This chicken cobbler recipe with sourdough discard is a cosy, family-style dinner with tender chicken, comforting vegetables, and a soft sourdough cobbler topping. It’s simple, hearty, and perfect for those chilly evenings when you want to gather everyone around the table.
Why You Will Love this Recipe
Based on my easy chicken stew recipe, this cobbler is both simple to make and delicious. It uses nourishing ingredients such as chicken thighs, soft veggies, bone broth and whole grains making it a comfort food that will truly satisfy.
I love to pull this out of the oven and place it in the centre of the table with all my people gathered around. It creates a wow factor that brings a smile to everyone’s faces, and that is such a joy to my Mom heart!
So, if you are looking for a dish that is hearty, nourishing and family friendly, this one is definitely for you!
Let’s get straight to the recipe!
Ingredients Needed to Make this Chicken Cobbler Recipe
Serves 6-8
For the chicken filling:
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs (cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces)
- 4 large carrots (cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp arrowroot
- 2 tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 750ml stock or bone broth
- 400g button or chestnut mushrooms, halved
For the sourdough cobbler topping:
- 300g whole grain flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 85g butter
- 1-2 tsp herbes de Provence
- 100g sourdough discard
- 100ml milk
- 1 tsp apple cidre vinegar
- Extra milk to glaze (or egg wash)
Ingredients Tips and Substitutions
Chicken
Chicken thighs are best for this recipe as the stew cooks for a long time (45 mins total). If you use chicken breast, they will dry out.
Vegetables
I like to use carrots, celery and mushrooms, but you can use other root vegetable in this recipe. My Mom used to include parsnip and swede every time. Alternatively, you could add a handful of kale or spinach.
Arrowroot
I like to use arrowroot as a thickener but you could also use cornflour (cornstarch) or plain (all purpose) flour works very well too.
Flour
I like to mill my own flour, but this recipe will work with shop bought whole wheat flour or plain (all purpose) flour.
Milk
Adding vinegar to the milk gives it a slightly curdled consistency and the flavour resembles buttermilk. If you have it, use buttermilk as an alternative, or yoghurt whey works really well. (If using buttermilk or yoghurt whey, you won’t need to heat it or add the vinegar.)
How to Make this Chicken Cobbler Recipe
Prepare the Filling:
Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet, oven proof pan or large saucepan. Add the chicken and fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is browned on all sides. Do not overcrowd the chicken – fry in batches if necessary. Do not stir too often, this may make the chicken release water.
When the chicken is browned, remove from the pan.
Reduce the heat to low, add the onions and fry for 3-5 minutes.
Add the carrots and celery and fry for a minute or so. Then add the garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
Return the chicken to the pan and coat the meat and veg with the arrowroot. Cook gently for 1 minute.
Add salt, thyme, pepper, bay leaf and stock/broth. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
While the stew is simmering, fry the mushrooms on medium high for 5 minutes with 1/2 tsp salt until they start to release their juices.
Add the fried mushrooms to the stew and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
If you didn’t use a cast iron skillet or an oven proof pan, pour the chicken filling into a baking dish.
Prepare the topping:
While the filling is simmering, prepare the topping.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through one of these links. Thank you for your support!)
Note: I like to make this recipe in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but you can also easily make it by hand.
Heat the milk until lukewarm and add the vinegar to the milk so that the milk curdles. Leave to cool.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, butter and herbs in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or by rubbing the mixture with your finger tips.
When the flour and butter mixture resembles bread crumbs add the milk mixture, sourdough discard. Mix until the dough only just comes together. Be careful not to over mix as this will make the topping tough. The dough will be quite dry, this is normal.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it is about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick. Using a round 6.5 cm (2.5 inch) cookie cutter cut the dough into rounds.
Assemble the Cobbler:
Remove the bay leaf from the filling. Arrange dough rounds on top of the hot chicken filling, brush with some extra milk or an egg wash (1 beaten egg diluted with a splash of water) and bake at 200°C fan for 20-25 mins or until the topping is golden brown.
How to Serve this Sourdough Chicken Cobbler
This cobbler would go well with a winter salad such as this endive salad with apple and walnut. If you want a more filling option, serve with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Make ahead options for Chicken Cobbler
The filling can be made ahead, refrigerated and then reheated before adding the topping and baking. It is best to add the topping to a piping hot filling. If your filling is cold, it will need to bake for longer to be sure that it is thoroughly reheated and the topping cooked through.
The topping can be made several hours ahead of time and refrigerated. This has the added benefit of fermenting the flour which makes it more digestible, especially if you are sensitive to gluten.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out in the comments!
Chicken Cobbler Recipe with Sourdough Discard
Ingredients
- For the chicken filling:
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg skinless boneless chicken thighs (cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces)
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
- 4 large carrots cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp arrowroot
- 2 tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 750 ml stock or bone broth
- 400 g button or chestnut mushrooms halved
For the sourdough cobbler topping:
- 300 g whole grain flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 85 g butter
- 1-2 tsp herbes de Provence
- 100 g sourdough discard
- 100 ml milk
- 1 tsp apple cidre vinegar
- Extra milk to glaze or egg wash
Instructions
- Prepare the Filling:
- Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet, oven proof pan or large saucepan. Add the chicken and fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is browned on all sides. Do not overcrowd the chicken – fry in batches if necessary. Do not stir too often, this may make the chicken release water.
- When the chicken is browned, remove from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the onions and fry for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and celery and fry for a minute or so. Then add the garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the pan and coat the meat and veg with the arrowroot. Cook gently for 1 minute.
- Add salt, thyme, pepper, bay leaf and stock/broth. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the stew is simmering, fry the mushrooms on medium high for 5 minutes with 1/2 tsp salt until they start to release their juices.
- Add the fried mushrooms to the stew and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
- If you didn’t use a cast iron skillet or an oven proof pan, pour the chicken filling into a baking dish.
- Prepare the topping:
- While the filling is simmering, prepare the topping.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
- Heat the milk until lukewarm and add the vinegar to the milk so that the milk curdles. Leave to cool.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, butter and herbs in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or by rubbing the mixture with your finger tips.
- When the flour and butter mixture resembles bread crumbs add the milk mixture, sourdough discard. Mix until the dough only just comes together. Be careful not to over mix as this will make the topping tough. The dough will be quite dry, this is normal.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it is about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick. Using a round 6.5 cm (2.5 inch) cookie cutter cut the dough into rounds.
- Assemble the cobbler:
- Remove the bay leaf from the filling. Arrange the dough rounds on top of the hot chicken filling, brush with some extra milk or an egg wash (1 beaten egg diluted with a splash of water) and bake at 200°C fan for 20-25 mins or until the topping is golden brown.
Leave a Reply