Buttery, spiced shortbread with a dollop of jam in the center, these Sourdough Jam Thumbprints will be the star of your cookie box. Sourdough discard adds a delicious tangy flavor that balances the buttery flavor of shortbread. This easy recipe comes together in 30 minutes.
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Mimi is back with another delicious cookie for the holidays! This is the third cookie in our collection of recipes. These cookies are made up of a spiced shortbread cookie with a dollop of jam in the center, balancing their rich buttery flavor. One of the best parts of our collaboration is the opportunity to test and refine each recipe before sharing it!
Check out our other cookie recipes, Sourdough Cranberry Biscotti, Sourdough Molasses Cookies and Sourdough Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.
Why I love this recipe
- Buttery shortbread cookies with a tangy sourdough flavor.
- Delicious with homemade or store-bought jam.
- Great way to use excess sourdough discard.
- Ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients and Substitutions
All-purpose flour: The low protein content of all-purpose flour imparts a plush texture to these pumpkin dinner rolls. You can substitute bread flour in a pinch but do not use whole wheat flour. Need help figuring out which flour to use in your recipes? Check out my post on, The Best Flour for Sourdough.
Sourdough discard: Both active starter and sourdough discard work for this recipe. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, add 56 grams flour and 56 grams water to your dough.
Jam: Your favorite store-bought jam or homemade will work for this recipe. I used my homemade Cranberry Jam to test this recipe, but it would be delicious with homemade Blueberry Preserves or Raspberry Preserves.
Salted butter: Mimi developed this recipe using salted butter, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt to the recipe if you use unsalted butter.
See recipe card for detailed ingredient information.
Baking with Sourdough Discard
Sourdough discard is any portion of your sourdough starter not used to make bread. Instead of throwing it away, you can store it long-term or make other sourdough discard recipes like Sourdough Sugar Cookies, Sourdough Pie Crust, and Sourdough Discard Apple Fritters.
The addition of sourdough discard contributes a rich and nuanced flavor to these pumpkin dinner rolls. Since the sourdough starter is used solely for flavor enhancement, there's no need to activate or feed it and you can use it directly from the refrigerator.
How to Make Sourdough Jam Thumbprints
STEP 1: Make the dough
Cream the butter, vanilla and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix the remaining ingredients into the creamed butter, expect the dough to be crumbly.
Tip
Creaming butter is key to achieving the ideal texture in these cookies. To properly emulsify the butter and sugar, blend them for 3 minutes. Tessa from Handle the Heat did bakers a favor by testing the optimal creaming time, discovering that 3 minutes is just right for incorporating enough air into the mixture to achieve a light, tender texture in baked goods.
STEP 2: Portion out the dough
Divide the dough into 30 portions. Roll each cookie dough ball into the turbinado sugar. Arrange the cookies on two large baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Tip
The dough will be very crumbly, this is what gives shortbread its delicious texture. Don’t be tempted to add more liquid to the dough since this will make it spread and flatten as it bakes. Be patient when rolling the dough into balls.
STEP 3: Bake
Form a well into the center of the cookie dough using your thumb or knuckle. Spoon 1 tablespoon of jam into the well. Bake the cookies at 350 F for 19 to 22 minutes.
Baker’s Tips
- Weigh your ingredients. Measuring by weight is much more accurate than by volume (with tablespoons and cups).
- Both sourdough discard and active sourdough starter will work for this recipe.
- This recipe was developed using salted butter, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt to your cookie dough if you choose to use unsalted butter.
- If you use any of my homemade preserves recipes, be sure to strain them first.
Recipe FAQs
Sourdough discard is any portion of your starter removed during the feeding process or any part not used to leaven sourdough bread. You can use it in other bakes and dishes or store it in the refrigerator.
The crumbly texture of the dough is what gives shortbread its delicious texture. Apply a lot of pressure to compress the dough into balls.
Absolutely! Feel free to use your favorite store-bought jam or jelly for this recipe. If you opt for preserves, be sure to strain them first.
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Sourdough Jam Thumbprints
Equipment
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Ingredients
Dough
- 226 grams salted butter softened, add ¼ teaspoon if using unsalted
- 170 grams cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 57 grams sourdough discard
- 383 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Topping
- 65 grams Turbinado sugar
Filling
- 170 grams Homemade Cranberry Jam strained
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined and butter is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.226 grams salted butter, 170 grams cane sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Make the dough: Add the sourdough discard and dry ingredients. Mix together until combined into a smooth dough, it will be a little crumbly.57 grams sourdough discard, 383 grams all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Add the Turbinado sugar to a small bowl.65 grams Turbinado sugar
- Shape the dough: Using your hands, form the dough into 30 balls and roll in the turbinado sugar.
- Place the dough on the prepared cookie sheets (15 per sheet, 3 x 5) and press your thumb into the center to create an indent. Fill with jam.170 grams Homemade Cranberry Jam
- Bake: Bake for 19 to 22 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets.
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients. Measuring by weight is much more accurate than by volume (with tablespoons and cups)
- Both sourdough discard and active sourdough starter will work for this recipe.
- This recipe was developed using salted butter, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt to your cookie dough if you choose to use unsalted butter.
- If you use any of my homemade preserves recipes, be sure to strain them first.
- High altitude, bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition info provided are estimates.
Marcy
very easy for a multiple step recipe. Very tasty with good texture.
Hannah Dela Cruz
So happy you loved them!