Simple Sourdough Shortbread Cookies [with 20+ flavor ideas]

Sourdough shortbread cookies are a fun way to use your sourdough discard. This sourdough shortbread has a delicate, sweet flavor with the melt-in-your-mouth texture you'd expect from good buttery shortbread cookies. Perfect little sweet treats with a cup of tea!

You can keep it simple and follow the plain sourdough shortbread recipe with 100g of sourdough discard, or you could try one of the flavor variations I've added towards the bottom of the post. However you bake these shortbread cookies, you're going to love them!

If you love making cookies with your sourdough starter, why not try these sourdough thumbprint cookies, sourdough sugar cookies, sourdough chocolate chip cookies or sourdough cowboy cookies. For more inspiring sourdough recipes, check out this collection of 70+ sourdough discard recipes for you to enjoy.

Where Did Shortbread Come From?

Shortbread biscuits (yes they are traditionally called biscuits) originated in Scotland. The first written shortbread recipe dates back to the 1700s and was written by a Mrs McLintock - however shortbread was being made and enjoyed well before the 1700s throughout Scotland and England.

It was associated with luxury and generally reserved for wedding and Christmas celebrations, as well as the Scottish celebration of Hogmanay (New Year's Eve). It was often given as a gift at Christmas - a tradition that lives on even today.

Traditional shortbread does not contain any leavening agents and has a high fat content - so no baking powder or baking soda and lots and lots of butter!

Shortbread is different to the American "shortcake" which contains a leavening agent and is generally split open and filled with fruit and cream (like strawberry shortcake).

Tips for Making The Best Sourdough Shortbread Cookies

• Use good quality ingredients - because sourdough shortbread has so few ingredients, you want to make sure the ingredients you do use are the best quality. You must use butter - there is no substitute for this in good shortbread. I love using my own homemade butter to make the shortbread biscuits extra special. Unsalted butter is best for this sourdough shortbread biscuit recipe.
  
• Cold ingredients are best - it's best if your butter is straight out of the fridge. If you can, allow your sourdough discard to chill in the fridge a little before using it too. This will help stop your dough becoming sticky.
  
• Don't over mix the dough - when mixing the shortbread dough, you want it to just come together. Try not to over mix the dough as you'll be able to bring it together more when you shape it into logs on the counter.
  
• Don't over bake the sourdough shortbread - Remove it from the oven when it is just starting to color (it will go brown very quickly from this stage). This is one recipe where you don't really want "golden brown" - pale is good! Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet and they will crisp up. Once cool, remove them from the baking sheet to an airtight container.

How To Make Sourdough Shortbread Cookies

Making sourdough shortbread cookies is super easy - it's just a case of bringing the dough together. I think the hardest part is waiting for it ferment a little in the fridge ... and waiting for them to set when they come out of the oven. But as sourdough bakers, we have oodles of patience, right?

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor, bowl of a stand mixer or Thermomix. Pulse until the butter is cut in and it forms a rough dough. If using a stand mixer, use a low speed so as not to over mix the dough. You can mix this by hand (I've added notes in the recipe card for this).
   
2. Tip the dough onto a clean surface and use your hands to form a log. Roll the log up in a piece of parchment paper and place in the fridge.
   The shortbread dough can ferment in the fridge for up to 2 days with no problems. You can also put it in the freezer at this point (see notes).
   
3. Once the shortbread log has been in the fridge for 2 hours, preheat your oven to 160C and take the log out.
   
4. Slice the shortbread dough into slices around 1cm thick (around ½ inch). Place onto a cookie sheet lined with a sheet of parchment paper.
   
5. Bake in oven at 160C (NOT fan forced) for around 25 minutes or until the shortbread is just starting to color (you want it to stay quite pale). They will still be soft when you take them out of the oven because of the high butter content.
   
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray before transferring to a cookie tin or glass jar to store.

How To Ferment Sourdough Shortbread Cookie Dough

The great thing about sourdough shortbread cookies is that you can actually ferment the dough for up to 2 days in the fridge (similar to how you treat this sourdough gingerbread cookie dough).

I recommend leaving the dough in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to firm up before slicing and baking, however you can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days with no problems. This will allow the dough to be fermented by the sourdough starter (discard). It will be more sour if you leave it in the fridge for the full 2 days, so you just need to be aware of that. This is offset by the fact that fermented sourdough shortbread cookies will allow for easier digestion. 

Shaping Sourdough Shortbread Cookies

In this recipe, I have detailed how to shape your sourdough shortbread by forming the dough into logs, refrigerating and then slicing into rounds. This dough is really easy to work with and if you want to do something a little different, you can try some of these methods for making pretty shortbread cookies:

• the dough can be pressed into traditional shortbread molds before being placed in the refrigerator and then baked. This is a more traditional way to bake sourdough cookies. You could use a square shortbread mold like this one or a round one like this.
  
• for heart shaped shortbread, roll the dough out on a piece of parchment paper with a rolling pin as soon as it is mixed. Place this into the fridge (as you would the log of dough). Once firm, remove from the fridge and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to create hearts. Alternatively, you could use a heart-shaped shortbread mold like this one.
  
• to make traditional petticoat tails you can put press your shortbread dough into a 10" fluted pan with a removable bottom and score into wedges.

20+ Flavor Variations for Sourdough Shortbread Cookies

There are just so many ways you can elevate this recipe by adding flavors. Add the flavored ingredients to the bowl of your mixer before mixing the dough so that you don't overwork the dough by adding it later. There's just so much you can do with humble shortbread!

Here are a few ideas for adding different flavors to your sourdough shortbread. I'd love to know which one is your favorite?

1. Caraway Seeds - add up to 2 teaspoon of caraway seeds to the dough. This is a traditional flavor which was often shaped into petticoat tails in years gone by.
   
2. Lemon Zest - Add a refreshing twist by incorporating finely grated lemon zest into the dough. You can also sprinkle with lemon zest before baking the shortbread.
   
3. Almond - Enhance the nutty profile by incorporating finely ground almonds or almond extract. I add up to 120g of ground almonds to the dough and 2 teaspoon of almond extract. This flavor shortbread works really well dipped in milk or dark chocolate when cooled.
   
4. Chocolate Chip - Mix in 100g of mini chocolate chips for a delightful chocolatey surprise in every bite.
   
5. Lavender - Infuse the dough with dried culinary lavender for a floral and fragrant twist. Just be careful not to go overboard with lavender as it can leave your sourdough shortbread biscuits tasting soapy.
   
6. Earl Grey Tea - Blend in finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves for a subtly aromatic and sophisticated flavor.
   
7. Orange Cranberry - Fold in dried cranberries and orange zest for a zesty and tangy combination.
   
8. Coconut - Mix in shredded coconut to impart a tropical and slightly sweet flavor. Sweetened coconut flakes are a great option for this flavor variation.
   
9. Cinnamon Sugar - Roll the shortbread dough in a cinnamon-sugar mixture before baking for a warm and comforting treat. These are similar to a sourdough snickerdoodle once baked.
   
10. Espresso - Incorporate finely ground espresso or coffee powder for a rich and slightly bitter kick.
    
11. Cardamom - Add a touch of warmth and spice with ground cardamom. Just don't add more than a tablespoon of ground cardamom to your dough.
    
12. Pistachio Rose - Crushed pistachios and a hint of rosewater create an elegant and subtly floral shortbread.
    
13. Maple Pecan - Drizzle the dough with maple syrup and sprinkle chopped pecans for a cozy and indulgent flavor combination.
    
14. Ginger - Incorporate finely grated fresh ginger or ground ginger for a spicy and aromatic kick.
    
15. Matcha Green Tea - Blend in matcha green tea powder for a vibrant, earthy, and slightly bitter flavor.
    
16. Raspberry Almond - Press a fresh raspberry into each shortbread round and sprinkle with slivered almonds for a fruity and nutty delight.
    
17. Salted Caramel - Drizzle the baked shortbread with homemade or store-bought salted caramel sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt flakes for a sweet and savory twist.
    
18. Chai Spice - Combine warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg for a fragrant and cozy flavor profile. Alternatively, add a few teaspoons of store bought chai spice powder.
    
19. Rosemary Sea Salt - Finely chop fresh rosemary and sprinkle the dough with a pinch of sea salt for a savory and aromatic combination. This flavor combination works really well with this sourdough shortbread.
    
20. Chocolate-Dipped - Dip one end of the baked shortbread into melted chocolate and let it set for a decadent and luxurious treat.

Other Ways To Enjoy Sourdough Shortbread

​These sourdough shortbread are perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee or give as gifts ... but if you want a few different ways to enjoy them, here are some of the ways my kids and I love to eat them.

crumble a few sourdough shortbread cookies over 2 scoops of good quality vanilla ice cream and top with hot fudge sauce or chocolate topping for a decadent dessert treat! 

• If you make slightly larger shortbread cookies, you can use them for a spin off of strawberry shortcake - top one biscuit with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, top with another biscuit and more whipped cream and strawberries - it's soooo good!!!!! Dust with icing sugar or grated chocolate for extra sweetness.
  
• Use the sourdough shortbread dough for the base of slices - like caramel slice. It gives a perfectly crumbly yet melt in your mouth shortbread base for slices - yum!

Frequently Asked Questions

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