Sourdough Biscuits
Use leftover sourdough discard to make these light and fluffy sourdough biscuits! They're super easy to make, and you can bake them right away or let the dough ferment overnight for extra flavor.
Sourdough baking isn't just for bread! You can make cinnamon rolls, crackers, pancakes or sourdough waffles, and these melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk biscuits with your sourdough starter.
This simple sourdough recipe is great for beginners and home bakers who want to make homemade biscuits anytime you're in the mood.
Serve the biscuits hot from the oven with butter and strawberry jam, or use them for breakfast sandwiches with eggs and cheese!
Sample baking schedule
This easy sourdough biscuit recipe can be baked right away or left to ferment overnight for more flavor. If you want to ferment the dough, mix it before bed and bake it the next morning!
- 8 PM: Mix the biscuit dough, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 10-12 hours.
- 8 AM: Preheat your oven. Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the dough and cut out the biscuits. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Ingredients needed
- sourdough starter discard: This recipe was created to use leftover sourdough discard, but active starter works just as well.
- all-purpose flour: For the lightest, fluffiest biscuits, use an all-purpose flour with a low protein content. While most all-purpose flours have a protein content of around 12%, White Lily flour has a 9% protein content, which makes for a light and fluffy biscuit. Gold Medal all-purpose flour comes in at a 10.5% protein content.
- butter: These biscuits can be made with regular butter or plant-based butter for a dairy-free option.
- buttermilk: Buttermilk adds extra tang to the biscuits, but you can use any milk, whether regular or plant-based.
- sugar: Granulated sugar adds just a touch of sweetness.
- baking powder and baking soda: These two ingredients help the biscuits rise in the oven. If you're fermenting the dough overnight, be sure to add them right before cutting the dough for baking. Replace baking powder and baking soda every 6 months because they lose their strength over time.
- salt
Equipment
- cheese grater: A cheese grater or box grater is the fastest and easiest way to prepare butter for biscuits and pie crust. If you don’t have a cheese grater, cut cold butter into small cubes with a knife. Then, use a pastry cutter or fork to mix the butter into the flour. You can also use your hands to rub the butter into the flour.
- cast iron skillet: We use a cast iron skillet whenever possible. If you don’t have one, you can place the biscuits on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, leaving about ¼ to ½ inch of space between each biscuit.
- biscuit cutter: You can use a cookie cutter or a regular-mouth mason jar instead of a biscuit cutter.
How to make sourdough biscuits from scratch
These sourdough biscuits couldn't be easier to make. So, let's dive straight into the details and get these delicious biscuits on the table!
Step 1
Hold a cheese grater over a large mixing bowl and grate the cold butter into the bowl.
Step 2
Add the flour to the bowl and use a bench scraper to cut the flour into the butter by using a chopping motion.
Step 3
To bake right away: Add the buttermilk, sourdough discard, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and mix until well combined with a stiff spatula, switching over to your hands to bring the dough together.
To ferment overnight: Add the buttermilk and the sourdough discard and stir until combined. Cover the bowl and let rise at room temperature for 10-12 hours.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and lightly grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
If the dough has been fermenting overnight, mix the salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and then pour them over the dough. Use your hands to mix them well.
If you don't break up the lumps of baking soda and baking powder before adding them to the dough, your biscuits might end up with brown spots.
Step 5
Flour your work surface generously and turn out the dough. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough, then pat it into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Cut out biscuits and gather the scraps to cut more until you have 12 biscuits.
Step 6
Arrange in a cast iron skillet and bake for 25-30 minutes.
How to cut biscuits
For cutting out biscuits, use a biscuit cutter with a sharp edge. Dip it in flour to keep it from sticking. Press it down onto the dough, wiggle it to separate the biscuit, and lift straight up. Avoid twisting the cutter when cutting as this will seal the edges and prevent them from rising to their full potential!
Serve
Serve the biscuits hot from the oven with homemade butter and honey, or your choice of apple butter, cherry jam, or strawberry jam. They are delicious with sausage gravy and eggs.
They can also be used in our breakfast casserole or blueberry bread pudding.
How to Store
Keep your biscuits at room temperature in a covered container for up to a week. Avoid storing them in the fridge, as they will get hard.
For longer storage, wrap individual biscuits tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
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Sourdough Biscuits Recipe
EQUIPMENT
- Mixing Bowl
- Bench-Scraper or pastry cutter
- 3" Biscuit cutter
- 12" cast iron skillet or baking sheet
INGREDIENTS
Initial biscuit dough mix
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour (See notes)
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter (cold)
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter discard
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk (or milk)
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) sugar (optional)
To add before cutting out
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix the dough (choose one option)
- To bake right away: Grate the butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and use a bench scraper or fork to mix the butter into the flour until it looks like small pea-sized crumbs. Then add the sourdough starter discard, buttermilk, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a stiff spatula until everything is well combined. Use your hands to ensure there are no dry bits left. Let the dough rest while you preheat the oven.
- To ferment overnight: Grate the butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and use a bench scraper or fork to mix the butter into the flour until it looks like small pea-sized crumbs. Then add the sourdough starter discard, buttermilk, and sugar. Stir with a stiff spatula until everything is well combined. Cover the bowl and let it rise on the counter for 10-12 hours.Right before you are ready to cut out the biscuits, mix the salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl with a fork, breaking up any lumps. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the dough and work it in with your hands. Then sprinkle the remaining half and keep mixing until everything is fully combined.
Cut out and Bake
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly grease a cast iron skillet with butter and set aside.
- Generously flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Flour the top of the dough and use your hands to press it into a rectangle shape that is 1 inch in thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits, pressing straight down and pulling straight up. *See notes.
- Arrange the biscuits in a 12" cast iron skillet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove and serve warm.
NOTES
- White Lily and Gold Medal all-purpose flour are low in protein and will give you the lightest, fluffiest biscuits.
- Active sourdough starter can be used instead of discard. Make sure to add the salt to the initial mix. (Omit the baking powder and baking soda.) After cutting out the biscuits, let them rise in the skillet for 60-90 minutes before baking.
- Do not twist the biscuit cutter when cutting out the biscuits. The twisting motion will seal the edges, making it harder for them to rise.
These are delicious!
Absolutely delicious and super easy to make
Sourdough Biscuits Are Phenominal! Thank You So Much for Sharing! I used My Fed Starter and Followed directions, These Will Be The Biscuits I Make From Now On! Bless You And Thank You Again!
H!!! I’m gonna try to make them with fed sourdough, do you still let it sit at room temperature overnight??? If my weather is a little hot it’s ok, somewhere on the 79 F.
Thanks!!
Hi Ale, I think that with it being that hot, the dough will over-ferment with fed sourdough. If you must use active sourdough, mix the dough together and let it rest in the fridge until you are ready to bake. You can always allow it to rest at room temperature before you bake to let it rise more if needed.
Have you ever tried to freeze these either before or after baking??? I would live to have them in my freezer for postpartum.
Never mind- I see where you said to freeze individual biscuits. Thanks!
I found this recipe last night after realizing I activated too much starter, so was in search of a use for it. I LOVE that it uses so much starter. The recipe was easy to follow. I used almond milk instead of whole or butter milk. I also used only 1/2 the sugar because I didn't want them to be sweet, and they aren't, they're absolutely delicious! And to cut the butter in (instead of grating it) I simply pulse it with the flour in my food processor (like I've done for other biscuit recipes). It make that super easy. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I'll definitely make again! ♥
Thank you! First time trying anything other than the normal sourdough loaf and it was a success! Nephews loved them.
If I want to make a cheesy biscuit, do I just add grated cheese?
They didn't rise as much as I thought, maybe because I baked them on a sheet instead of the pan. It seemed like adding the bp, soda, and salt at the end made the dough overworked, so I wondered if you had any comment or workaround on that. They're delicious!
I've made this biscuit recipe 3 times now, and it's such a hit. Easy and delicious, I love how fluffy these turn out with a perfectly crispy bottom! This last batch I used spelt flour since it has a weaker gluten structure and I love them. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Wow, made these on Easter for dinner, but it was really hard not to eat them all by noon! Will definitely be my go-to biscuit recipe from now on. So good.
This is my go to biscuit recipe! I put the flour in my food processor with frozen butter slices to mix them up, then add the buttermilk and starter. I haven’t had any luck thoroughly mixing the salt, baking soda and baking powder in so I reserve 20g of milk to mix them in then add the mixture to the dough. Works fantastically!