Sourdough Biscuit Recipe

sourdough biscuits scrattered with honey

Yield: biscuits

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 17

Chill Time: 20

Total Time: 52

Homemade Sourdough Biscuits are incredibly fluffy and tender, with plenty of flaky layers and a beautiful golden brown and crispy exterior. This is one of the easiest recipes to get bread on the dinner table fast or long-ferment the dough for extra gut-health benefits.

5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

280 grams all-purpose flour 2 cups
8 grams baking powder 2 teaspoons
3 grams baking soda 1/2 teaspoon
4 grams sugar 1 teaspoon
6 grams salt 1 teaspoon
113 grams unsalted butter, frozen 1/2 cup
200 grams sourdough discard 2/3 cup
120 grams buttermilk or half and half 1/2 cup
28 grams salted butter, melted 2 Tablespoons

Instructions

Mix Dough

In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
280 grams all-purpose flour, 8 grams baking powder, 3 grams baking soda, 4 grams sugar, 6 grams salt
Grate frozen butter with a box grater and mix with the dry ingredients until the butter is coated with the flour mixture and crumbly, pea-sized pieces.
You may also use a pastry cutter and cut the dough until the butter is in small, pea-sized pieces.
113 grams unsalted butter, frozen
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the cold sourdough discard and cold buttermilk until smooth. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork or a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough is formed.
If you notice a lot of dry flour not mixing into the dough, you might need to add extra buttermilk to your biscuit dough. This could happen if you use thicker and more fresh sourdough starter/discard. But be careful here - too much liquid can create dense and flat biscuits. Add 15 grams (1 Tablespoon) extra liquid at a time until most of the flour is incorporated.
200 grams sourdough discard, 120 grams buttermilk or half and half
Pour the dough onto a floured surface and gently pat the dough until the flour mixture just comes together into one mass and shape the dough into a large rectangle. Be careful not to over mix the dough as this can lead to dense biscuits.

Shape

Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a large rectangle (9-inch ×11-inch, doesn’t have to be exact), fold it in half the long way, and then fold it in half again. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle again and fold the exact same way once more. All this rolling and folding will help you to achieve all of those lovely flaky layers!
For a third time, pat the biscuit dough with your hand until it is 1/2 inch tall. Take a 2 3/4 inch sharp biscuit cutter and dip it into flour, then cut into the dough.
Pro-tip – Be sure to only cut straight down into the biscuit dough, no twisting! Twisting the biscuit cutter will close the biscuit dough and prohibit it from rising with all those flaky layers while they bake.
Re-roll the scrapes and repeat until 8-9 sourdough biscuits have been formed.
Alternatively, you can cut the dough into 8 even rectangle biscuits with a floured, sharp knife or bench scraper. Same as before, cut straight down and pull straight up. Do not drag the knife through the dough.
Long Ferment: If you would prefer to long ferment these Sourdough Biscuits, place the covered biscuit dough in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the Sourdough Biscuits 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper. Baking the biscuits close together helps them to bake taller.
Cover the biscuit dough (I love this cover) and place them into the freezer for at least 20 minutes, while the oven preheats. This helps ensure that the butter is nice and solid, so that it will melt while baking and release steam. This will develop all of those lovely, flakey layers!
After the biscuits have chilled and the oven is preheated, bake the Sourdough Biscuits for 17-20 minutes. If the tops of the biscuits are browning too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.
While the biscuits are still hot, use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle flaky sea salt on top. Serve warm and enjoy!
28 grams salted butter, melted

Notes

Ingredients:

Buttermilk - I’ve made this recipe with half and half and it is equally delicious! Also known as “light cream”. You can also use equal amounts of milk and heavy cream to create half and half in a pinch.

Unsalted Butter - If you prefer to use salted butter, reduce the salt by 2g (¼ teaspoon).

Sourdough Starter - You can use active sourdough starter, however, I recommend using cold sourdough discard. This helps the butter to stay cold, which will help you bake up the flakiest and most tender biscuits. If you’d like to long-ferment the biscuits, prep the dough the day before, cover and store in the fridge to long-ferment for up to 24 hours.

Variations

Sourdough Biscuits are perfect on their own, but if you're looking to spice it up, try one or more of these inclusion ideas!

Add fresh herbs - chives, thyme, oregano.
Shredded cheese - cheddar, asiago, parmesan, etc.
Crumbled bacon bits.
Diced jalapeños.

Refer to my Garlic & Herb Sourdough Biscuits for how much to add!

Nutrition

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