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
Why You Will Love SourDough 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.
Ingredients In Sourdough Biscuits
Ingredient Notes
- 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.
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’. 🙂
Combine and stir into a shaggy ball. Place onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with flour.
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.
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.
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.
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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 1x
- 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
Fantastic! Best biscuit I’ve ever eaten or made.
yay Joan!
Quick question, where can I find the ’60 second video’? There’s no link at the top where it says, ‘sourdough biscuits | 60-second video’.
Also, these look divine and I plan to make them soon!
Hi Sylvi- check your browser settings to make sure your ad blocker is not on. 🙂
Came out great the first time! Great recipe and instructions. I wasn’t expecting the dough to be quite that wet, but the “well-floured” part made that manageable. Thanks for sharing this!
I just made these (added shredded Cheddar cheese as well) and they are AMAZING!! Melt in your mouth!
Thanks so much Lacie-glad you liked these.
I made these today. My bride of 59 years says that they are her new faves. I liked them as well. I had forgotten that citizens of the US call scones ‘biscuits’ and these have a definite sconelike texture. I’ll make these for the grand-daughters when they come round for morning tea next Saturday. The missus (my bride of 59 years) says that they will love them and I think so too.
Instead of sour cream, I used tzatziki sauce that I had on hand and threw in maybe 2/3 cup of hard chedder cheese… WOW.. so good!
Awesome recipe! I added cheese and black pepper.
Can you freeze the dough for later? I make them all the time but it would be great if I could pull some out here and there?
Great question! I haven’t tried freezing… but don’t see why not?
After baking, what about the left overs storage, does it need refrigerated or can it be left out over night?
Leave out overnight is fine- either in zip lock back or wrapped in a towel.
Thank you😊
What works best is if you flash freeze them uncooked and then place them in a zip lock bag and fully freeze them.
Oh great! good to know, thanks Michelle!
Love the recipe. I would like to know how to double the recipe. Do I need to just double everything?
Yup! 🙂
You said, ” If the discard starts to get a dark liquid on top (10-14 days) this is usually a clear sign it’s time to throw it out.
This isn’t necessary. The liquid is “Hooch” and should be stirred back into the discard. This is ethyl alcohol produced along with carbon dioxide by the yeast which imparts flavor to the mix and feeds the bacteria that produce the citric acid which gives the sourdough it’s name. When you have that liquid you have a tasty starter or batch of discard.
Thanks Martin- I didn’t know that. I have always poured it off. To be clear, I’m not talking about clear liquid, I stir that in, but if any liquid gets dark, like dark grey, is this OK to mix back in?
Yes you are right..I sometimes get the liquid on top too..I either stir it back in or pour it out n add same amount water back in.
Awesome, I have even substituted the butter for 1/2 olive oil and half grape seed oil. Threw in some shredded cheddar and yummo
Super simple recipe for a delicious savory treat! This is my first sourdough discard recipe I have used, and it did not disappoint.
These were quick to make and absolutely delicious. I used 2% yogurt. Curious if you have tried reducing the amount of butter? It’s more than a tablespoon per biscuit right now! 😬
Hi Tia, I have a friend who reduces the butter by half I think. Give it a try??
oh good to know! will try again with 6 tablespoons. 🙂
Buttery, flaky, and easy to make. Delicious. I can see myself making a batch of these every week.
These are fantastic! Making them for the second time. Used 1/4 c small diced onions and 1/4 c freeze dried chives. Thank you for sharing this 🙂 Adding to my “favourites” cookbook for sure.
I absolutely love this recipe. I typically add rosemary and black pepper with half whole wheat and half white flour. If my kids are home, coconut oil replaces the butter, but they are just as good! The best!
Awesome! 🙌
I was so excited to make these and when I did, must say a little disappointed. They didn’t rise at all.
Hey Jenni, did you add the baking powder?
Yummy! I added cheddar and wow…thank you
Great recipe! Flaky, flavorful, and fun to make. A wonderful way to use up sourdough discard.
Awesome- great to hear Sarah!
Another excellent sourdough recipe from Sylvia! I followed the recipe exactly except that I froze the butter first and then grated it with a large-holed grater. I bet these would be good with fresh rosemary too. Absolutely delicious!
Looks great! I am feeding the starter my neighbor gave me…so looking ahead at recipes for the discard. Can this recipe be doubled and turn out well? I feel like I am going to have a lot of discard!
Yes, feel free to double!
Thanks!! We are all looking forward to these!
Used this as my first sourdough discard recipe. They turned out perfectly and so easy to make!
I tried it today. I added garlic powder, Italian herb seasoning and nutritional yeast. Best biscuit I have ever made! Thinking of making for my friend. Can I make more and freeze them in the freezer? If yes, how long can they last in the freezer?
Thank you.
If wrapped tightly, 6 months. Place in the oven to crisp up again.
Hi, I collect discard after feeding my starter and keep it in a sealed jar in my fridge for use in baking (primarily crumpets). Do you thing this would be OK to use in this recipe? Thank you 🙂
Yes!
Awesome! Thank you 🙂
Amazing!! So yummy and flaky! I substituted mayonnaise and a bit if water for the sour cream (mental note to actually check ingredients beforehand so you aren’t halfway through and scrambling) I also added in some cheddar cheese! They were so great!