These Sourdough Biscuits are both fluffy and flaky. Sourdough discard creates biscuits with a light crumb and wonderful flavor. I’ll show you a simple technique which creates a super-flaky texture.
Table of contents
Why these are the best Sourdough Biscuits
- This recipe uses a whole cup of sourdough discard.
- Gentle folding develops layers of dough that bake into lovely, buttery layers in the final biscuit.
- This dough is so tender you don’t need a rolling pin. You can easily pat it into shape using your hands.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Flour – This recipe uses a mixture of 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 cake flour. All purpose flour gives the biscuit dough enough body to create layers, and cake flour has a lower protein content to keep toughening gluten at bay. Pastry flour can be used instead of the flour mixture.
- Sourdough Discard – This recipe was developed using a 100% hydration starter. That means the starter is fed with equal weights of starter, flour and water. You may need to adjust the amount of starter in the recipe based on the moisture level of your starter.
- Buttermilk – Acidic Buttermilk tenderizes the dough and has lightly tangy flavor that is perfect in this recipe.
How to make Sourdough Biscuits:
- Combine the dry ingredients.
- Work the butter until it’s slightly larger than pea-size.
- Combine the buttermilk and the sourdough discard.
- Add the wet ingredients all at once and mix until almost combined.
- Briefly knead the dough to bring it together.
- Pat the dough to 1/2″ thick and fold in half. Pat the dough again to 1/2″ thick and fold in half.
- Pat to 3/4″ thick and cut the biscuits.
- Brush the biscuits with buttermilk.
- Bake in a hot oven until the biscuits are well-risen and golden brown.
- Sourdough Biscuits have a flaky texture a nice open crumb.
Storage
Sourdough Biscuits are best enjoyed warm from the oven or within a few hours of baking. Leftover biscuits can be frozen for up to a month. Defrost and warm in a 200F oven before serving.
Looking for something else to make with your sourdough discard? Here’s a list of my Best Sourdough Discard Recipes.
Since you’ve got your starter fed, peruse the entire list of My Best Sourdough Recipes. Have fun!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.
Sourdough Biscuit Recipe
Sourdough biscuits that are both fluffy and flaky. A little discard sourdough starter gives these biscuits a wonderful flavor.
biscuits
Ingredients
- 10 oz all purpose flour (2 cups)
- 8 oz cake flour (2 cups)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 8 oz unsalted butter (cold and cut into 16 pieces)
- 8 oz sourdough discard (1 cup, room temperature)
- 8 oz buttermilk (1 cup, room temperature)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Combine 10 oz all purpose flour, 8 oz cake flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon table salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients to combine.
- Mix 8 oz unsalted butter into the flour with your fingers until it's broken down into bits slightly larger than a pea.
- Combine 8 oz sourdough discard and 8 oz buttermilk in a small bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour all at once. Mix until about 2/3 of the dry ingredients are absorbed.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead together just to incorporate the remaining dry flour (this should only take about 6-8 kneads).
- Gently pat dough to a 1/2" thick rectangle, brush off excess flour and fold the dough in 1/2. Pat gently to stick the dough together and and fold again. Pat to 3/4 " thick disc and cut with a 2.5"-3" biscuit cutter. Gather the scraps together, pat to 3/4" thick and continue cutting until all the dough is used up.
- Set the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with buttermilk. Bake the biscuits until well rise and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
- If the bottoms of the biscuits are browning too fast set another sheet pan under the biscuits after 5 minutes of baking.
Equipment
My Book
Kitchen Scale
Biscuit Cutters
Half Sheet Pans
Parchment Sheets
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Nutrition
Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 504IU | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!
Ximena
Monday 9th of January 2023
Hi. If I freeze them do I unfreeze them night before?
Eileen Gray
Thursday 12th of January 2023
Are you freezing them raw or baked? From raw, let them defrost then bake as directed. From pre-baked, let them defrost them warm in a low oven.
Anna Britt Antuna
Thursday 25th of August 2022
Can u leave tj ferment over night ??
Eileen Gray
Thursday 25th of August 2022
They're not really meant to rise from the discard, but from the baking powder and baking soda. Depending on the condition of your discard, you may get some rise overnight. I haven't tried so couldn't say for sure.
Johanna
Saturday 5th of February 2022
Hey There,
Thanks so much for the recipe! I made some sort of error in that a lot of the butter bubbled out of the biscuits onto the tray.. do you have any insight into what I may have done wrong - maybe I didn't mix the butter into the flour well enough?
Johanna
Sunday 6th of February 2022
@Eileen Gray, Ok! Thanks for the response :) They still tasted great and they were so easy that I am looking forward to the next batch. I definitely was afraid of over mixing so I think I didn't mix enough.
Eileen Gray
Sunday 6th of February 2022
You probably didn't cut the butter in enough. Work the butter until the bits are about the size or a pea with some a little larger. Also, the folding does help develop the gluten a little which helps keeps the butter in the dough.
Della
Friday 31st of December 2021
Loved this! On one of the reviews recommendations I added vanilla extract and honey, I also like them a little sweeter. Great recipe. Easy use of my discard. Very flaky. Thank you for sharing.
Howard
Thursday 14th of October 2021
I have to add something...I made a mistake. I wasn't wearing my glasses and thought I read 280 grams for both flours so that is why my biscuits were a bit on the dry side. I will try again with the correct amount of flour but I think I will still add a bit of honey to satisfy my sweet tooth. I did add about a third cup of soaked raisons which was definitely worked so I will also add those again plus maybe a little bit more.