These Sourdough Shortbread Cookies are made with browned butter and brown sugar for extra flavor. They are buttery and the perfect combination of crispy and crumbly making them a perfect sweet treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.
One of my favorite ways to use up extra sourdough discard is to add it to cookie dough! Here are a few of my favorites: Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies, Sourdough Snickerdoodles, Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Cookies, Sourdough Sugar Cookies, Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Cookies, Sourdough Molasses Cookies, Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies, and thick Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
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Recipe Ingredients
There are just a few simple ingredients needed to make these Sourdough Discard Shortbread Cookies.
Unsalted Butter: Room temperature butter is easier to cream together with the sugar. I use unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, do not add additional salt to the recipe. There is about ¼ teaspoon of salt per stick of salted butter.
Brown Sugar: The molasses flavor in the brown sugar perfectly compliments the nutty brown butter.
Sourdough Discard: Don't worry your cookies won't be sour. There is plenty of sugar to eliminate the sourdough flavor. Bring your sourdough discard to room temperature before adding it to the recipe. It will be easier to incorporate. Active starter or sourdough discard can be used.
Pro Sourdough Tip: Keep a glass jar in your refrigerator to store your sourdough discard. Continue adding to it until you have enough to make your chosen sourdough discard recipe.
All-Purpose Flour: No special flours are needed for these cookies. All-purpose flour is perfect. For accuracy, the best way to measure the flour is by using a digital kitchen scale.
Tip: If you don't have a digital scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a butter knife. Try not to compress the flour into the measuring cup.
Salt: I add at least a pinch of salt to all of my recipes. Salt complements and intensifies the other flavors. For all of my recipes, I use Morton Kosher Salt which packs more densely than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you are using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt you will want to double the amount of salt you add.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Are you new to sourdough? I have plenty of information to help you on your sourdough journey.
Substitutions and Variations
- Sourdough: You can use either sourdough discard or active sourdough starter. Cookies baked with active sourdough starter may be a tiny bit puffier.
- Vanilla Extract: Use almond extract instead of vanilla extract.
- Make slice-and-bake shortbread: Instead of pressing the dough into a pan and baking it right away, you can shape the dough into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it overnight. Then when you are ready to bake the cookies, slice the shortbread cookie dough into ¼-inch thick cookies and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8 minutes. The cookies will spread a bit so don't place them two closely together on the cookie sheet. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring the baked cookies to cooling rack to cool completely
- Citrus Shortbread: Add 1 tablespoon of citrus zest to the butter and sugar mixture.
- Tea-Flavored Shortbread: Add 2 tablespoons of ground tea leaves with the flour.
- Spiced Shortbread: Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or cardamom with the flour.
Step by Step Directions
Step 1: Slice the butter into pieces and melt it in a light-colored skillet over medium heat stirring or whisking constantly. (Image 1) Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. (Image 2)
Tip: Using a light-colored pan makes it easier to monitor the color of the butter as it browns.
Continue stirring/whisking for about 5-7 minutes, the foam will begin to subside and the melted butter will darken to a deep amber color. (Images 3 & 4) Remove the browned butter from the heat, and pour it into a bowl. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature and solidify.
If you still have questions about how to brown butter, check out this video on how to brown butter from America's Test Kitchen.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and cream together with a mixer. (Image 5)
Step 3: Add the sourdough discard and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. (Image 6)
Step 4: Add the flour and salt and mix to combine. The dough will look crumbly but will come together as you press it into the pan. (Image 7)
Tip: Do not overmix the dough. Overmixing will create chewy rather than crispy shortbread cookies.
Step 5: Line a 9x9 metal baking pan with a parchment paper sling to make lifting the cookies out of the pan easier. Spray the pan with a little nonstick cooking spray to hold the parchment paper in place. Pour the cookie dough into the pan. (Image 8)
Tip: A light-colored metal pan is best. Glass or dark-colored metal pans heat unevenly and can cause the edges to overbake or even burn. If a glass or dark pan is all you have, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F (4°C) and keep an eye on the cookies as they bake.
Step 6: Place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the dough and use a flat-bottomed glass to smooth the dough. (Images 9 & 10)
Step 7: Cut the dough into rectangles. I cut mine into rows of 8 by 3 creating 24 cookies and use a fork to dock each cookie. (Image 11)
Tip: Slicing and docking the cookies helps the steam to escape.
Step 8: Bake for 28 to 32 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they just start to color you want the cookies to still be pale not golden brown. Let the pan of shortbread cool for 5 minutes and then cut them again. (Image 12)
Step 9: Let them cool for an additional 10 minutes before lifting the cookies from the pan and placing them on a wire cooling rack to cool completely. (Image 13)
Step 10: (Optional) Melt ¼ cup of chocolate chips in the microwave on 50% power for 30 to 60 seconds. Place the melted chocolate in a pastry bag or zip-top bag. Cut the corner of the bag off and drizzle the cookies with the melted chocolate. (Image 14)
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions
Make-Ahead: You can mix up the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Storing: Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen cookies to an airtight container or zip-top bag. Label with the date and contents.
Thaw frozen cookies overnight on the counter.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, either will work. Cookies baked with active sourdough starter may be a tiny bit puffier.
You don't have to brown the butter. Browning the butter adds a delicious nutty flavor and removes some of the water content in the butter. If you don't brown the butter, you may need to add a little more flour to the dough.
If you are baking the cookie dough in a pan, you do not need to chill it before baking. If you are planning to make slice and bake shortbread cookies, then you will need to chill the dough for at least four hours.
Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than the cup measurements. In baking accuracy matters. If you don't have one this is my favorite kitchen scale, because the display pulls out making it easy to see even if you are using a large bowl.
- Baking times for all recipes are only suggestions. The actual baking time will vary depending on your oven. It is helpful to know your oven and worth purchasing an inexpensive oven thermometer. Oven temperatures can vary as much as 50 degrees plus or minus.
- Remove the sourdough shortbread cookies from the oven when they just start to color you want the cookies to still be pale not golden brown.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Sourdough Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter browned and cooled
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Slice the 1 cup unsalted butter into pieces and melt it in a light-colored skillet over medium heat stirring or whisking constantly. Continue stirring/whisking for about 5-7 minutes, the foam will begin to subside and the melted butter will darken to a deep amber color.
- Remove the browned butter from the heat, and pour it into a bowl. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature and solidify.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Add the butter and ½ cup light or dark brown sugar to a bowl and cream together with a mixer.
- Add the ½ cup sourdough discard and 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and mix to combine. The dough will look crumbly but will come together as you press it into the pan.
- Line a 9x9 metal baking pan with a parchment paper sling to make lifting the cookies out of the pan easier. Spray the pan with a little nonstick cooking spray to hold the parchment paper in place. Pour the cookie dough into the pan.
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the dough and use a flat-bottomed glass to smooth the dough.
- Cut the dough into rectangles. I cut mine into rows of 8 by 3 creating 24 cookies and use a fork to dock each cookie.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they just start to color you want the cookies to still be pale not golden brown. Let the pan of shortbread cool for 5 minutes and then cut them again.
- Let them cool for an additional 10 minutes before lifting the cookies from the pan and placing them on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- (Optional) Melt ¼ cup of chocolate chips in the microwave on 50% power for 30 to 60 seconds. Place the melted chocolate in a pastry bag or zip-top bag. Cut the corner of the bag off and drizzle the cookies with the melted chocolate.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than the cup measurements. In baking accuracy matters.
- Baking times for all recipes are only suggestions. The actual baking time will vary depending on your oven.
- Remove the sourdough shortbread cookies from the oven when they just start to color you want the cookies to still be pale not golden brown.
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