Sourdough Discard Biscuits by Make It Dough

Name: Sourdough Discard Biscuits
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 120 grams sourdough discard; 180 grams buttermilk (see note); 226 grams unsalted butter (chilled, cut into ½ inch pieces); 388 grams all-purpose flour; 10 grams baking powder; 2 grams baking soda; 12 grams granulated sugar; 6 grams salt; 28 grams milk; 1 egg

You won’t believe the flaky, buttery layers in these Sourdough Discard Biscuits. These homemade biscuits are so simple to make and are made so much better with a little tang from sourdough discard.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This is the biscuit recipe I’ve been searching for my entire life. Before making these, I thought the perfect biscuits could only come from a can. Flaky with layers upon layers of buttery, rich crumb and a slight sourdough tang, you won't believe how easy they are to make! I promise after you make these Sourdough Biscuits, you’ll come up with an excuse to eat biscuits every day.

Baking with your sourdough discard

Biscuits are a type of quick bread leavened using chemical leaveners (baking soda and baking powder) instead of biological leaveners (commercial yeast or sourdough). Because you won’t be using your sourdough to make these biscuits rise you can bake with your sourdough discard straight from the refrigerator without activating or feeding it first.

If you love quick breads, try my recipe for Sourdough Discard Scones and Sourdough Butter Swim Biscuits.

What you'll need

Sourdough discard - adds a lovely tang to the rich butteriness of these biscuits

Buttermilk - for super tender fluffy biscuits, always use buttermilk, the acidity reacts with the baking powder giving you pillowy soft biscuits that are out of this world! You can substitute milk in a pinch but your biscuits won't be as tender.

Unsalted butter - imparts tons of flavor while the fat molecules coat the flour which prevents gluten development. As your biscuits bake, the water from the butter evaporates which creates hundreds of flaky layers. Remember to keep your butter cold!

All-purpose flour - all-purpose has the perfect amount of protein in it to create fluffy biscuits that maintain their structure, I would not recommend substituting whole wheat, but in a pinch you can use pastry or cake flour

Baking powder - main leavening agent that reacts with the buttermilk, it tenderizes the dough makes these biscuits rise and gives them a fluffy crumb

Baking soda - helps your biscuits brown better and balances the acidic flavors in the bake

Granulated sugar - adds a little bit of sweetness

Salt - brings out the flavor of the butter and discard

Step-by-step Instructions

For the best chances of success, keep your ingredients cold.

1. Dissolve the sourdough discard in milk

2. Cut the butter into the flour and incorporate the milk mixture until all of the flour is hydrated

3. Roll the biscuit dough out to a 1-inch thick rectangle and divide the dough into four portions. Stack the biscuit dough, so you have 4 layers of dough.

4. Flatten the dough out into a 1-inch rectangle about 12 by 6 inches. Trim the edges and divide the dough into a 4 x 3 grid and you should end up with 12 biscuits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't my biscuits rise?

Your leaveners are past their prime. Baking soda and baking powder have a shelf life and after a point are no longer viable. Test your leaveners by combining a teaspoon with a drop of vinegar, if it fizzes it's still good and you can still use it. If it does not it will no longer make your bread rise and it should be thrown away.

Your butter got too warm. As your biscuits bake, ideally the water in your butter will evaporate and your dough will puff up into individual flaky layers. However, if your butter gets too hot from too much handling, the butter will simply melt out of your dough. If your butter begins to feel too soft as you're working the dough, simply refrigerate it for 15 minutes before continuing.

Why did my biscuits turn out dense?

Biscuits require a light hand. Working your dough too much will develop the gluten in your dough which will result in dense biscuits.

What's the difference between a biscuit and a scone?

Biscuits and scones are both quick breads. Scone recipes usually include eggs while biscuits do not.

Can I use active starter instead of baking powder and baking soda in my biscuits instead?

No, biological leaveners such as sourdough starters require a combination of time and gluten development to make baked goods rise. As yeast ferments, it releases CO2 which gets trapped by strong gluten networks in the dough. Gluten development will negatively affect the texture of your biscuits.

Sourdough Discard Biscuits

Hannah @ Make It Dough

You won’t believe the flaky, buttery layers in these Sourdough Discard Biscuits. These homemade biscuits are so simple to make and are made so much better with a little tang from sourdough discard.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe

Prep Time 45 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Course Breakfast, Sides

Cuisine American

Servings Biscuits

Calories 282 kcal

Equipment

Rolling Pin
bench scraper

Ingredients

Dough

120 grams sourdough discard
180 grams buttermilk see note
226 grams unsalted butter chilled, cut into ½ inch pieces
388 grams all-purpose flour
10 grams baking powder
2 grams baking soda
12 grams granulated sugar
6 grams salt

Egg wash

28 grams milk
1 egg

Instructions

Prep: Line an 18 by 13 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the dough: Stir your sourdough discard into the buttermilk until no traces of sourdough remain, set aside.
In a large-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
Incorporate pieces of chilled butter into the flour mixture using your finger tips or a pastry cutter. You should end up with flour coated butter pieces of varying sizes.
Create a well in the center of the flour mixture, incorporate the milk mixture until all of the flour is hydrated. Lightly knead the dough in the bowl until the dough clumps together and most of the flour is hydrated (a few dry bits are ok, don't overwork or your biscuits may turn out tough).
Laminate the dough: Turn dough out onto a clean surface and pat into a 1 inch-thick square (you don't have to be exact). Using a knife or bench scraper, cut dough into 4 pieces. Stack pieces on top of one another, sandwiching any loose dry bits of dough between layers, and press down to flatten.
Shape the dough: Lift up dough with bench scraper and dust surface with flour. Roll dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle and trim a thin border around sides of dough to create clean edges. Cut into a 4x3 grid to make 12 biscuits.
Chill the dough: Preheat your oven to 425 F. Transfer biscuits to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2" apart; freeze while your oven preheats, about 20 minutes.
Bake: Brush tops of biscuits with a mixture of milk and egg. Reduce oven temperature to 400 F and bake biscuits until deep golden brown on bottom and golden on top, 20–25 minutes.

Notes

Make ahead instructions: Unbaked biscuits can be frozen up to 1 month. Freeze, uncovered, on baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a resealable plastic bag. Do not thaw before baking, but add a few minutes to the baking time.

Buttermilk substitutions: you really can't beat the texture that buttermilk imparts in these biscuits. However, if you don't have any on hand, feel free to sub whole milk mixed with 14 grams (1 tbsp) of vinegar or lemon juice, or sour cream or yogurt thinned out with a little bit of milk.