End of Summer and Sourdough Peach Cobbler
hard to believe that summer is coming to an end...but nothing says the end of summer like Sourdough Peach Cobbler
Okay so technically summer doesn’t officially end until September 22nd this year, buuuuuut, now that I have a daughter in school (1st grade this year!), summer feels like it comes to an end when she goes back to school - which is THIS coming Monday!
I can’t believe the dreadful hot summer days are almost over, and as I reflect back on the last few months, I feel like I was tested a lot this summer - it was the first summer having my small-batch cottage bakery business, and things quickly went from nonstop chaos in the fall, to almost a complete halt over the summer. I mean things were so slooooow over the summer. To a point where I began questioning if I had made the right decision by leaving my full-time job working at the veterinary clinic to focus on my business. I was barely selling any bread each week and no one was signing up for my Sourdough Classes.
But I was reminded daily by friends and family to “give it more time,” “it’s your first year, and it’s also summer when things are slow. It will pick up.” So I made sure to keep track of my profit vs. losses each month so that next year I can be better prepared for the slow summer months.
Give yourself permission to pause - this was the perfect quote to define my summer. I really had to not only take a step back and pause, but also be okay with doing it. I feel like the universe gave me this pause for a reason.
And sure enough, the last few weeks, my business has started picking up again - thanks to y’all! My bread orders are flowing in and I have several people signing up for upcoming classes! So I’m hopeful for another successful fall and winter.
Although summer had its challenging moments, it was also full of some incredible ones. The most memorable being our family trip to West Virginia where we spent a lot of time unplugged in the great outdoors.
We spent the week hiking, glamping, and rafting. One of my favorite parts about the trip was that we had very little internet access and zero television. It’s always so eye opening to be without technology - it makes you realize how much we depend on it and how fabulous it is to be without it!
Speaking of technology…our West Virginia trip didn’t end well as we got stranded in Charleston for two extra days due to the Global Tech Outage, but we made the best of it and created more memories (some great, and perhaps some not so great :)). Life has a funny way of testing us when we need to be tested the most.
How was your summer? Did you do anything fun? I’d love to hear all about it! Okay, maybe not ALL, but at least the best parts. :)
With summer coming to an end, I thought it would be fun to start a Seasonal Sourdough Recipe Series! Each week I will share with y’all my current favorite sourdough recipe, using produce that’s currently in season.
I’ve talked about why it’s important to eat seasonally in my most recent article, and right now, peaches are in season! So, of course, while I was at Costco getting flour, I also bought 4 pounds of peaches (along with $150.00 worth of other “stuff,” because that’s what one does at Costco). Don’t get me wrong, my family loves peaches, but I’m not sure we love them enough to eat four pounds before they expire.
Well thank goodness we didn’t end up eating them all, because this Sourdough Peach Cobbler was to die for! Fruity, flavorful and the perfect way to end the summer, use up some ripe peaches and some sourdough discard.
So many wins with this recipe!
SOURDOUGH PEACH COBBLER
INGREDIENTS
5-6 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced* (about 1.5 lb)
¼ cup sugar - I used coconut sugar, but use what granulated or cane work too
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cornstarch
SOURDOUGH TOPPING
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup coconut (or granulated) sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup active sourdough starter, or discard
6 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled
TOPPING
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425ºF and grease an 8X8 baking dish.
Prepare your peaches by peeling, removing the pit and slicing them. (*See note for a simple tip on peeling your peaches).
Add the peaches to a large bowl, along with ¼ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of packed light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Stir to combine.
Dump the peach filling into the prepared baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the same bowl, add the sourdough topping ingredients - the flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, sourdough starter (or discard) and baking powder to a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine.
Add the melted butter and stir well to combine. The consistency might seem a bit odd, but it’s normal!
Remove the peaches from the oven, and using a spoon, scoop large portions of sourdough topping all over the top of the peaches. Use a spoon or spatula to smooth the topping all over the surface as much as possible.
Combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly on the sides.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream of course!
NOTES:
Adapted from: Fresh Southern Peach Cobbler - Allrecipes
Peeling your peaches - Start by cutting an X on the bottom of the peaches. Bring a pot of water to a boil and dip whole, unpeeled peaches into the water for about 30 seconds each. Then immediately plunge the peaches into ice water. After about 10 seconds, remove the peaches from the water and use a paring knife or your finger to peel the skin away — it should practically peel itself! It’s like magic. I just learned this trick!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think!
Coming up this week: 8 Reasons Why Everyone Should be Eating Sourdough Bread + How to Make a Sourdough Starter
Must be a PAID Subscriber for this one, so don’t miss it!