Strawberry Shortcake has always been a favorite dessert for me. It is simple to make, and almost everyone likes it. But, the quickest way to make it, is to whip up a simple white cake. This tastes delicious, but ends up being way sweeter than what I typically like to feed my family on a regular basis. Biscuits work well, but this always takes longer and is definitely a different texture. I finally realized that I should just create a new recipe that made me happy with this dessert. My family had to “suffer through” several trial runs before I was satisfied with my recipe. But, now I know how to make a Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake with honey that is simply mouth-watering. And, it meets all my requirements: digestible for most gluten-intolerant folks, relatively low sugar content, and still keeps that delicious “spongy” cake texture I enjoy so much.
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This recipe works well in 2 different ways. You can make it as a sourdough discard recipe, or as a long-ferment.
Why Sourdough?
I have been very happy to see Sourdough making such a comeback in recent years. Most people think of early American settlers when they think of Sourdough. A well-established starter with a superior flavor was a prized possession. It was shared between family members, and even “inherited”. But, there are much older stories about Sourdough. It has been around since the ancient Egyptians, and possibly even before.
It is very easy to create a Sourdough Starter yourself at home. Some people start theirs with flour, water, sugar, and yeast. I did a different version that involved collecting wild yeast from the air.
Sourdough is very economical and self-sufficient. When baking with Sourdough, there is no need to add any additional yeast. The wild yeast found in the sourdough is enough to make your bread or other baked goods rise beautifully.
The flavor of sourdough is amazing. The tanginess adds another whole dimension to the flavor of baked goods. Honestly, after making Sourdough bread, traditional bread tastes very bland to me.
And last, but not least, I think Sourdough is lovely to look at. Call me crazy if you want, but the little bubbles that are created as it ferments are very satisfying to me for some reason.
Health Benefits of Sourdough
Gluten intolerance (Gluten Sensitivity) has been common issue for many years. But, it was not widely recognized until more recently. Gluten is a protein found in Wheat, Barley, Rye, and a few other grains. Celiac Disease is a severe immune reaction to Gluten, and anyone suffering from Celiac Disease cannot eat wheat in any form (including Sourdough that contains wheat flour).
However, some people are mildly sensitive to Gluten. If this is the case for you, and Celiac Disease has been ruled out, then you may be able to enjoy baked items made with Sourdough. The microbes in Sourdough help to break down the Gluten proteins before they ever reach your intestines. This means they are less likely to cause gut inflammation and the accompanying bloating, diarrhea, and other unpleasant symptoms that go with it. Long Fermentation recipes are important if this is your reason for using Sourdough, since the extra time gives the microbes a better shot at breaking the proteins down.
The Recipe: How to Make a Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake with Honey
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Sourdough Starter
2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Filtered Water
1/2 cup Honey
4 tablespoons Melted Butter
1/2 cup Milk
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon each: Salt, Baking Soda, Baking Powder
Instructions:
- Mix 2 pounds of sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen) with 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Refrigerate for later.
2. Mix the flour, water, starter, honey, and butter together in a glass bowl until well combined.
3. Cover with a clean, damp tea towel, and put the bowl in a warm place in your house.
4. Allow it to sit and ferment for 4-12 hours. See notes below for details.
5. Uncover it, and add the milk, eggs, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until well combined.
6. Grease 2 pie plates.
7. Pour half the batter in one pie plate and half the batter in the other.
8. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges of the cake are starting to pull away from the pan.
9. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to 1 cup of heavy cream. Beat the mixture until it is thick and forms peaks. For a Maple Whipped Cream Recipe, check out my post.
10. Slice your cake, and top with the whipped cream and chilled strawberries. Pairs perfectly with either coffee or tea.
Extra Notes for How to Make a Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake with Honey:
You may find yourself short on time, and decide to avoid the fermentation step. To make the Sourdough Discard Version, skip steps 3 and 4.
The fermentation time depends on a couple of factors. First, how sour you like the taste of your dough (the longer you ferment, the more “sour” the taste). Second, how much time you have. And third, how warm your house is. My sourdough recipes always take the longest to ferment during the spring and fall. My house is naturally warm during the summer, and we run a wood stove during the winter. So, the house is actually the coolest during the spring and fall.
I use glass pie dishes, because I try to avoid Aluminum cookware. But, if you only have aluminum, you may need to adjust your baking time a little.
How to Make a Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake with Honey
This delicious and light dessert is a new favorite for my family. The sugar content is low compared to most strawberry shortcake recipes. The sourdough white cake base can be done as either a Sourdough Discard recipe or as a Long-Ferment. The Long-Ferment version can work well for some folks who are gluten intolerant because the fermentation process breaks down the gluten proteins. But, do not eat this if you are allergic to gluten or have Celiac Disease.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Sourdough Starter
- 2 cups Flour
- 1/2 cup Filtered Water
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 4 tablespoons Melted Butter
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Instructions
- Mix 2 pounds of sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen) with 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Refrigerate for later.
- Mix the flour, water, starter, honey, and butter together in a glass bowl until well combined.
- Cover with a clean, damp tea towel and put the bowl in a warm place in your house.
- Allow it to sit and ferment for 4-12 hours.
- Uncover it, and add the milk, eggs, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until well combined.
- Grease 2 pie plates.
- Pour half the batter in one pie plate and half the batter in the other.
- Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges of the cake are starting to pull away from the pan.
- Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to 1 cup of heavy cream. Beat the mixture until it is thick and forms peaks.
- Slice your cake, and top with the whipped cream and chilled strawberries. Pairs perfectly with either coffee or tea.
You may find yourself short on time, and decide to avoid the fermentation step. To make the Sourdough Discard Version, skip steps 3 and 4.
Notes
The fermentation time depends on a couple of factors. First, how sour you like the taste of your dough. Second, how much time you have. And third, how warm your house is. My sourdough recipes always take the longest to ferment during the spring and fall. My house is naturally warm during the summer, and we run a wood stove during the winter. So, the house is actually the coolest during the spring and fall.
I use glass pie dishes, because I try to avoid Aluminum cookware. But, if you only have aluminum, you may need to adjust your baking time a little.
Comment below and let me know what Sourdough recipe you would like to see next!
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Out of all my kitchen tools, I have probably had my Kitchen Aid Hand Mixer the longest. And, other than my cast iron skillets and stainless steel spatulas, I probably use it more than anything else in my kitchen. It was gifted to me about 10 years ago, and it works just as well today as it did the first time I used it.
These knives are small, inexpensive, and they are my first choice for cutting veggies. The serrated one works great for slippery things like tomatoes and strawberries.