• Preheat your oven to 190C (375F) and line a baking sheet or cast iron skillet with parchment paper.

Prepare the Toppings

• Before you start, prepare the strawberries and whipped cream so they are ready when the sourdough shortcakes are done.

  Hull, wash and dice the strawberries. Place them in a bowl with 50g of granulated sugar. Toss to coat them in the sugar and set aside.

  Whip the cream and vanilla extract together until they form soft peaks and place in the fridge for serving.

Sourdough Biscuits

• Grate the butter with a box grater and set aside in the freezer until you're ready for it.
• Place flour, sugar, baking power, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Mix with a large spoon until well combined.
• Take your butter out of the freezer and place into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Cut the butter through the flour. It's best to do this with a dough scraper or spatula, but you can use your fingers if you prefer (but be fast as you don't want the butter to melt).
• Now tip the cream and sourdough starter into the butter and flour mix. Bring together with a rubber spatula until it's a dry dough (I start with 80g of cream and add a touch more if I need it).
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold it gently until the dough comes together better. You want to create layers in the dough to give your sourdough biscuits that lovely flaky, buttery texture.
• Gently roll the dough out to around a 2 centimetres thick (¾ inch) and press out rounds using a sharp biscuit cutter or a glass. Don't twist the dough, just press straight down.
• Place the biscuits onto a baking sheet or cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with beaten egg and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

  Place into the oven at 190C (375F) for around 25 minutes (it will vary slightly depending on your oven).
• Once the biscuits are cooked through, allow them to cool a little before splitting them and filling them with vanilla whipped cream and strawberries.