Step 1: Preheat and melt the butter.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the butter in your baking dish and pop it in the oven while it preheats. The butter will melt as the oven warms up, creating a rich, golden base for your cobbler. Just don’t forget to check it—you don’t want browned butter here (although, if you accidentally do, it’s not a bad thing!).

Step 2: Prep the strawberries.
While the oven does its thing, hull and halve your strawberries, then toss them in a bowl with the sugar. The sugar helps the strawberries release their juices, so you’ll end up with a syrupy mixture that’s perfect for baking. Let this sit while you prepare the batter.

Step 3: Make the cobbler batter.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until smooth. The batter should be slightly thick but pourable—think pancake batter consistency.

Step 4: Layer it all together.
Once the butter has melted, carefully remove the dish from the oven. Pour the sugared strawberries over the melted butter, spreading them out evenly. Then, pour the cobbler batter over the top. Here’s the trick: don’t stir! The magic of cobbler lies in the layers staying distinct during baking.

Step 5: Bake to golden perfection.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and set. Your kitchen will smell incredible by this point, and the sight of the bubbling fruit beneath the golden crust is pure joy. Let the cobbler cool for about 3 minutes before serving.