Flaky Sourdough Discard Biscuits

4.75 from 8 votes

Flaky Sourdough Discard Biscuits

Flaky, buttery, and full of flavor, these sourdough discard biscuits are quick to make and the best way to use up extra starter.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Sara Smith | Eat Dessert Snack

Ingredients

2½ cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup salted butter
½ cup sourdough discard/starter
¾ cup milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
In a bowl, combine 2½ cups all purpose flour , 3 teaspoons baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt.
Grate ½ cup salted butter (COLD) into the bowl using a cheese grater (can be frozen or refrigerated, not room temp, see note 1). You can also cut into small pea sized pieces.
Add in ½ cup sourdough discard/starter (See note 2) and ¾ cup milk and stir together until a dough forms. It should be soft and not be too wet, if it is dry and super crumbly add 1-2 Tablespoons (or more) if needed.
Flatten the dough to 1-2 inches thick and split it in to 2-3 flat pieces. Stack them on top of each other before rolling out. (See note 3)
Roll out the dough to about 1 inch thick, then cut with a glass or biscuit cutter. A 6 cm biscuit cutter will yield 13-15 biscuits, a 7 cm circle will make about 12 biscuits.
Lay the biscuits at least 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or baking spray.
Optional: brush tops of biscuits with beaten egg before baking for shiny golden tops.
Bake at 450℉ for 10 minutes, until golden on top.

Notes

Note 1: Cold butter is essential for the flaky layers. Using room temperature butter will melt into the flour and the biscuits won't be as flaky, they'll be more fluffy and bready like drop biscuits.

Note 2 : Cold discard can yield a stiffer dough, room temperature will make a slightly wetter, less stiff dough. I use discard that is the texture of pancake batter, not very thick, not very runny and usually room temperature.

Note 3: Stacking and then rolling out the biscuit dough is a very basic form of lamination. This helps some nice flaky layers form in the biscuits.

Make ahead & freeze:

1. Follow the recipe to make the dough.
2. Roll and cut the biscuits.
3. Freeze for 30 minutes on a baking sheet (no edges touching) before transferring to a freezer safe container to freeze.
Freeze for up to 3 months, then you can bake from frozen for 12-14 minutes.

Nutrition