Sourdough Apricot Cobbler Easy and Delicious

By David TisueBaking, Desserts, Entertaining, Picnic
title Sourdough Apricot Cobbler

Sourdough Apricot Cobbler is so easy and quick to make if you have an active sourdough starter. It is the perfect thing to use up some sourdough discard if you are feeding your sourdough starter. Continuing on my series of sourdough recipes, I made this sourdough apricot cobbler. This cobbler comes together very quickly and needs no resting time, so it can be made anytime you have an active starter around.

Sourdough Apricot Cobbler on table

I love apricots, every time I make something with this beautiful golden fruit, I think of my childhood. My hometown of Los Altos California was built on a former apricot orchard. Silicon Valley used to be known as the fruit basket of the world.  Long Before the computer companies took over the Santa Clara Valley just south of San Francisco, there were more fruit trees than people. My childhood home had 10 apricot trees, and we would harvest them sometime around the July 4th holiday and dry them on our roof. For more on that story, check out my earlier post on apricots here.

cobbler on a plate

I have wanted to do a sourdough cobbler for a bit and ran across some beautiful and very fragrant apricots at my local grocery store. And voila! I made this absolutely fantastic sourdough apricot cobbler. This is really a very easy cobbler to make. Apricots do not require peeling, so the filling comes together in mere minutes, and even the topping is quick and easy. The key here is to not overwork the topping you want to just barely work the dough. You should have pea-sized chunks of butter or even a bit larger is totally fine. The chunks melting during baking are what make this topping nice and flakey. The sourdough gives this cobbler just a bit of tang, and the acid in the starter helps the baking powder rise.

Sourdough Apricot Cobbler cut on table

This cobbler is such a fantastic treat served warm with some ice cream melting over the slightly tart filling. Or you can whip some whipping cream and pile it on. It is also fantastic brought to a picnic. You could serve it with some heavy cream poured over it to cut the tartness.

cobler on a plate with ice cream

I used this absolutely beautiful teal iron baking dish that is one of my favorite casserole dishes. (I get a small commission, at no cost to you if you use this link) However, you don’t have to always use a 13 by 9 baking dish. Any 2-3 inch baking dish round or square that holds about 15 cups will work beautifully. Let me know in the comment if you make this fantastic cobbler.

cobbler side shot

Sourdough Apricot Cobbler on plate
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Sourdough Apricot Cobbler
Sourdough Apricot Cobbler; juicy apricot filling bubbling beneath an easy and delicious golden sourdough biscuit topping. Quick to make for a special treat.
Ingredients
For the filling
  • 8 cups pitted and sliced fresh apricots about 3 ½ lbs
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
For the topping
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup active sourdough starter
  • 1 cup cream cold
  • 12 tablespoons cold butter cut into ¼ inch slices 1 and ½ sticks
  • Extra sugar or coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven top 375°
  2. Butter or spray with cooking spray a 13 x 9 baking dish (or equivalent baking dish that holds 15 cups)
To make the filling.
  1. In a large bowl, combine the apricots, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Stir well to combine.
  2. Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish and spread it out to cover the bottom evenly.
To make the topping.
  1. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and the salt in a mixing bowl. You may need to work the brown sugar into the flour a bit to get all the lumps out.
  2. Using a pastry blender or a knife and fork, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. You want to still have pea-sized chunks of butter, do not overwork it, and err on the bigger lumps.
  3. In a measuring cup, stir together the cream and the sourdough starter.
  4. Quickly and gently, barely mix in the sourdough starter mixture into the butter/flour. Do not over mix. You will mix it in a bit more when you knead and roll it out.
  5. Scrape out the mixed barley dough onto a clean work surface.
  6. Knead the dough briefly, trying not to work the dough very much. But knead until it comes together. Use a gentle hand.
  7. Roll or pat the dough out to ¾ inch thickness.
  8. Cut with a 3-inch round cutter or a glass into as many circles as possible. Gather together and repeat out and cut until you have no more dough. Be gentle and try not to work the dough very much. Rough is fine.
  9. Arrange the cut circles just barely touching on top of the apricot topping.
  10. Sprinkle generously more sugar, or coarse sugar if you have it, over the top of the sourdough topping.
  11. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling nicely.
Recipe Notes

This cobbler is fantastic served warm with some vanilla ice cream or some lightly sweetened whipped cream.

pintrest Sourdough Apricot Cobblerpintrest shot of Sourdough Apricot Cobblerclose up of icecream meltingoverhead Sourdough Apricot Cobbler

7 thoughts on “Sourdough Apricot Cobbler Easy and Delicious”

  1. This sounds wonderful and if I can find some good Apricots will try. However my question is about the Cheddar Sourdough Bread. You say to use the sourdough boule recipe but the link is not working so I wasn’t sure if it is the 80% Hydration recipe or the Basic Rustic Sourdough Recipe. Would you please clarify for me as my husband is a cheese bread fanatic and I am a sourdough lover so this sounds so up our alley. Thanks!

    1. HI there! Strange the link is not working. I’ll look into that. If you search for cheddar cheese on my site it is the first thing that shows up. I used about 3/4 lb of cheddar cheese devided with half going into the dough at the last fold before the rise and 1/2 sprinkled onto the slashed opening of the baking bread half way through the baking process when I take off the lid. I hope this helps. Oh! and I used a reallty good cheddar like sweet red cheddar from Whole foods. It makes a difference.

  2. I found the cheddar recipe but inside the recipe you state where to find the sourdough recipe to use and that link isn’t working. I’m not sure if you meant the 80% Hydration Sourdough or your Basic Rustic Sourdough aa they are different flours I wanted to make sure I use the correct one.

    1. Ah got it! I would use the basic Rustic for this version as it is just a bit firmer and will hold up to all the cheese. Thanks for pointing it out!

  3. Thanks so much. One more day a feeding my starter and I should be good to go to make a loaf. Forgot to feed it yesterday so needs another good couple feedings.

  4. The cheddar sourdough loaves turned out wonderful. Best sourdough loaves I’ve made. I’ve only actually baked one and it was great so I know the next one will be even better as it will have been in fridge even longer. Husband was really impressed. Thanks so much for the help and recipe

    1. I’m so glad I could help, and excited the bread turned out fantastic. I’m always willing to help. wahoo!!!!!

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