Use up your discarded starter in this quick and easy Sourdough Biscuit recipe. Buttery, flaky and full of flavor, these are made with sour cream and scallions. Vegan adaptable with a video!
If there is something “past” that needs to be seen or healed back into wholeness, it will arise in the present experience. We do not have to dig up pebbles from a streambed.
Dorothy Hunt
These flaky buttery Sourdough Biscuits are studded with scallions and have the best texture and flavor. A great way to use up that sourdough discard! If I’m being truthful they are pretty dangerous to have around, because it’s impossible not to devour them once they are made. So be warned!
Sourdough Biscuits |60-second Video
This is for those of you who are ready to do something with your sourdough discard, or sourdough starter in addition to making the Sourdough Bread-which I keep hearing is working out for you! So happy and excited for you! A true feat! Hooray!
Want more sourdough discard recipes? Check out Sourdough Waffles, Sourdough Pancakes, and Sourdough Scones!
Table of Contents
- Sourdough Biscuits |60-second Video
- Why you will love these Sourdough Discard Biscuits
- Sourdough Biscuit Recipe Ingredients
- How To Make Sourdough Biscuits
- How to serve Sourdough Biscuits
- How to store Sourdough Discard Biscuits
- Sourdough Biscuit FAQS
- More Sourdough Discard Recipes
- You May Also Enjoy
- Sourdough Biscuits Recipe
Why you will love these Sourdough Discard Biscuits
- Flavorful: Sourdough biscuits have a distinct tangy flavor that adds depth and complexity to your ordinary biscuit recipe.
- Flaky Texture: The combination of butter and sourdough gives these biscuits a light and flaky texture that is absolutely irresistible.
- Easy to Make: With just a few simple ingredients and minimal steps, you can have freshly baked sourdough biscuits on your table in no time.
- Use Up Sourdough Discard: If you’ve been maintaining a sourdough starter, this recipe is a great way to use up your discard instead of wasting it. It gives a beautiful sourdough tang to your baked goods and adds nutrition! It’s a win-win situation!
- Versatile: Sourdough biscuits can be enjoyed on their own, as a side dish with soups and stews, or even as a base for sandwiches. They’re incredibly versatile and can complement a variety of meals.
Sourdough Biscuit Recipe Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour (or bread flour): Make sure to fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off to ensure accurate measurements.
- Salt: If you’re using salted butter, you can use a slightly smaller amount of salt in the recipe.
- Baking Powder: This helps the biscuits rise and become light and fluffy.
- Unsalted Butter (or vegan butter): Cut the cold butter into small slices to create uneven crumbs in the dough.
- Chopped Scallions or Chives (optional): These add a delicious flavor to the biscuits. Feel free to use either scallions or chives based on your preference.
- Sourdough Starter discard: You’ll need 3/4 cup of sourdough discard or unfed sourdough starter for this recipe. If using discard, make sure it has been kept in the fridge for 7-10 days without feeding.
- Sour Cream (or vegan sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt): Sour cream gives the biscuits a lovely flavor when combined with the scallions. However, you can use alternative options like vegan sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt if desired.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Sourdough Biscuits
- In a large bowl, start with butter, flour, salt and baking powder. Use your fingers and break apart into uneven crumbs, no bigger than a pea. Add scallions if you like, or chives are nice too.
2. Mix 3/4 cup starter with 1/2 cup sour cream. You can also use yogurt, vegan yogurt, vegan sour cream, or buttermilk. The sour cream really gives a lovely flavor here with the scallions- just sayin’. 🙂
3. Combine and stir into a shaggy ball. Place onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with flour.
4. Knead twice- for like 2 seconds. Pat flat into a 3/4 inch rectangle. Then fold up into thirds like an envelope. Pat it down and repeat 2 times. The third time, pat the folded “envelope” into a thick rectangle 5 by 9 inches and about 1 1/2 inches thick. This folding creates tender layers.
5. Using a biscuit cutter, or sharp knife, cut the biscuit dough into 6 pieces. Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and bake until golden brown, about 20 -25 minutes. Internal temp should reach 205F.
How to serve Sourdough Biscuits
These flaky Sourdough Biscuits are perfect for making breakfast sandwiches-stuff with an egg, turkey bacon, tomato and arugula. We also love them served with soups or stews, like our Homemade Tomato Soup or our Beef Stew.
How to store Sourdough Discard Biscuits
Store the biscuits wrapped in a kitchen towel or ziplock bag on the counter for 4 days, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Sourdough Biscuit FAQS
Sourdough Starter is often referred to as “wild yeast”, made from flour and water and the wild yeast in the air around us,and it is typically used as the “yeast” when baking Sourdough Bread. The sourdough “discard” – the part of the starter that often goes to waste- can be used to make flavorful biscuits, waffles and pancakes.
Keep sourdough discard in the fridge for 7-10 days without feeding. Don’t feed the “discard” (only feed the starter that you plan to use for bread). Use the discard up in sourdough pancakes and sourdough waffles. Yes, you can add to the discard.
Yes! Simply take some out of the jar and feed it fresh water and flour.
It is most likely from expired or old baking powder. Also make sure your oven is fully preheated.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
My favorite biscuit ever!!!! Flakey, flavorful and so easy.
You May Also Enjoy
Enjoy! Such a great way to use up your sourdough starter or discard!
Print
Sourdough Biscuits Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: baked
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: northwest
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
An easy recipe for Sourdough Biscuits with scallions using discard or sourdough starter. These buttery biscuits can be made in 45 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup (180g) All-Purpose Flour (or bread flour) , fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon salt (use a little less if using salted butter)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 8 tablespoons unsalted, cold butter (or use vegan butter), cut into 1/4-inch slices. (113.5 grams) See notes!
- 1/4–1/2 cup chopped scallions or chives (optional, of course)
- 3/4 cup (170g) discard or sourdough starter, unfed
- 1/2 cup sour cream (or sub vegan sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder.
- Work in the cut cold butter into the flour using your fingers until it is unevenly crumbly, with the biggest crumbs the size of peas. Mix in the scallions if using.
- Place 3/4 cup starter and 1/2 cup sour cream in a bowl and mix with a fork ( it doesn’t have to be perfectly mixed together).
- Pour this into the flour mixture and using a fork, mix until the dough comes together into a very shaggy ball.
- Place the ball on a well-floured surface, sprinkle with flour and knead gently just to incorporate ( for 5 seconds- don’t over knead). Pat into a 6 x 10-inch rectangle. Fold up the sides into thirds like a tri-fold envelope and pat again into a 6 x10 inch rectangle. Fold up the sides into thirds again. Re-flour your work surface, adding more if needed. Pat into an 8 x 5-inch rectangle about 1 1/2 inches tall. Cut into 6 equal pieces.
- Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check at 15-20 minutes, rotating pan if necessary. Keep baking until biscuits are beautifully golden and internal temp reaches 205F.
Notes
A friend of mine makes this with 3/4 and sometimes 1/2 the butter- and it still turns out. A little less flakey but still pretty good.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 291
- Sugar: 0.6 g
- Sodium: 408.5 mg
- Fat: 18.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.4 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 4.8 g
- Cholesterol: 47.4 mg
Excellent way to use sourdough discard. These are known as sourdough “crack” dinner biscuits in our house! And I love how quickly and easily they’re made. A must try!
Thanks Caroline! Love hearing this!
These are amazing! My final rectangle is 9 x 5. I can’t go back to Mary B’s biscuits after having these. They are easy too!
Yay! Great to hear. 🙂
I have a question prior to making these. I just started my sourdough starter yesterday because I plan on bringing these biscuits to Thanksgiving and want to make a test batch before then. I really want to add cheddar and jalapeno to these, I’m curious when you suggest I add these ingredients, if I should cook the jalapenos first and if leaving some seeds in is ok? Thank you, can’t wait to try these out.
Hi April! I would add them after they rise with folding and shaping. I don’t think you need to cook the jalapenos if you slice them thinly. Seeds are fine!
Hi Sylvia. Thank you for the beautiful recipe. Have you tried replacing the butter with olive oil? Or, can the butter be replaced with olive oil?
Great question, and I have not tested this so don’t know for usre. The butter really makes a flaky biscuit…not sure how the texture would be. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
Hi. I’ve tried with olive oil but cut to 50% measure to the butter ie 60g of olive oil. It is less flaky and a little denser but taste as good. I needed it to be dairy free. Also replaced the sour cream with oat milk + lemon juice for the “buttermilk”.
Might need to adjust according to the flour. I’ve tried a few times to get a balance.
Thanks for sharing Alvin!
I’m confused with this “ 8 tablespoons unsalted, cold butter (or use vegan butter), cut into 1/4-inch slices. (113.5 grams)”… can help to explain pls? How to measure by tablespoon of a cold butter / not melted? And there is no grams conversion for the 8 tablespoons.
Thank you.
Hi Alvin- here in the US, butter ususally comes in a “stick” – and a stick of butter is usually 8 tablespoons or 113 grams.
Perfect. Thank you, Sylvia. This recipe is superb.
Great to hear Ann.:)
This is the top requested food when our daughter comes home from college. These are so delicious and they taste like they have cheese in them, but they don’t!!
Glad you are enjoying these Joelle! Thanks for the review, you are the best.❤️
These are my go-to biscuit recipe- incredible every time!
Awesome to hear Ginger!
8 days ago I started my sour dough journey by making my first starter. This morning I thought I might need to start over but I did the float test and my starter passed. Anticipating this day, I had to hurry and find a discard recipe and I remembered this one. SUCCESS! My very first sour dough creation! They were amazing!
Wonderful Darla! So happy it worked out.
Do you have any suggestions for using this biscuit recipe for strawberry shortbread? Just add a touch of sugar and maybe vanilla? (Leaving out the chives of course).
That sounds good! Yes a bit of sugar and vanilla, some lemon zest might be nice.
So good!
Is there a way to make my own buttermilk for these with almond milk and vinegar in instead of using the yogurt?
Hi Allison, you can absolutely try it. I just haven’t tested it, so I can only guess here! Are you dairy free? If so a vegan yogurt should work too.
Wow, these look great! Is it possible to start the dough the night before, then shape and bake it the next morning? That way, it could have more of the fermentation benefits and be more convenient. If so, should it be left on the counter overnight or be in the fridge? Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hi Zoey- so I love the idea of this, but the issue is that the baking powder is activated immediately. It would not work properly if it sat overnight. You could try leaving it out, and using the sourdough starter itself to rise the biscuits, but I have not personally tried this. So not sure? I think it is worth a try though! Because of the large amount of sourdough starter, I would proof it in the fridge. But I am totally 100% guessing here. Will you post back if you try this method? Very curious.
Just wanted to respond to this because I did it without the baking powder and fermented in the fridge for about 24hrs. They turned out beautifully still! I ended up making 8 instead of 6 so I think they would have risen even more if I made them bigger haha but it worked with active starter!
Great to hear Bekah- appreciate you sharing this- really helpful!
Sylvia, you’ve done it again!!
Decided to whip these up last minute last night to have with some leftover chili and they were amazing. Didn’t have scallions so I just added some shredded cheese.
Your recipes have really changed the sourdough game for me – thank you!
2 questions.. can you do a sourdough bagel recipe?! 🤤
On your no knead sourdough you do a longer rise/bulk ferment? I know that the long ferment sourdough is supposed to have more nutritional benefits… how would you go about doing this? Or does the rise over night already accomplish that?
Thanks for all your insight, love your recipes and ability to make sourdough easy to understand 🫶
Awesome to hear Kelsey- thanks for circling back and rating this! Just so I am clear…do you mean, how would you do a longer rise with these Sourdough Biscuits?
I’m obsessed with these! Do you ever make them night before and pop them in the oven in the morning?
I haven’t tried that, but I like the idea of that!
Sorry about this Wayne, it is terribly annoying isn’t it! Do you have your add blocker on?
I’ve made this multiple times with plain yogurt, sour cream, chives, green onions, and or garlic and love the sourdough flavor, rectangular biscuit shape and flakiness.When incorporating the moist ingredients with the wet I begin folding to keep the butter somewhat intact and they’re sooo flakey. Thanks!
So glad you are enjoying Nat! I like the folding technique!
Fantastic! Yours is the 3rd one I’ve tried and it’s the best. Flakey, moist, tasty
Great to hear Carol!
I made this biscuits 3 times already and it turn out so flaky every time. Great way to use my sourdough discard. 😀
Yay!
We LOVE these delicious flaky biscuits (I use chopped green onions in the dough) as a side on our soup nights! Our favorite use of discard!
So glad you are enjoying Li!
without a doubt, the best biscuit recipe out there!!! EVERYONE loves these. I have to double the recipe everytime! Easy to make and quick. I have yet to make them with any add ins like scallions or cheese, but will soon!
Great to hear Delaney!
What can I use if I don’t have yogurt , sour cream or buttermilk?
Oh Shoot Dana. You could try milk I suppose? I have not tested it with milk, the sour really adds to the flavor.
If you have milk, you can turn it into buttermilk by adding lemon juice or vinegar and letting it clabber. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk. Stir & let sit for about 5 min.
Thanks Chris!