Like many home cooks, I’ve been in my kitchen a lot over the last year and a half. As “lockdown” started here in Dallas, I was ending maternity leave, and still not ready to get back to my usual spot in the kitchen. I watched from the sidelines as the world, and many of my friends began and named sourdough starters. I gasped in awe of their perfectly baked loaves with glorious air pockets and ignored the desire to start my own. Sourdough would have to wait.
In order to bring some normalcy to our lives in those early days, I took to making a daily hot breakfast of eggs, bacon, and canned biscuits. That went on for months until our waistlines started feeling a little tighter. By that time, I was feeling the nudge to get that sourdough started.
I baked a few loaves of sourdough bread, but the perfect loaf eluded me. Instead, I took to making sourdough discard biscuits. It was a perfect way to keep my sourdough fed between bakes and gave me a regular recipe for which to use the discard.
If you haven’t yet, but your interest is piqued, I suggest heading over to King Arthur for how to get your sourdough starter going. A little more advanced in the kitchen? You’ll want to check out The Perfect Loaf for expert tips.
After a year of baking, tinkering, and figuring out my own darn oven, I think I’ve found a relatively easy recipe. (However, there is no way around it, you’ll need to play with the recipe to see what works best in your kitchen. Dough is finicky that way–once you think you have it figured out, it goes and throws a fit.)
Sourdough Discard Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1/2 c Jovial Organic Einkorn all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c organic all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 stick cold butter, salted
- 1 c sourdough starter
- 1 tbsp whole milk
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir.
- With a sharp knife, dice the cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour mixture.
- Add sourdough starter and whole milk. Stir until the dough starts to form. (Note: the milk is optional but it gives the biscuits a nice golden bake.)
- Begin to fold the dough by hand, rotating a 1/4 each time you fold. The dough may feel dry for a bit, but it will start to work together and pick up leftover flour and butter back into itself. The dough is ready to cut just before it becomes sticky again.
- With your hands, press the dough into a square on a cutting board. With a knife or biscuit cutter, cut biscuits and place onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake biscuits for 15 mins.
- Remove from oven and butter the tops of the biscuits.
Makes 6-8 biscuits.
Serve these biscuits alongside your favorite wild game sausage or stew
Confession: After a few attempts at bread, I quit trying. I’ve not baked a loaf of bread in a year. These sourdough discard biscuits hit the spot every time!
Seed Crackers: Stock the Pantry
FAQ’s for Sourdough Discard Biscuits Recipe
What are sourdough discard biscuits?
Sourdough discard biscuits are flaky homemade biscuits made using leftover sourdough starter discard instead of throwing it away. The discard adds:
Slight tanginess
Extra flavor depth
Tender texture
Better moisture
They’re a popular way to reduce waste while making simple homemade comfort food.
What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is the portion of sourdough starter removed during feeding. While it’s often called “discard,” many bakers save it for recipes like:
Biscuits
Pancakes
Crackers
Muffins
Waffles
Pizza dough
Do sourdough discard biscuits taste sour?
Usually only slightly. Most sourdough discard biscuits have a mild tang rather than a strong sour flavor, especially when balanced with butter and baking powder.
Can you use unfed sourdough starter in biscuits?
Yes. Sourdough discard biscuits are specifically designed for unfed starter discard that would otherwise be thrown away.
Do sourdough discard biscuits rise like regular biscuits?
Yes. Most recipes still rely on baking powder or baking soda for the primary rise, while the discard mainly contributes flavor and texture.
Why are my sourdough biscuits dense?
Dense biscuits are commonly caused by:
Overmixing the dough
Warm butter
Too much flour
Overworking during shaping
Old baking powder
Should butter be cold for sourdough biscuits?
Absolutely. Cold butter helps create:
Flaky layers
Better rise
Tender texture
Many bakers even freeze butter briefly before grating or cutting it into the flour.
Can you freeze sourdough discard biscuits?
Yes. You can freeze:
Unbaked biscuit dough
Fully baked biscuits
Extra sourdough discard for later recipes
Frozen unbaked biscuits are popular for quick breakfasts.
How long does sourdough discard last?
Stored in the refrigerator, sourdough discard can often last:
About 1–2 weeks comfortably
Longer in some cases depending on starter health
Older discard develops stronger sour flavor over time.
Can you make sourdough discard biscuits without buttermilk?
Yes. Common substitutes include:
Milk plus vinegar
Milk plus lemon juice
Plain yogurt thinned with milk
Kefir
Why do people love sourdough discard recipes?
Because they:
Reduce food waste
Add flavor
Stretch ingredients further
Create more homemade meals
Make sourdough maintenance feel practical
Are sourdough discard biscuits flaky?
They should be. Proper technique creates soft, flaky layers similar to classic Southern-style biscuits.
What’s the biggest mistake when making biscuits?
Overworking the dough. The more the dough is mixed and handled, the tougher the biscuits usually become.
Can beginners make sourdough discard biscuits?
Absolutely. Biscuit recipes are often one of the easiest entry points into sourdough discard baking because they:
Don’t require long fermentation
Use simple ingredients
Bake quickly
Forgive minor mistakes
Why do biscuits sometimes spread instead of rise?
Common causes include:
Butter getting too warm
Dough being overhandled
Weak baking powder
Twisting the biscuit cutter
Not chilling the dough enough
Should biscuit dough be sticky?
Slightly. Biscuit dough should feel soft and lightly shaggy rather than dry and heavily floured.
Can you make sourdough discard biscuits ahead of time?
Yes. Many people:
Refrigerate dough overnight
Freeze cut biscuits
Reheat baked biscuits later
They’re commonly used for meal prep breakfasts.
What goes well with sourdough biscuits?
Popular pairings include:
Sausage gravy
Honey
Jam
Butter
Fried eggs
Venison sausage
Bacon
Soups and stews
Why do some bakers fold biscuit dough?
Folding creates additional flaky layers by building thin sheets of butter throughout the dough.
Can you use whole wheat flour in sourdough biscuits?
Yes, though many bakers blend whole wheat with all-purpose flour to maintain a lighter texture.
How do you keep biscuits soft?
Avoid:
Overbaking
Excess flour
Overmixing
Store them sealed once cooled to help retain moisture.
Why are homemade biscuits so popular again?
Many people are returning to:
Homemade comfort food
Traditional baking
Simpler ingredients
Scratch cooking
Sourdough baking
Sourdough discard recipes fit naturally into that trend.
Are sourdough discard biscuits healthier?
That depends on ingredients and portion size, but many people appreciate:
Fewer preservatives
Homemade ingredients
Less food waste
Fermented starter use
Can you use active sourdough starter instead of discard?
Yes. Active starter generally works fine in biscuit recipes, though discard is more commonly used because biscuits don’t rely on fermentation for rise.
What’s the best texture for sourdough biscuits?
Most people want biscuits that are:
Flaky outside
Soft inside
Buttery
Light
Tender
Slightly crisp on top
Why do people save sourdough discard now instead of throwing it away?
Because discard recipes exploded in popularity during the sourdough baking resurgence. Many bakers realized discard can become genuinely great food instead of kitchen waste.
This recipe calls for two Tbsp (tablespoons) of baking powder but I think it’s meant to be 2 Tsp (teaspoons). Two tbsps left a bitter aftertaste in the biscuits – not inedible but enough to be unpleasant.