Sourdough Discard Biscuits

These easy Sourdough Discard Biscuits are flaky and buttery with a hint of delicious tanginess. The simple dough takes minutes to pull together and the biscuits can be baked straight away or stashed in the refrigerator to bake the next morning (or frozen even longer!). Serve these tender biscuits warm with butter and honey for a nostalgic treat or with eggs and bacon for a hearty breakfast.

Recipe Background and Details

Warm biscuits with butter and honey is a treat my grandma served me countless times from the time I was a little girl all the way up until her passing in 2020. It is one of the most nostalgic tastes I can think of and one my daughter loves as much as I do. Every time I make biscuits my daughter says, "it smells like Nini's house in here." And then we reminisce about her and her breakfasts which were the absolute best. So when I set out to make this biscuit recipe I knew it had to live up to those standards and I'm happy to report it does! Grab all the info below along with my tips for the perfect biscuits.

Be sure to check out my other popular Sourdough Discard Recipes: Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sourdough Discard Scones, Sourdough Discard Soft Pretzels, Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust, Sourdough Discard Crackers, Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread, and Sourdough Discard Banana Bread.

Ingredients for Sourdough Discard Biscuits

• all purpose flour: for the most tender biscuit.
• baking powder: to help these biscuits rise.
• baking soda: for tenderness
• salt: I always use kosher salt. Use a bit less if using table salt.
• sugar: an optional touch of sugar to balance the flavors.
• butter: I call for unsalted just so I don't get the inevitable question, but I very often use salted butter. Use whichever you have.
• sourdough starter: this is a discard recipe meaning you can use your unfed starter straight from the fridge. This recipe will also work with a more active starter. This recipe was developed with a 1:1:1 starter. If you are using a more or less hydrated starter, you will need to adjust the liquids to compensate.
• milk or water: The sourdough discard adds a lot of flavor so I don't find buttermilk to be necessary but if you have it, feel free to use it.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Biscuits: step-by-step instructions

• Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add butter.
• Coat butter with flour mixture and press butter cubes between your thumb and index finger to create flat petals of butter. If using grated butter, skip this step.
• Mix butter into dry ingredients until you have it all flattened and dispersed.

• Mix sourdough starter with milk in a small measuring cup or bowl and drizzle this wet mixture into the dry mixture while stirring with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
• Dump dough onto floured surface.

• Shape dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Divide in half and stack one half on top of the other and press again into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Repeat this one or two more times. This creates really pronounced layers in the finished biscuits.
• After stacking a few times, press dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle one final time and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes. You don't have to do this, but I highly recommend it. Alternatively you can cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.

• After dough has chilled, cut into biscuits with a 2 ½ inch cutter. Or you can cut the rectangle into 9 squares which I often do. Do not twist your cutter. Just go straight down and back up. Likewise if you are cutting with a knife or bench scraper, don't use a sawing motion - just go straight down and back up.
• Reshape any scraps by stacking them on top of each other and pressing down. The reshaped biscuits might look a little more craggy than the first cutting, but if you stack the scraps rather than squish them together from the sides, they will be just as flaky.
• Place biscuits on parchment lined tray very close together but not touching. Brush with milk and bake in preheated oven. If using these for something sweet like shortcakes, a sprinkle of sugar on top is nice.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden.

See full instructions in recipe card and make ahead tips below.

Make Ahead, Freezing, Storage

Short Term Make Ahead Option: Once you get to the point of having the biscuits shaped, you can cover them tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before baking. If your starter is pretty active you will also get some fermentation benefits during this time and you'll have a tangier tasting biscuit.

Long Term Make Ahead Option (freezer): If you want to freeze these biscuits to bake at a later date, get them shaped and freeze them on parchment in a single layer. Once frozen solid transfer the biscuits to freezer bags or containers. Bake from frozen within 3 months.

Baked biscuits will keep at room temperature in an airtight container or bag for 2-3 days. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Baked biscuits can also be frozen for up to one month if wrapped very well.

Top tips - How to make the best sourdough discard biscuits

• Start with cold ingredients: cold butter, cold milk, cold sourdough starter
• Stir with a fork while drizzling in the wet ingredients: I do this with my scones recipes as well and it works like a charm to mix gently and thoroughly without overmixing.
• Cut and stack your dough a few times: I also do this with my scone recipes and it is a guaranteed way to get beautiful layers.
• Chill the dough before cutting: I have tested this both ways - cutting the biscuits and then chilling or chilling and then cutting. Hands down the latter produces a taller, flakier biscuit.
• Chill the dough before baking: This is another flakiness insurance step. As you work with the butter and shape the dough, the butter comes to room temperature. You want the butter to be as cold as possible before going into the oven. This is what creates steam and that steam creates little pockets and layers of flakiness. If you skip this step you'll still have a great biscuit, it just won't be as flaky as it could be.
• Place the biscuits very close together but not touching: This allows the biscuits to grow up together while baking and ensures the best rise.

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Sourdough Discard Biscuits Recipe

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These easy Sourdough Discard Biscuits are flaky and buttery with a hint of delicious tanginess. The simple dough takes minutes to pull together and they can be baked straight away or stashed in the refrigerator to bake the next morning. Serve these delicious biscuits warm with butter and honey for a nostalgic treat or with eggs and bacon for a hearty breakfast.

• Total Time: 40 minutes plus chilling
• Yield: 9 biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups (240 grams) all purpose flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)

4 ounces (113 grams) unsalted butter, very cold

1 cup (280 grams) sourdough discard*

½ cup whole milk plus a bit more for brushing

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix sourdough starter and milk together in a glass measuring cup and set aside.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add butter cubes or grated butter.
4. Press butter cubes between your thumb and index finger to create flat petals of butter. If using grated butter you can skip this step.
5. Mix butter into dry ingredients until you have it all flattened and dispersed. It's ok if some pieces are smaller/larger than others as long as they are almost all in small, flat pieces. You can also use a pastry cutter, but I love using my fingers to create those little petals as it results in the best flakiness.
6. Drizzle in milk and starter mixture while stirring with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. If you feel your dough is wet enough, you may not need to add all of the mixture - this will strongly depend on how hydrated your starter is.
7. Dump dough onto floured surface.
8. Shape dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Divide in half and stack one half on top of the other and press again into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Repeat this one or two more times. This step is optional but it creates really pronounced layers in the finished biscuits. If you skip it you will still have wonderful, tender biscuits.
9. After stacking a few times, press dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle one final time and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes. You don't have to do this, but I highly recommend it. Alternatively you can cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.
10. After dough has chilled, cut into biscuits with a floured 2 ½ inch cutter. Or you can cut the rectangle into 9 squares which I often do. Do not twist your cutter. Just go straight down and back up. Likewise if you are cutting with a knife or bench scraper, don't use a sawing motion - just go straight down and back up.
11. Reshape any scraps by stacking them on top of each other and pressing down to a 1-inch thickness before cutting. The reshaped biscuits might look a little more craggy on top than the first cutting, but if you stack the scraps rather than squish them together, they will be just as flaky.
12. Place biscuits on parchment lined tray very close together but not touching. Brush tops with milk. If using these for something sweet like shortcakes, a sprinkle of sugar on top is nice.
13. Bake in preheated oven until golden and no wetness shows on the sides. This will take 15-18 minutes.

Notes

*You can use your active starter as well. If using active, bubbly starter, use about 160 grams as it weighs differently than discard due to the bubbliness.

Short Term Make Ahead Option: Once you get to the point of having the biscuits shaped, you can cover them tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before baking. If your starter is pretty active you will also get some fermentation benefits during this time and you'll have a tangier tasting biscuit.

Long Term Make Ahead Option (freezer): If you want to freeze these biscuits to bake at a later date, get them shaped and freeze them on parchment in a single layer. Once frozen solid transfer the biscuits to freezer bags or containers. Bake from frozen within 3 months.

Baked biscuits will keep at room temperature in an airtight container or bag for 2-3 days. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Baked biscuits can also be frozen for up to one month if wrapped very well.

• Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
• Prep Time: 20 minutes plus chilling
• Cook Time: 18 minutes
• Category: sourdough, breakfast
• Method: baking, sourdough
• Cuisine: American