These sourdough biscuits are a delicious tangy twist on a classic that everyone should try. The signature tartness of slow-fermented sourdough starter plays beautifully with the biscuit’s classic buttery flavor.
Better yet, my simple recipe is customizable to fit your needs. It doesn’t matter if the starter is bubbling away happily or if you have a container of sourdough starter discard that needs using—either will work beautifully! It’s also a snap to add the flavorings of your choice—cheesy, herby, spicy, or sweet, these sourdough discard biscuits can do it all. For more breakfast recipes, try my sourdough pancakes, blueberry scones, or waffles next.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour — plain white flour is all you need. Note that the lower the protein in your flour, the more tender your homemade biscuits will be. A flour made from soft wheat would be ideal for biscuits, but any AP flour will work great.
Baking powder & baking soda — we need both leaveners to achieve fluffy biscuits with the perfect golden brown exterior.
Granulated sugar — adding a touch of sugar to the biscuit dough helps ensure they achieve that lovely golden brown hue we’re after, but it doesn’t make them too sweet.
Unsalted butter & salt — pro bakers almost invariably start with unsalted butter and add salt to taste. Why? Salted butter can vary in terms of saltiness by brand. If possible, use kosher or fine sea salt instead of iodized table salt, which can leave a bitter undertone.
Sourdough starter or discard — be sure you are using a healthy sourdough starter or sourdough discard. I recommend using discard that has been fed in the last week and held in the fridge.
Buttermilk — this creamy, cultured milk is preferred for making biscuits like these; the extra acidity helps contribute to a more tender biscuit.
How To Make Sourdough Biscuits
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
2. Cut the butter into small cubes. Make sure it stays cold- if it has warmed up at all, pop it in the freezer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the butter to the flour mixture and toss to combine. Use a pastry cutter or pinch with your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Set aside in a cool place. (Refrigerate if you have the space.)
4. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the sourdough starter with the buttermilk or milk.
5. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and gently stir to bring the dough together. Knead 2 to 3 times in the bowl until the dough comes together in one piece. (If excess flour remains at the bottom of the bowl, add more buttermilk or milk, 2 teaspoons at a time, then gently fold the dough together until it creates 1 piece. The dough will still be shaggy.)
6. Turn the biscuit dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and press out into a ½-inch thick rectangle.
7. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, then press to flatten to a ½-inch thick rectangle. Repeat this 2 more times.
8. After the last letter fold, press the dough into a 6×4-inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick.
9. Cut the dough into 6 equally sized biscuits, about 2×2-inches each. I like using a bench scraper for this, but you can also use a chef’s knife.
10. If you like, brush the tops of the biscuits with more buttermilk, milk, cream, or melted butter. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Brush with more melted butter while hot. Serve warm with more butter or jam.
How Active Should My Starter Be?
Ideally, you want to use sourdough discard or starter that has been fed but is starting to deflate or has been stored for several days in the fridge and is now less active. If I’m about to make a fresh loaf of sourdough bread, I’ll discard some of the starter before feeding it for the bread and use that discard to make biscuits!
If the starter is freshly fed and very active, that’s okay too! The biscuits will just be a bit more fluffy than flaky.
How Long Can I Keep Sourdough Discard Before Making This Recipe?
I prefer to use sourdough discard within a week of its last feeding for the best results, both in terms of taste and texture. If it has developed a little bit of clear liquid (hooch) on top, that’s okay! Pour it off (or stir it in if you like an extra tangy flavor) and then use it.
If the hooch turns grey, I don’t like to use the discard anymore because the flavor becomes quite strong. Also, do not use any stored discard if there is visible mold or a pink or orange discoloration anywhere in the jar.
The Key To Flaky Biscuits Is In The Folding
In the baking world, there is a technique known as “lamination,” or the process of forming several thin layers of dough and butter. This technique is different from a quick stir together and scoop method like what is used to make my drop biscuits or cheddar biscuits. If you’ve ever had a flaky croissant, pie crust, or classic biscuit, then you’ve experienced the magic of lamination firsthand!
The idea is to create multiple layers of dough, separated by cold butter so that as the dough bakes, the butter melts and lets off steam, creating a pocket of air between the two layers. For my biscuit recipe, the rolling and letter folding technique creates three layers each time, greatly increasing the biscuit’s flaky potential!
Variations
- Add cheese: Feel free to add up to ½ cup of freshly grated cheese like cheddar, pepper jack, Colby, or parmesan. I like to toss it into the flour mixture after cutting in the butter but before adding the buttermilk and discard.
- Add herbs or spices: Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of freshly chopped herbs or 2 teaspoons of dried herbs to the flour mixture. Some good options include rosemary, sage, thyme, or chives. You can also add spices like freshly cracked black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes for heat or cinnamon and nutmeg for sweet biscuits. Spices vary in strength, so start small.
- Make them sweeter: You’re welcome to add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, ideal if you’re making a sweet biscuit dish like strawberry shortcakes. Note that the extra sugar will cause them to brown a bit more, so keep a close eye on them—you may want to tent them with foil if they’re taking on color too quickly.
Can I Freeze Sourdough Discard Biscuits?
Yes! In fact, I highly recommend it for unbaked biscuits. It’s also a great way to store leftovers.
Unbaked Biscuits: Place the unbaked biscuits on a lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between any layers and squeeze out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake the biscuits from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Baked Biscuits: Once baked, allow the biscuits to cool completely to room temperature. Wrap the biscuits individually in plastic wrap, transfer them to a freezer-safe storage container, and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, allow them to defrost at room temperature for about 45 minutes or unwrap them and warm them in the oven or air fryer set to 300ºF until heated through.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- This recipe uses a sourdough starter that has 100% hydration. This means it is fed with an equal amount of water and flour. If your starter is fed with more or less water, you may need to adjust the amount of buttermilk in the recipe for the dough to reach the right consistency. If it feels too sticky, add another tablespoon of flour at a time; if it feels too dry, add another tablespoon of buttermilk at a time.
- Use cold butter. This is essential for the lamination process. If you have time, I also recommend you place the shaped biscuits in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before baking. This helps the butter to solidify after you’ve worked the dough, helping create those enviably flaky layers.
- For perfectly square biscuits, trim off the edges of the shaped rectangle before cutting the biscuits into 6 pieces. You can press the scraps together to make an extra little biscuit (the perfect chef’s treat!).
- For round biscuits, cut the dough using a 2″ round biscuit cutter. You can press the scraps together and reroll them once to cut more biscuits.
Frequently Asked Questions
While these sourdough biscuits are best when they’re still warm from the oven, they’ll keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Leftovers are great to make biscuits and gravy with!
You can quickly turn whole milk and some lemon juice or vinegar into a great substitute! Learn how to make your own buttermilk in just 5 minutes.
If you don’t have sourdough discard on hand, follow my buttermilk biscuits recipe instead!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Sourdough Biscuit recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Sourdough Biscuits Recipe
Equipment
- Small baking sheet
- Pastry cutter
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold (87g)
- 1 cup active sourdough starter or discard (240g)
- ¼ cup buttermilk or whole milk (60mL)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
- Cut the butter into small cubes. Add it to the flour mixture and toss to combine. Use a pastry cutter or pinch with your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Set aside in a cool place. (Refrigerate if you have the space.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the sourdough starter with the buttermilk or milk.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and gently stir to bring the dough together. Knead 2 to 3 times in the bowl until the dough comes together in one piece. (If excess flour remains at the bottom of the bowl, add more buttermilk or milk, 2 teaspoons at a time, then gently fold the dough together until it creates 1 piece. The dough will still be shaggy.)
- Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and press out into a ½-inch thick rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, then press to flatten to a ½-inch thick rectangle. Repeat this 2 more times. After the last letter fold, press the dough into a 6×4-inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 6 equally sized biscuits, 2×2-inches each. (Alternatively, you can use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut rounds, then gently press the excess dough together and re-cut.) If you like, brush the tops of the biscuits with more buttermilk or milk for a golden, glossy finish.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Brush with more melted butter while hot. Serve warm with more butter and/or jam.
Notes
- This recipe uses a sourdough starter that has 100% hydration. This means it is fed with an equal amount of water and flour. If your starter is fed with more or less water, you may need to adjust the amount of buttermilk in the recipe for the dough to reach the right consistency. If it feels too sticky, add another tablespoon of flour at a time; if it feels too dry, add another tablespoon of buttermilk at a time.
- Use cold butter. This is essential for the lamination process. If you have time, I also recommend you place the shaped biscuits in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before baking. This helps the butter to solidify after you’ve worked the dough, helping create those enviably flaky layers.
- For perfectly square biscuits, trim off the edges of the shaped rectangle before cutting the biscuits into 6 pieces. You can press the scraps together to make an extra little biscuit (the perfect chef’s treat!).
- For round biscuits, cut the dough using a 2″ round biscuit cutter. You can press the scraps together and reroll them once to cut more biscuits.
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