Sourdough Biscuits
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Use up your “discarded” starter in these EPIC biscuits! With that sourdough tang, these biscuits are so flaky, so buttery + so so good.
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reasons to make sourdough biscuits
- Easy, simple recipe for beginners and home bakers
- Moist and tender on the inside
- Crispy and flaky on the outside
- Has just the right amount of tang
- Great way to use up extra sourdough starter
- Perfect for breakfast, sandwiches or a side dish for stews and soups
what is sourdough discard
Sourdough discard is the excess portion of the sourdough starter that is being removed and thrown away before feeding the starter. Sourdough starter is the active portion, combining flour and water, and allowing it to ferment. The starter is fed regularly to keep it healthy and is used to make sourdough bread.
sourdough starter or discard, which to use
Discard! Just starting your sourdough journey, feeding it regularly and not knowing what to do with all the excess starter? No need to throw it in the trash. It’s time to make sourdough biscuits, perfect for breakfast with scrambled eggs and bacon or go purist-style and split them open, serving with butter, fruit jam or honey.
tips and tricks for success
- Start with frozen butter. Using frozen butter is ideal, contributing to a better rise and flakier biscuits. If using warm butter, it will melt too quickly during mixing. We want the butter to melt in the oven for those super flaky layers.
- Use buttermilk. While adding a slightly tangy flavor, buttermilk is a key ingredient here contributing to the flavor, texture and rise. Using milk will lead to more neutral flavors along with flat and dense biscuits. You can also make a buttermilk substitute using milk, adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
- Avoid overworking the dough. Knead the dough just until it comes together. Overworking the dough can lead to dense, dry biscuits.
- Use a floured biscuit cutter. Flouring the biscuit cutter beforehand will prevent sticking. Avoid twisting the cutter as the biscuits may slope and rise unevenly.
- Freeze before baking. Although biscuits can be frozen before or after baking, freezing before baking is preferred to preserve texture and for optimal freshness.
FREEZING AND STORAGE
Storage
Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
Freeze before baking
Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the biscuits to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 3 weeks. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
Freeze after baking
Let the biscuits cool completely. Transfer the biscuits to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 3 weeks. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
what to serve with sourdough biscuits
Sourdough Biscuits: Frequently Asked Questions
Sourdough discard can be kept at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 7-10 days. Although discard can be kept indefinitely (as long as there is no mold), it will become more acidic and sour over time.
A quick and easy buttermilk substitute is creating your own buttermilk with whole milk and something acidic such as lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.
You can add 1 tablespoon acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to 1 cup milk, letting it stand for 5-10 minutes.
A sharp knife should do the trick using a downward motion. Using a dull rim, such as a glass or mason jar, can prevent the biscuits from rising.
Yes! Biscuits are very freezer-friendly, flash freezing once assembled (before baking) and storing in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Sourdough Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter, frozen
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- ½ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
- Grate butter using the large holes of a box grater. Stir into the flour mixture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sourdough starter and buttermilk. Add to the flour mixture and stir using a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 2-3 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Cut out 8-10 rounds using a 2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter.
- Place biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 14-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve warm.
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Turned out perfect! I added cheese and jalapeños:)
I’ve tried several sourdough biscuit recipes and they ended up flat or too hard. This recipe was perfect! Saving to use again
First success with flaky anything! Pie crust or biscuit. Laminated the dough a bit like suggested, and used a very sharp knife to cut into squares since we don’t have a biscuit cutter. Flaky layers, golden crust, absolutely delicious. My box grater has very large holes, which I think helped, since it gave larger butter pieces.
Wonderful recipe with great results
These biscuits were perfect…crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. My husband and I ate them for dinner one evening and then the next morning for biscuit. The recipe is easy to follow and a good use of my sourdough starter.
Excellent recipe! I have made A LOT of sourdough biscuit recipes and most come out dense but these were so light and flaky! My family loved them! This will be our go to recipe from now on.
I have made these several times with discard starter straight from fridge; works perfectly. After cutting out biscuits, I refrigerate them for 30-60 minutes covered with a damp tea towel. Place them about 1/4 – 1/2” apart and bake as directed. I also laminated them by rolling dough, folding into thirds like a letter and repeating. Then cut after one more roll out, so 2 laminations. Best biscuit recipe ever!
I tried your method and LOVED it!! I think I like it better thanks for sharing!
I am sensitive to wheat, so I use mainly rye flour. I know they are very different to work with, but I think I may play around with your recipe to see if I can create a rye sourdough biscuit. No one has ever accused rye of being light and fluffy, so…we shall see how they turn out. They may end up being yummy hockey pucks perfect for dipping in soup!!!
Wow, these are the best biscuits I’ve ever head! 10 star recipe! Thank you!
I totally messed up and added twice the amount of buttermilk. I was so sad. I added some flour to the mess and somehow it still turned out d*#% delicious?? So happy they weren’t a total flop! I’m excited to try them made right the next time! I’m sure they’ll be even yummier!
Excellent recipe. Used up my extra discard (rye) and gave me good excuse to buy a square biscuit cutter. Delicious.
I have made these multiple times and they are always a huge hit with my family. I often double the receipt and freeze some. I’m curious if anyone has ever tried to make them with bread flour? Thanks!
I’m new to baking with sourdough and I was anxious to find a recipe that would be easy for a beginner like me. This recipe is both easy and very delicious. DamnDelicious recipes have never failed to become my family’s favorites. Thank you!
So flakey and delicious
My fiancée cannot get enough of these biscuits! They are absolutely delicious. I do some extra lamination (and use a cold rolling pin) so they have extra flaky layers, which is what we love. Highly recommend!!
I’ve baked these the fourth time today and they finally turned out. Do NOT bake on a silicone mat. They won’t rise because they spread out. Google why and you’ll understand. These are going to be yummy!
Hello the bisquits were good the only thing I did not like was how dark the bottoms were I will do it again but the next time I will put a pan on the bottom rack to block some of the heat or bake them at a lower temp 350 for 20 mins thank you my starter was only 7 days old and made with bleached flour
We love them for breakfast! So delicious.
So good!!! I doubled the recipe gave me 16 big biscuits. I didn’t have butter milk BUT I did have Kefier. Delicious!! 🙂
I want to make these tonight but I am a little confused. Am I using discard or active starter?
The recipe says active starter.
I just made these for the first time and used discard, they turned out great.
Can we fridge or refrigerate dough for future use?