Sweet syrupy mixed berries topped with buttery, tender sourdough biscuits. Sourdough Berry Cobbler is baked until golden brown and served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an easy, yet impression summertime treat.
Summertime is the time of year for celebrating sweet summer berries! Lately, we can’t get enough of my grandma’s Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake or these quick-to-make Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Muffins. If we don’t have time for baking, topping Sourdough Crepes with fresh berries is always delicious.
Recently, we had some guests over for an evening bonfire. I wanted to offer a sweet treat but I didn’t have much time. The occasion gave me the perfect excuse to whip up another quick family favorite recipe full of fresh berries – Sourdough Berry Cobbler.
Not only is this a delicious recipe, but it is a classic and crowd-pleasing kind of recipe.
Plump blueberries, tart blackberries, juicy raspberries, and sweet strawberries become thick and syrupy with hints of lemon and cinnamon. Then, this fruity filling is topped with tender, sweet sourdough biscuits. You must serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. It’s warm and comforting, yet cool and refreshing at the same time.
Sourdough Berry Cobbler is a little bit of summer in a bowl.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Easier than pie:
Though I will always be a great supporter of sourdough pie, it can be a labor of love. There’s the mixing of the dough, waiting for it to chill, rolling it out, and finally, creating a beautiful design. Luckily, you won’t need all of those extra steps when it comes to making a Sourdough Berry Cobbler. Simply hand mix the dough, form the rustic biscuit shapes, and bake.
Customizable:
I used a mixture of fresh berries, but this sourdough cobbler recipe can just as easily be made with juicy peaches or any of your favorite stone fruits. Use the same amount of fresh or frozen fruit that the recipe calls for. If I’m making sourdough peach cobbler, I like to add a few dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg, plus, I’ll swap the white sugar for some brown sugar. Yum!
Simple Pantry Staples:
With some flour, sugar, butter, and fruit, you are on your way to a quick, yet impressive sweet treat.
Low Tech:
No need for a stand mixer for this recipe! Just a couple of mixing bowls and a spatula are all you need before you can pop this delicious dessert into the hot oven.
Delicious:
Making Sourdough Berry Cobbler is a delicious way to use any extra sourdough discard you might have in the fridge. Since the biscuit is on the sweeter side, you won’t get a traditionally tangy sourdough flavor in most sourdough recipes, but the fermented flour makes the biscuit so soft and tender.
Ingredients
Filling:
Fresh berries: For this recipe, I combined fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, but it is customizable. Swap and omit to your liking! If it’s not berry season, use frozen berries.
Sugar: I used white sugar, but this can be substituted with equal amounts of coconut sugar or maple syrup.
Lemon juice – Helps to brighten the flavor of the fresh berries.
All-purpose Flour – Regular flour is used to thicken the filling for a delicious, syrupy berry filling.
Vanilla – I used vanilla extract, but use whatever you have on hand.
Cinnamon – A beautiful compliment to the mixed berries.
Topping:
Flour – King Arthur all-purpose flour is my favorite, but any regular flour will do.
Sugar – I used a combination of white and brown sugar for a richer flavor.
Baking powder – Since we are using leftover sourdough starter, we need some leavening agents to give our biscuits a lift.
Baking soda
Salt – To bring balance between the sweetness in the biscuits.
Unsalted Butter – If you are using salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe.
Unfed sourdough starter – For sweet treats, I like to use fresh sourdough discard that is only 2-3 days old since it has a milder sour flavor.
Coarse sugar – A sprinkle of course sugar on top of the biscuits not only looks delightful, but it offers a lovely crunch to each bite.
Milk – The final step is to brush the biscuits with milk for a beautiful golden finish.
Supplies
10-inch Cast Iron Skillet or a 9×9 baking dish
Pastry Brush
How to Make Sourdough Berry Cobbler:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
Prepare the Fruit Filling
In a large mixing bowl, gently mix fresh blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries with the sugars, lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
Pour the berry mixture into a 10-inch cast iron skillet or 9×9 baking dish. Set to the side.
Prepare Sourdough Biscuits
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Grate cold butter with a kitchen grater. Add the shredded butter to the dry ingredients and gently mix until all of the butter has been lightly coated with flour.
Lastly, pour the sourdough discard into the flour mixture. It is important not to overmix the cobbler dough. This can cause the biscuits to be tough, instead of light and tender.
Instead, mix the wet ingredients into the dry by hand and stop just as the flour is incorporated.
Finally, you are going to make rustic discs to place on top of the fruit filling. The dough is especially sticky, so lightly dust your hands with a little extra flour.
Grab a portion of the dough and shape it into a round, flat disc, and place it on top of our filling. Repeat until all of the dough has been formed and positioned on top of the berries, making about 7-8 biscuits.
The last step is to brush milk on top of each biscuit with a pastry brush. This will give them a lovely golden brown finish.
For a hint of sweetness and a bit of crunch, sprinkle the tops of each biscuit with coarse sugar. Not only does it taste fabulous, but it makes it look super impressive.
Bake
Before baking, I like to place a baking sheet on the rack below my cast iron pan, just in case some of the fruit filling bubbles over.
Place the Sourdough Berry Cobbler into the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
How to Serve:
With a scoop of ice cream, of course! Believe me, a bowl of warm Sourdough Mixed Berry Cobbler with a cool scoop of vanilla ice cream – it’s magic. A comforting and refreshing summertime, or anytime, dessert! If you don’t happen to have ice cream, then a dollop of homemade whipped cream will do just fine.
How to Store:
Once completely cooled, baked Sourdough Berry Cobbler can be covered and stored at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Remove from the refrigerator before serving. Heat it in the microwave just for a moment or in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
FAQs:
What is a sourdough cobbler?
Sourdough Cobbler is a scrumptious fruit dessert. Similar to a fruit crisp or a crumble, except instead of being topped with a crisp oat or buttery crumble topping, it’s layered with thick dollops of tender sourdough biscuit dough.
Can I use frozen berries?
Yes! Using frozen berries allows for this Sourdough Berry Cobbler to be a year-long treat. Just make sure you don’t thaw the berries. This can cause them to turn mushy and have an unfortunate consistency.
Can you make this dessert ahead of time?
This dessert is great to prepare ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to bake. I wouldn’t recommend baking it ahead as this could lead to some soggy biscuits.
Can I substitute for different fruits?
Absolutely! Almost any fresh fruit would be delicious as a cobbler. Substitute equal amounts of fresh peaches for an easy peach cobbler. Juicy pears and tart cherries come to mind, as well. Not craving mixed berries? No worries! You could bake an all-blueberry filling to make a blueberry sourdough cobbler. The sky is the limit!
Happy baking!
More Sourdough Discard Recipes:
Chewy Sourdough Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with a Sourdough Crust
Easy Sourdough Skillet Mixed Berry Cobbler Recipe
Sweet syrupy mixed berries topped with buttery, tender sourdough biscuits. Sourdough Berry Cobbler is baked until golden brown and served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an easy, yet impression summertime treat.
Ingredients
Mixed Berry Filling
- 6 cups of fresh or frozen mixed berries *
- 1/4 cup white sugar (50g)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (65g)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (half of a lemon)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about half of a lemon)
- 1/4 cup flour (35g)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (3g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sourdough Biscuits
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (140g)
- 1/3 cup white sugar (75g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (3g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons cold butter, grated
- 1 cup unfed sourdough starter (280g)
Instructions
How to Make Sourdough Berry Cobbler:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
Prepare the Fruit Filling
In a large mixing bowl, gently mix fresh blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries with the sugars, lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
*I used 2 cups blueberries, 1 cup blackberries, 1 cup raspberries, and 2 cups sliced strawberries.
Pour the berry mixture into a 10-inch cast iron skillet or 9x9 baking dish. Set to the side.
Prepare Sourdough Biscuits
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Grate cold butter with a kitchen grater. Add the shredded butter to the dry ingredients and gently mix until all of the butter has been lightly coated with flour.
Lastly, pour the sourdough discard into the flour mixture. It is important not to overmix the cobbler dough. This can cause the biscuits to be tough, instead of light and tender.
Instead, mix the wet ingredients into the dry by hand and stop just as the flour is incorporated.
Finally, you are going to make rustic discs to place on top of the fruit filling. The dough is especially sticky, so lightly dust your hands with a little extra flour.
Grab a portion of the dough and shape it into a round, flat disc, and place it on top of our filling. Repeat until all of the dough has been formed and positioned on top of the berries, making about 7-8 biscuits.
The last step is to brush milk on top of each biscuit with a pastry brush. This will give them a lovely golden brown finish.
For a hint of sweetness and a bit of crunch, sprinkle the tops of each biscuit with coarse sugar. Not only does it taste fabulous, but it makes it look super impressive.
Bake
Before baking, I like to place a baking sheet on the rack below my cast iron pan, just in case some of the fruit filling bubbles over.
Place the Sourdough Berry Cobbler into the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to use cold/frozen butter. When the butter melts in the oven, it creates super flaky and tender biscuits!
- Using cold sourdough discard also helps keep the butter from melting when you are mixing the dough.
- Sourdough Berry Cobbler can be made with fresh or frozen fruit. Just make sure you don't thaw the berries. This can cause them to turn mushy and have an unfortunate consistency.
- This dessert is great to prepare ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to bake. I wouldn't recommend baking it ahead as this could lead to some soggy biscuits.
- Almost any fresh fruit would be delicious as a cobbler. Juicy peaches, pears, and tart cherries come to mind, as well. Not craving mixed berries? You could bake an all-blueberry filling to make a blueberry sourdough cobbler. The sky is the limit!
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve made it quite a few times and every time someone tells me it’s the best cobbler they’ve had! I love serving it with fresh whipped cream!
Love this! Thank you for sharing, Steph!