Strawberry Shortcake

Shortcake:

• •2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• •1.5 tsp baking powder
• •¼ tsp baking soda
• •½ cup (100g) granulated sugar (may be a lot — adjust to taste)
• •0.4 tsp salt (the original says 1.5 tsp — way too much)
• •½ cup (113g) cold unsalted butter
• •1 cup sour cream
• •Zest + juice of ~0.8 of a medium lemon (not 0.5 — use a bit more, but middle sized)

Strawberries:

• •680g (1.5 lb) strawberries — must be sweet, not sour (the lemon in the dough gives enough sourness)
• •1 tsp granulated sugar (for macerating)

Whipped cream:

• •2 cups heavy cream (30%+), cold — do not leave at room temp more than 15 min before whipping
• •Sugar to taste (not too much)
• •0.8 tsp vanilla extract (not a full teaspoon)

Strawberries:

1. Slice the strawberries and toss with 1 tsp sugar. Set aside to macerate — they need to be sweet, not sour. The sourness will come from the lemon zest in the dough. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).

Shortcake:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt (use only 0.4 tsp salt — 1.5 tsp is way too much). Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture and toss to coat. Add sour cream and lemon zest + juice from about 0.8 of a medium lemon. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. TIP: use a sieve when adding the flour so it incorporates as smoothly as possible. Turn onto a floured surface and gently bring together — punch / fold the dough 2 times to build layers and create air pockets. Pat to about 2.5 cm (1") thick and cut into rounds. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake 15–20 minutes until golden.

Whipped cream:

1. Whip the heavy cream alone at high speed — do not add sour cream to it. Once whipped, add sugar (not too much) and 0.8 tsp vanilla extract — add these after whipping, not before. Do not let the cream sit at room temperature for more than 15 minutes before whipping. Split the warm shortcakes, spoon over the macerated strawberries, and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Photos from the process.