I’ve been making these sourdough biscuits on repeat. They are flaky and soft and bring back childhood memories of warm biscuits with butter and jam. I recommend a batch of these biscuits for Sunday morning breakfast.
I like that I can use my sourdough discard in this recipe. I feel so virtuous using the discard instead of throwing it away.
I found this recipe on Epicurious and modified it slightly. The recipe makes about 10 biscuits.
Tips
- The butter should be very cold. Put it in the freezer.
- It’s important to not overwork the biscuit dough. You want bits of unmelted butter in the dough, which make the biscuits flaky and tender. If you handle the dough too much, the butter melts and the dough is tougher.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients for these sourdough biscuits.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working with the biscuits
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) frozen unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon for the top of the biscuits
- 1 cup sourdough starter discard from a starter fed within the previous 24 hours, room temperature
Equipment
You’ll need a 2 1/2-inch diameter biscuit cutter or a clean soup can cut out at both ends.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, sugar and 1 1/2 cups of flour to a large bowl and stir them with a fork.
Grate the frozen stick of butter (1/2 cup) into the dried ingredients, using the larger holes in a multipurpose grater. Lightly toss the ingredients with a fork to coat the butter.
Add the sourdough starter and gently mix it with a fork to blend everything, Use a rubber spatula and your fingers to fold the dough together to make a loose ball. It will still be somewhat crumbly.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Pat it into a 1/2-inch thick rough square. Fold it into thirds, as if you are folding a letter. Working from the short sides, fold it into thirds again. Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thick square and fold it into thirds one more time. Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick square. It should feel light and a little puffy. Dip the biscuit cutter into flour and cut out as many biscuits as you can. (Do not twist the biscuit cutter when cutting. It seals the sides and keeps the biscuits from rising. Press the cutter straight down and pull it back up.) Transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart.
Pull together the dough scraps, shape them into a rectangle and fold it in half. Pat it into a 1-inch thick rectangle and cut out more biscuits. Gather the remaining scraps together to hand form the last biscuit, which will be misshapen. (You’ll eat it when the biscuits are done, in the interest of quality control.)
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and brush biscuit tops with it.
Bake the biscuits until the top edges are golden (12 – 15 minutes).
Let them cool a few minutes before serving. They are delicious warm or at room temperature.
Serve these sourdough biscuits with honey or jam. For a treat, serve them with this dish: Ricotta with Raspberries, Nectarines and Honey.
Related Topics
You might enjoy these recipes.