onto a sheet pan. (No cutting in butter, no pre-bake chilling!) Heavy cream keeps the biscuits tender and rich, where the sourdough starter discard adds just a smidge of tang to the finished product—always welcome in my book when it comes to rich, sweet treats.
Personally, I think the best vehicle for shortcake is a drop biscuit, specifically a cream-based version.
Speaking of, the other elements needed for strawberry shortcake come together quickly. While the biscuits bake and cool, macerate strawberries in a bit of lime juice and sugar, which draws out the berries’ moisture, creating a natural sauce. You could spoon those berries over plain whipped cream, but I like to call back to the tang of the biscuit by folding in a bit of Greek yogurt.
Use Sourdough Starter Discard At Any Temperature
As is the case with most of my sourdough starter discard bakes, this recipe can be made with unfed starter straight from your refrigerated starter cache, or from a recently fed, room temperature starter discard. The starter is used to replace some of the flour and liquid in the recipe, but gets its lift from chemical leavener (in this case, baking powder).
The Best Shortcakes Are Drop Biscuits
Drop biscuits are so named because the dough is mixed, then simply dropped onto a sheet pan. As opposed to roll-and-cut biscuits, which have a soft, pull-apart-flaky interior, drop biscuits have a tender, cakey texture, without any sponginess (think: a scone as opposed to a sponge cake). When it comes to giving biscuits the shortcake treatment, I actually prefer this slightly denser crumb and short, slightly crumbly exterior to that of a shatteringly crisp layered biscuit: It supports whipped cream, yet soaks up berry juices without going soggy.
Laminated roll-and-cut biscuit dough is packed with butter and folded over itself multiple times, similar to croissant or some styles of pie dough, flaky layers borne from oven-melted-then-steamed shards of butter. Drop biscuit dough, however, is simply mixed, then dropped onto a sheet pan in spoonfuls (though for the least mess and most even biscuits, I prefer to portion them with a cookie scoop.)
While you can make drop biscuits with butter and another liquid, typically a dairy product (see below) the only fat in these biscuits comes from heavy cream. While you’ll sacrifice some richness and crisp texture, there are plenty of benefits to making cream-only drop biscuits: The ingredients list is shorter; and there’s no chilling needed before baking to ensure the butter stays as cold as possible, as is often required with roll-and-cut biscuits. It’s also important to keep in mind you’re about to slather the biscuits in whipped cream, so additional richness via butter isn’t especially needed in this application.
Heavy Cream Keeps The Shortcakes Tender and Rich
To make room for sourdough starter discard, you’ll need to pull back on some of the excess liquid you’d typically add to a biscuit. At about 58% water and 42% milkfat, heavy cream offers a great deal of hydration and fat to scones. Other water-heavier dairy products often found in shortcakes like buttermilk, whole milk, yogurt (whole milk or full-fat Greek), or sour cream primarily provide hydration, for the most tender biscuit you’d likely need to add butter and/or egg yolk. In the interest of keeping this recipe simple, I went all cream—along with the water present in the sourdough starter, of course.
There are a handful of simple biscuit ratios known among bakers, one of the most common being 3:2:1 (parts flour, liquid, and fat respectively) by weight. Another popular ratio for simple drop biscuits specifically is a 1:1 ratio (by weight) of self-rising flour to cream (or two parts flour to one part cream by volume). Keeping these formulas in mind, accounting for both the flour and liquid present in sourdough starter discard, the following biscuit was born.
Stabilize (and Flavor!) the Whipped Cream with Greek Yogurt
For whipped cream that’s rich, with a smidge of tang to play on the sourdough biscuits, I like to beat heavy cream into very soft peaks, then fold in tart Greek yogurt. The thick yogurt also helps stabilize the whipped cream, so it can be prepared in advance, should you want to make your shortcake elements entirely in advance, then assemble when you’re ready to serve. A very good party trick, if I may say so!
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Strawberry Shortcake With Sourdough Discard Drop Biscuits
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 7 servings
- Category: Dessert, Snack, Lunch
- Cuisine: American
Description
Use your sourdough starter discard to make these sourdough discard drop biscuits topped with floral-sweet strawberries swimming in their own juices and soft pillows of freshly whipped cream, all supported by a simple, personal-sized cake.
Ingredients
- 218 grams (1 ¾ cup) all-purpose flour
- 38 grams (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 12 g (1 tablespoon) baking powder
- 3 grams (½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ¼ teaspoon Morton, plus a pinch) kosher salt
- 510 grams (2 ¼ cups) heavy cream, cold from the fridge, divided, plus more as needed
- 110 grams (½ cup) sourdough starter discard (unfed, 100% hydration)
- 114 grams (½ cup) Greek yogurt
- 30 grams (2 tablespoons, from about 1 lime) lime juice
- 4 grams (2 teaspoons, from about 1 lime) lime zest
- 454 grams (1 pound) strawberries, hulled and sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC) with a rack in the center. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and 2 grams (½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ¼ teaspoon Morton) kosher salt.
- In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, use a fork to mix together 227 grams (1 cup) heavy cream and the starter discard.
- Slowly drizzle the wet mixture over the dry, using the fork to gently combine into a shaggy dough. From there, use your hands to gently knead (or a flexible bowl scraper/spatula to fold) the dough over itself a few times to bring it all together.
- Use a #16 (2 ounces, ¼ cup) cookie scoop or a ¼-cup measuring cup, scoop out and drop 7 biscuits onto the prepared sheet pan, evenly spaced apart.
- Bake until the biscuits are puffed and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes, or up to 8 hours (uncovered). Biscuits will keep for up to 4 days, stored in airtight containers at room temperature.
- While the shortcakes cool, make the macerated fruit: In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, zest, remaining 13 grams (1 tablespoon) sugar, and 1 gram (pinch) kosher salt. Add in the berries and toss until coated. Let sit, letting the juices run out of the fruit, for at least 15 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Make the tangy whipped cream: Pour the remaining 284 grams (1 ¼ cup) heavy cream into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and use a whisk or an electric mixer (or the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium) to beat until very soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in the Greek yogurt—the cream should be dollop-able. (If it’s too stiff, fold in a bit more heavy cream by the tablespoon; too loose and you can beat it for 10 to 30 seconds longer.) If not about to assemble shortcakes, the stabilized cream is best for up to 24 hours in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but will last for up to 2 days.
- Split open the shortcakes and place each on a serving plate. Add a big dollop of the tangy whipped cream to each bottom half, then follow with a big spoonful of macerated fruit, including as much of the juices as you’d like. Place the top of the shortcake over the fruit. If there’s any excess whipped cream, add another spoonful overtop if you’d like.
Notes
Blackberries, apricots, and plums are good substitutes for the strawberries.
Sourdough Discard Drop Biscuits FAQ
Can I make roll-and-cut biscuits instead?
If you feel like spending a bit more time, yes, you can make these biscuits cut-out: After bringing the dough together with the fork, dump out the dough onto a floured work surface. Gently pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle (exact dimensions don’t matter), then fold the dough in half. Pat out the dough again into a 1-inch-thick rectangle and fold in half again. Pat out the dough once more into a 1-inch-thick rectangle and use a floured knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 6 or 8 pieces. (An even number is easier to manage with this shape—they’ll be a smidge larger or smaller than the sourdough discard drop biscuits, the choice is yours. Bake larger biscuits for 3 to 5 minutes more; smaller for 3 to 5 minutes less.)
Can I make the biscuits in advance?
Yes! I didn’t notice any major degradation in texture or flavor after storing the sourdough starter discard drop biscuits in an airtight container for up to 4 days—that’s plenty far in advance for me. If you’d like (though I don’t find it necessary), you can reheat them in a 350ºF oven for 5 to 10 minutes, but let them cool slightly before serving so you don’t melt the whipped cream.
Further in advance, you ask? It’s possible! Freeze unbaked biscuits on the sheet pan until solid, about 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, place the biscuits on a parchment-lined sheet pan, then bake—no need to defrost before baking, but they’ll likely take an extra 5 to 10 minutes in the oven. Freeze baked biscuits first on a parchment-lined sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Can I sweeten the whipped cream?
Of course! I don’t personally think it’s needed with the sweet berries, but go ahead and add 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated or powdered sugar to the heavy cream before you beat it.
I don’t have Greek yogurt for the whipped cream! Now what?
Swap in sour cream, ricotta, or labneh for the Greek yogurt for a similar tangy cream. That said, plain, softly whipped cream is absolutely lovely—and classic—in a shortcake. Add an extra 57 grams (¼ cup) of heavy cream if you have it to make sure there’s plenty of whip to go around.
Can I use different fruit in the shortcake?
Absolutely, just about any berry or stone fruit can be given the shortcake treatment. I personally love blackberries, apricots, and plums—use your favorite.
Can I use a different citrus in the berries?
Yes! Lemon is a more classic shortcake combination, but grapefruit and orange are also excellent. Yuzu is lovely too (if you can’t find fresh yuzu, skip the zest and just use bottled juice.)
What’s Next?
See our collection of sourdough starter discard recipes for more inspiration on what to do with that discard (like Italian lemon cake!).
