Sourdough Discard Rosemary and Parmesan Shortbread

These sourdough discard rosemary and Parmesan shortbread biscuits are buttery, savory, and full of rich cheese and herb flavor. Made with simple ingredients and a slice-and-bake dough, they’re perfect for cheeseboards, entertaining, or serving with a cold drink. The sourdough discard adds subtle depth while keeping the texture tender and crumbly.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine English

Keyword Sourdough Discard

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Total Time 45

Servings cookies

Calories 59kcal

Author Kate Freebairn

Equipment

Pizza Peel

Ingredients

250 g All-purpose flour
185 g Cold butter (cubed)
150 g Parmesan Cheese
100 g Sourdough Discard (or active sourdough starter)
7 g Rosemary (chopped, fresh - approx. 2 tablespoons)
5 g Salt

Instructions

Add the flour, butter, Parmesan, sourdough discard, rosemary, and salt to a food processor or Thermomix.
Pulse the food processor until the butter is cut in and the mixture forms a rough dough. At first it will seem very dry, but as you continue, you’ll see the dough clumping together. Stop mixing as soon as all the flour is incorporated into the dough.
Tip the dough onto your work surface and form it into a long log. Roll the log up in parchment paper and stick it in the refrigerator for at least two hours, and up to 2 days if you would like a stronger fermented flavor. You can also freeze it at this point.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Take your shortbread log out of the refrigerator and use a sharp knife to slice it into rounds about ½ cm / ¼ inch thick.
Lay the biscuits out on a sheet of parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet and bake for about 18 minutes. I like when the Parmesan is just starting to turn golden-brown, but the shortbread is still fairly pale. If you want yours fairly pale, start checking the oven at about 15 minutes. If you sliced your shortbreads quite thick or you want a crunchier cracker with more toasted flavors, bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray before transferring to a cookie tin or glass jar to store. They will still be pretty soft when you take them out due to the high butter content.

Notes

Don’t overmix the dough or the shortbread can end up chewy instead of crumbly. You want the dough to just come together in the food processor. It will come together even more as you shape it on the counter.
Cold butter and sourdough discard are easiest to work with, so pop your discard in the fridge for a little while if you can. I love it when I don’t need to wait for butter to soften!

Nutrition