If you are looking for a delicious way to use those fresh Summer peaches, you HAVE to try this delicious and fruity recipe for Sourdough Peach Cobbler. Made with sourdough discard, it's an easy recipe that can be made last minute with simple pantry ingredients!
When it comes to Summer desserts, the absolute Queen (for me, at least) is peach cobbler. Not only does it make use of fresh, seasonal, and juicy peaches, but it's served with plenty of vanilla ice cream to cool things down. Warm, yet cool. Comforting, yet refreshing. Peach cobbler is easily one of the best desserts you'll eat all year!
I've been a peach cobbler connoisseur for about a decade now, shortly after my Northern self discovered this Southern classic. It became a fast favorite, and I've been churning them out ever since. This year I wanted to adapt one of my favorite recipes to accommodate the addition of sourdough. Since I always have an abundance of sourdough discard in my fridge, I'm always trying to find a way to work it into our favorite foods.
This may be my favorite adaptation yet, as the subtle tang pairs perfectly with the deliciously sweet peach filling. It's definitely one dessert I'm going to be making each and every Summer, or anytime I can get my hand on some decent looking peaches!
Why You'll Love It:
- It uses up ½ cup of sourdough discard, which can be freshly discarded OR taken from a storage kept in the fridge.
- A great way to enjoy Summer fresh peaches.
- Easy to make with simple pantry ingredients.
- No softening of butter required, so you can make it at the last minute.
Ingredients
- Peaches: You'll need approximately 8 ripe peaches, which works out to about 2 pounds.
- Sourdough discard: You can use sourdough starter that you just removed from your active starter, OR you can use sourdough discard that has been stored in the fridge.
- Butter: Either salted or unsalted works fine here, you'll just want to make sure it is melted before you get started with the sourdough topping.
- Flour: I used all purpose unbleached, but feel free to use whole wheat or einkorn flour, you'll just want to reduce it by 2 tablespoons to make sure the mixture isn't too dry.
- Sugar: Both granulated white cane sugar and brown sugar are used in this recipe.
- Spices: To give it a delicious flavor, all you'll need is some nutmeg and ground cinnamon. The cinnamon will be used both on top, as well as in the peach mixture.
- Pantry basics: Like vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch (or arrowroot powder).
- Lemon juice: Just a touch helps the peaches keep their color and balance the flavors.
Preparing and Peeling Peaches for Cobbler
In order to make peach cobbler, pie, or jam, you'll need to peel your peaches before slicing or chopping them.
This is the easiest method:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Cut an "X" in the bottom of each of the peaches with a sharp knife.
- Add the peaches, 2-3 at a time.
- Boil for 30-45 seconds, and then remove the peaches, placing them in an ice bath.
- Repeat with any remaining peaches.
- Once all of the peaches have had their turn in the boiling water it is time to peel them.
- Slip the peels off with your fingers if they are loose enough. If not, start at one of the corners formed by the "X" and peel the skins back gently.
- If the peels are still firmly in place, run a paring knife under the skin to remove the peel.
- Cut the peaches in half, removing the pit. Slice or chop as desired.
How to Make Peach Cobbler with Sourdough Starter
- To get started, add all of your prepared and sliced (or chopped) peaches to a large bowl. Then, add in ¼ cup of white and ¼ cup of brown sugar.
- Preheat your oven to 425ºF (219ºC) and grease an 8X8 baking dish, OR 2 quart oval baking dish. Set aside.
- Add in the nutmeg, cinnamon, cornstarch (or arrowroot powder), vanilla extract and lemon juice.
- Stir everything together to combine well.
- Spread the prepared peach filling into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove and set aside.
Making the Sourdough Cobbler Topping
- To make the sourdough topping for peach cobbler, start off by adding your flour to a large bowl. Then, add in the white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Whisk everything together until the lumps of brown sugar are gone and everything is uniform.
- Add the sourdough discard to the bowl with the flour mixture, ensuring to scrape all of the discard in with a silicone spatula.
- Then, stir the sourdough discard into the flour until most of it has been well distributed.
- Finally, add the melted butter into the mixture. Stir to fully incorporate everything together.
- Once the sourdough topping is fully combined, place scoopfuls of the mixture on top of the peaches in the baking dish.
Baking the Cobbler
- Repeat until all of the sourdough biscuit mixture has been used up, and then spread it in a semi-even layer with the back of a silicone spatula.
- Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the peach cobbler.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly with a golden topping.
Serving
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and then scoop into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream (like my maple syrup sweetened whipped cream).
How to Store Peach Cobbler
While peach cobbler is best when served immediately, you may have some leftovers you want to enjoy later on. Here's how you can store your dessert for the best possible results:
- Allow your peach cobbler to cool completely to room temperature.
- Cover tightly with an airtight lid or several layers of plastic wrap.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat portions (or the remaining cobbler) in an oven preheated to 350ºF for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Serve with your choice of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Variations and Substitutions
- Using honey and natural sweeteners: Substitute the white sugar (except for the topping) with honey. Use a little less than you would cane sugar, as honey is much sweeter. You can substitute the brown sugar for coconut sugar if desired. For the topping, stick with an organic cane sugar mixed with cinnamon.
- Using alternative flours: You can substitute the all purpose flour for whole wheat, einkorn, or spelt if desired. Just reduce the total amount by 2 tablespoons to ensure the mixture is not too dry. Whole grain flours easily absorb liquids.
- Using canned peaches: Substitute the fresh peaches in this recipe for 3-4 cups of drained canned peach slices. Skip the prebaking stage (10 minutes), since the peaches will already be soft enough.
- Using pie filling: Swap out the fresh peach base for your favorite peach pie filling (like my recipe for homemade peach pie filling for canning)
- Using other fruits: feel free to substitute the peaches for 3-4 cups of any prepared fruit to make a sourdough cobbler.
FAQs
Yes, you can make peach cobbler in a cast iron skillet. Just ensure that it is well seasoned to avoid sticking. Alternatively, you can line it with parchment paper to prevent the fruity filling from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
Peach cobbler is made with a biscuit topping that consists of flour, butter, and sugar. Peach crisp is made with an oat based topping, also including some flour and butter. So in short, cobbler is a biscuit like topping, while crisp uses an oat based topping.
It is recommended to peel your peaches for peach cobbler, as the skins will not break down during cook time and may have a slimy or undesirable texture. Boiling your peaches for 30-45 seconds will make peeling much easier than simply using a knife.
More Sourdough Dessert Recipes:
If you loved this Sourdough Peach Cobbler recipe, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @littlehomeinthemaking.
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
- 8 fresh peaches peeled and sliced (approximately 2 pounds)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
Sourdough Topping
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
Topping
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (219ºC) and grease an 8 x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) or 2 quart baking dish.
- Prepare your peaches by peeling, pitting and slicing them.(*See notes for tips on easily peeling your peaches).
- Add the sliced peaches to a large bowl, along with ¼ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of packed brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and cornstarch (or arrowroot starch). Stir well to combine.
- Pour the peach filling into the prepared baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, baking powder and salt to a medium sized bowl. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the sourdough discard to the bowl and stir well to combine. It will still be very dry, so don't worry if you think the consistency is off.
- Add the melted butter and stir well to combine. The consistency should be moist and like a thin biscuit dough.
- Remove the peaches from the oven, and scoop portions of dough all over the surface. Use an offset spatula or rubber spatula to smooth the biscuit topping all over the surface. A few pockets of peach filling showing through is totally fine.
- Combine 3 tablespoons of sugar with ¾ teaspoons of cinnamon and sprinkle over the surface of the sourdough biscuit topping.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before scooping into bowls. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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Leah
Can you please make the comments visible? I like to read the reviews to see what people loved and what they changed
Molly
Everything is delicious! I would cut the cinnamon sugar on top down to only 1T sugar and 1/4t cinnamon as with the whole amount the top is no longer golden but a dark cinnamon color which is not as attractive!
Linz
I made the topping to go on top of my premade cobbler filling (I freeze it during peach season). It was so delicious! I left off the extra sugar on top and just sprinkled with cinnamon. Also, I doubled the topping for a 9x13 baking dish. I make cobblers all the time and wanted to use my sourdough starter- definitely my new favorite- thank you❤️
Dolly | Little Home in the Making
Aww yay! So glad you've enjoyed it Linz!
Cheyenne
We took one bite and all said WOAH. This is by far the best peach cobbler I’ve ever had, even with jarred peaches. Thank you!
Dolly | Little Home in the Making
Yay! So glad you all loved it!
Mandi
I would like this to ferment some. Could I make the dough and leave it out for a few hours or let it ferment in the fridge? Thanks so much!
Dolly | Little Home in the Making
Hi Mandi! You could definitely ferment at either room temperature (about 2-6 hours) or a cold ferment (8-12 hours). Just leave out the baking powder and add that back in just before you're ready to drop the dough on top of the peaches.
Jenn
can i prep this entire recipe (with sourdough crust on top)then place in frig and bake next day?
Dolly | Little Home in the Making
You probably could! I would be inclined to prepare the sourdough topping just before baking, but it would probably work out just fine.