Sourdough Lemon Bars
Tangy and sweet, sourdough lemon bars are a perfect summer snack. These delicious lemon curd bars are incredibly easy to make and are a fun treat for any occasion!
Why you will love this recipe for sourdough lemon bars
- Sourdough lemon bars are super easy to make.
- They have an amazing color.
- These lemon curd bars have the perfect balance between the sweet shortbread and the tangy lemon curd.
Ingredient notes
Flour: The crust is a shortbread, so you want as little gluten forming as possible. Less gluten means a soft, melt-in-your-mouth crust, and that’s why you want to use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
Sourdough discard: Every time you feed your starter, you’re left with sourdough discard. One of the reasons I love recipes like this is that you can use the discard to create a delicious treat! Sourdough discard doesn’t do much for the texture of the dough, but it does add a mild, tangy flavor to the short crust.
Egg: To make lemon curd, you need eggs. The eggs will help the creamy filling set and add an amazing yellow color. You will have leftover egg whites, but you can freeze them for later use or use them to make meringue!
Sugar: To make the lemon curd filling and the shortbread, you need caster sugar. To give the sourdough lemon bars an extra intense lemon flavor, you can rub the zest into the sugar.
Lemon: Always use fresh lemon juice. The flavor of fresh juice is so much better than bottled juice! Since we use both the juice and the zest, I recommend buying organic lemons when you make this recipe.
How to make sourdough lemon bars
How to make the shortbread
Always start with making the shortbread crust. I like to use a stand mixer to make the dough, but you can make it by hand.
Press the dough into the bottom of your baking dish and prebake your crust for about 20 minutes.
The lemon curd filling
This gives you the time to prepare the lemon filling! Add all the ingredients for the filling to a bowl and mix them with a whisk until you have a smooth mixture. When the shortbread crust is ready, pour it on top of the crust and bake your sourdough lemon bars for another 30 minutes until the center has set.
Let the lemon bars cool completely before cutting them into small cubes. Dust them with powdered sugar and they are ready to serve!
Our tips for this recipe
- Use a sharp knife to cut the sourdough lemon bars into perfect squares. It will also help if you run the knife through hot water after every cut!
- For the best results, use a glass or ceramic baking dish. The lemon and discard will react with metal, so I prefer using ceramics when I make lemon bars with discard.
- When making the lemon filling, it is important to heat the mixture over low heat. If the mixture gets too hot, the eggs will scramble, and you will have to start over.
- Make sure to use cold butter straight from the fridge. This will help cool the lemon filling and create a rich, creamy curd.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Make the dough and cover the bowl with plastic wrap before placing it in the fridge to bulk ferment overnight to get all the benefits of long fermenting. Let the dough come to temperature before resuming the recipe to make it easier to work with.
When you make the curd, it is crucial that the eggs don’t get too hot. There are a few ways to prevent this, such as cooking them au bain-marie. I like to make my filling on the stove top over low heat, stirring constantly until I have a smooth mixture.
To let the filling set, it is important to cook the filling long enough and add the butter. If you’re not sure, you can add a 1/2 tablespoon of corn starch to the egg mixture next time.
Storage
When stored in an airtight container, these sourdough lemon bars will remain fresh for about five days. They are also suitable for freezing, making them the perfect on-the-go snack. Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap before placing them in the freezer. When frozen, they will last for up to three months.
To thaw, simply leave them at room temperature. If you’ve added powdered sugar on top, don’t be surprised if it disappears after freezing. The sugar attracts moisture, and the sugar will melt, but you can add a fresh coating if desired.
More sourdough recipes with lemon
Sourdough lemon bars
Ingredients
For the short bread crust
- 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter 170 grams
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard 100 grams
- 1/3 cup castor sugar
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the lemon curd filling
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup granulates sugar 200 grams
- 1/4 cup sourdough discard 50 grams
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 120 ml
- 1/4 stick butter 30 grams
Instructions
How to make the shortbread crust
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C) and prepare an 8×8 baking dish.
- Add the ingredients for your shortbread crust to a bowl and mix until you have a smooth, soft dough.
- Press the dough into your prepared baking dish and bake it in the oven for about 20 minutes.
How to make the lemon filling
- While your crust is baking in the oven, you mix all the ingredients for your lemon filling with a whisk until you have a smooth mixture.
- Take the crust out of the oven and pour your lemon filling on top.
- Place the lemon bars back into the oven and bake for another 30 minutes or until the center has set.
- Let the lemon bars cool completely before cutting it into squares and dusting them with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Use a glass or ceramic 9×13-inch baking dish.
