Name: Sourdough Peach Cobbler
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 6-8 Peaches ((around 750g of peaches once deseeded and sliced)); 40 g Brown Sugar ((light or dark can be used)); 25 g White Sugar; 30 g All Purpose Flour; 1 Lemon ((juice only)); 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 150 g All Purpose Flour; 150 g Sourdough Starter ((or sourdough discard)); 5 g Salt; 50 g White Sugar; 10 g Baking Powder; 120 g Milk ((any milk is fine, I've used whole milk)); 75 g Butter ((melted - salted or unsalted is fine)); 25 g Granulated Sugar ((for crunchy topping))

This simple sourdough peach cobbler is quick to make and absolutely delicious to share! Juicy peaches topped with a crunchy sourdough topping and then topped with vanilla ice cream. This is a true family favorite!

If you love creating easy, shareable sourdough desserts, you might also enjoy this sourdough apple crisp or sourdough berry cobbler. They are all favorites here!

A black baking dish filled with sourdough peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream. There is a vintage spoon that has taken a scoop out of the dish so you can see the juicy peaches underneath.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Quick & Easy Sourdough Dessert - this recipe is so easy, with minimal dishes and clean up (and as a busy mom, that is a winner) - and the results are a true family favorite! Easy as pie? Nah, easy as sourdough cobbler baby!

No Peeling - while some recipes have you peel the peaches, there's no peeling required here! Once they're cooked, you can't even notice the peach skins (even my kids approve of this one).

Use 150g of sourdough starter or discard - you can use whatever you have on hand for this recipe - starter or discard! Versatility is key in my home!

A light blue bowl containing a generous scoop of sourdough peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream. You can see the rest of the sourdough peach cobbler sitting in the background of the photo.

Ingredients

Peaches - ripe, juicy peaches are best for this recipe. I've chosen not to peel the peaches because it's just extra work (and my family don't mind the skins). I don't recommend using canned peaches for this recipe as they will cook down to mush during the baking time. But seriously, just try it without peeling the peaches, you might just be pleasantly surprised!
Sugar - you'll need white and brown sugar to create this recipe, as well as some granulated sugar for the topping.
All Purpose Flour - A little all purpose flour is used to thicken the peach filling, as well as create the crunchy cobbler topping.
Lemon Juice - the juice of a lemon is used to add some zing to the peach filling, as well as help thicken the juices into a delicious sauce.
Cinnamon - this is optional for the filling, but I think you'll love it! You can of course leave it out if you prefer.
Sourdough Starter - you can choose to use sourdough starter or sourdough discard for this recipe - it's totally up to you. The sourdough element of this recipe is used to create depth of flavor, rather than leavening (that's what the baking powder is for).
Butter - the butter in this sourdough peach cobbler recipe isn't added to the batter, but rather poured over the top! Again, trust me on this one! You can use salted or unsalted butter, it's really up to you.
Baking Powder - the baking powder provides the leavening component for the cobbler topping in this recipe.
Salt - just a pinch!
Milk - I've just used whole milk. You can use buttermilk as an alternative if you prefer (especially if you make your own butter and have extra in the fridge).

How To Make Sourdough Peach Cobbler

You are going to love how easy this sourdough peach cobbler is to throw together. One of the best things about this sourdough dessert recipe is that you can mix the peach filling in the baking dish, reducing the need for extra dishes! This is one of the reasons I love making this recipe so much! I don't need extra dishes to wash around here.

Prepare the Peach Filling

Slice all of the peaches and place them in a medium sized baking dish. I've used a 2Q or 1.9L. I have not peeled my peaches because my family don't mind the skin - if yours do, then you can peel them. But just try it leaving the skin on - it saves so much time and effort and really does make this a simple sourdough dessert!

A bowl of clingstone peaches that have been chopped into slices. — I've used clingstone peaches so the flesh is a red/yellow color and can appear to be "stained" inside. The only problem with this is you have to chop the stones out but they are so sweet and perfect for desserts. You can use any variety of peaches though, I've just used what I had on hand.

On top of the sliced peaches, add the brown sugar, white sugar, all purpose flour, lemon juice and ground cinnamon. Use your hands or a spoon to mix all of this through the peaches so that they are well coated.

Set this aside while you prepare the topping.

A black baking dish filled with chopped peaches coated in brown sugar and lemon juice.

Sourdough Cobbler Topping

In a small mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, sourdough starter (or discard), salt, sugar, baking powder and milk. Stir until it forms a light and airy batter.

A cream colored mixing bowl filled with a sponge cobbler batter being mixed with a white rubber spatula. You can see a peak of the peach cobbler filling in the background of the photo.

Spoon or pour the sourdough cobbler topping onto the peaches and spread so it mostly covers them. It's ok to have some of the peaches peaking through.

Sprinkle the batter with granulated sugar and then pour over the melted butter.

A black casserole dish filled with peach cobbler topped with a sourdough sponge batter that has butter poured over it.

Place the sourdough peach cobbler into the oven and bake at 200C (390F) for around 35 to 40 minutes. You'll know it's done when the topping is golden brown and you can see the peach filling bubbling away underneath.

A sourdough peach cobbler that has just been taken out of the oven and set to cool.

Remove from the oven and allow the sourdough cobbler to sit for around 10 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to thicken before serving. You can let it sit for longer if you prefer.

Why Pour Butter Over The Top

It seems unconventional to pour the butter over the top of the cobbler, but trust me, it works! I have tested this recipe many times (it's based on my sourdough apple cobbler recipe) and have added the butter to the batter and poured it over the top. By pouring the butter over the top, it seeps into the cake batter but also muddles with the peaches, making them next level delicious.

And I'll be honest - this discovery was a happy accident! When testing the original recipe, I forgot to add the butter to the batter (it was school holidays and kids the kids were running wild) and so I just poured it over the top and baked it to see what would happen. Oh my word, it's better when you forget the butter!

So I tested it again and again, and it works! I hope you love it as much as my family does!

Fermented Sourdough Cobbler Topping

If you want to make this sourdough peach cobbler with a topping that has been fermented, you can make the topping the night before you want to bake it and store it in the fridge.

I recommend adding the all purpose flour, sourdough starter, sugar and milk and mixing together in a bowl and placing in the fridge until you need it. Add the baking powder and salt just before you want to bake the sourdough peach cobbler.

Creating a fermented cobbler will give you a much stronger flavored dessert, especially if you are making it with discard and then fermenting it overnight.

A horizontal image of a sourdough peach cobbler that has just been removed from the oven and topped with vanilla icecream.

How To Store + Freeze

This is a quick and easy dessert that I recommend making and baking when you need it (unless you're fermenting the topping of course). But it's not a dessert that I recommend baking ahead.

The crunchy topping is just incredible and once it's been stored in the fridge, you'll lose the delicious crispness.

This is not suitable for freezing.