Step 1

Brown Butter: Place 140 grams of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Let the butter melt and cook. Check back frequently. After a few minutes, the butter will brown, leaving little brown bits in the pan. Pull the brown butter off the heat (don't let the brown bits turn black–you don't want burned butter). Let cool to room temperature.

Step 2

To the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the cooled brown butter and the powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the sourdough discard, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until fully combined.

Step 3

Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix until the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.

Step 4

Dump the dough out of the bowl onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a rectangular log and roll so the plastic wrap is covering the entire log. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or longer, until the dough is chilled completely and firm.

Step 5

When you're ready to bake the shortbread, pre-heat the oven to 350 ºF and prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 6

Use a sharp knife to slice 1/2 inch pieces of shortbread from the log and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. Poke small holes using a fork or skewer to decorate the shortbread if desired.

Step 7

Bake for 10 minutes and let cool completely. Enjoy!