What makes a biscuit “good” is truly in the eye of the beholder. Some want a fluffy, yeasty biscuit that’s almost a dinner roll (lots of leavener, no layers of butter). Some want a biscuit dough that can be mixed up and dropped on a sheet pan in less than ten minutes (lots of liquid and fat—Fanny Farmer called this cakey style “emergency biscuits”.) I want a biscuit that’s cut from a tender-yet-sturdy, almost laminated dough that bakes up so flaky and tall that each one nearly collapses on itself. These sourdough starter discard biscuits, with butter and sour cream, scratch that very itch.
Tall, tender, and layers upon layers of flaky goodness. Photo by Rebecca Firkser.
I personally grew up on scones (good ones that are rich and tender—not dry and crumbly), and eventually realized that the main difference between those scones and the kind of biscuit I like was the inclusion of egg in the former (yielding a slightly cakier texture). A dough that makes a crisp-outside soft-inside biscuit with pull-apart layers falls somewhere in between those scones and one that could be folded into a flaky pie crust. And really, all you need to begin is 1-2-3.
Start With A 1-2-3 Biscuit Method
Many common baked goods can be made with ratios of standard ingredients like flour, fat, liquid, eggs, and sugar. Formal recipes are then developed as a result of using those ratios as a jumping-off point, sometimes even tweaking the settled ratios to zoom in on one aspect of a bake—for example, a higher ratio of fat can make a richer dough. There are a handful of “1-2-3” biscuit ratios (confusing!), but in the past I’ve had success with a method of 1 part fat to 2 parts liquid to 3 parts flour (by weight), so that’s what I used for this recipe, factoring in both liquid and flour content of my sourdough starter discard, and the fat and liquid of my sour cream and butter.
To keep this recipe straightforward, I started with the main event: the sourdough starter. I wanted to make use of 220 grams (about 1 cup) of starter discard. That would mean I had 110 grams (about ½ cup) each of flour and water to factor into my ratio.
Some dry flour was certainly needed to help bring structure to these sourdough discard biscuits, and I didn’t want them to be too small, so I decided I would add 250 grams (2 cups) of all-purpose flour into the mix. That would make a total of 360 grams flour. Going off of the 1-2-3 ratio, that would mean landing on a total of 240 grams of liquid and 120 grams fat.
Sour Cream and Butter Bring Moisture and Fat
Since the starter discard adds significant moisture and tang, I decided to get my additional liquid (and some fat) from a thicker dairy product—in this case, sour cream, and the bulk of the fat (and some additional liquid) from butter.
American-style butter is about 80% fat and 20% water; sour cream is 18% fat and 73% water. (European-style butter has a slightly higher fat and lower water content, but the difference would be just a few grams, so the recipe will not change between butters!)
To calculate those amounts, I hate to say it, involved a few algebraic equations. At the risk of boring you, I’ll simply say this resulted in 113 grams (½ cup, 1 stick) of unsalted butter and 143 grams (10 tablespoons) sour cream. The moisture from those amounts of ingredients, plus the water content in the starter discard added up to 240 grams, and the fat landed at 116 grams, just shy of the ratio’s dictated 120 grams. I called it a day.
Warm biscuits from the oven with jam is the perfect way to start the day. Photo by Rebecca Firkser.
Use Fed or Unfed Starter Discard
Since the biscuits are quickly chemically leavened with baking powder and soda, the starter discard used in the dough can be ripe, loose in texture, and room temperature; cold and more stiff from a recently fed and chilled starter; or loose and cold from a starter discard cache. As these different consistencies can affect how your starter fills a measuring cup, I always choose to measure it by weight as opposed to volume.
I feed my 20 grams of starter with 100 grams water, 70 grams all purpose flour, and 30 grams rye flour, so it took two feedings to get the amount needed for the recipe (with a bit leftover for a new round of discard cache).
Cut, Stack, and Press Down the Dough For Tall and Flaky Biscuits
For biscuits that are visually reminiscent of laminated pastry (produced by repeatedly rolling and folding to make thin layers of dough separated by fat), use a variation on the technique. Whereas lamination typically involves paper-thin layers of solid fat between the rest of the dough, here the fat is incorporated into the dough before performing the trick that makes the layers. You can more directly mimic lamination with biscuit dough by rolling out the dough fairly thinly with a rolling pin, folding it over itself into thirds, then repeating.
Sourdough biscuit dough quarters stacked and pressed out to create layers. Photo by Maurizio Leo.
I prefer to save myself the trouble of dirtying a rolling pin by gently pressing down the dough with my hands, cutting the dough into quarters (with a floured knife, see more on that below), stacking the quarters on top of each other, then repeating. That said, if you’d prefer to use a rolling pin instead of your hands to press the dough, it works great too.
Cut the Dough into Rectangles with a Floured Knife
Traditional biscuits are often round, punched out with a biscuit cutter from a rolled-out mass of dough. While many biscuit cutters are thin enough to slice through the dough, exposing those folded layers, a thicker cutter or round glass are too dull, and will actually smush and condense the dough, preventing the biscuits from rising and tall. What’s more, cutting the dough into rectangles, as opposed to punched-out rounds, means you won’t have to re-roll the dough scraps to make all of the biscuits—rerolling dough can overwork it, causing a tougher end product.
Rectangular biscuits eliminate scrap dough. Photo by Rebecca Firkser.
Using a knife (dipped in flour to prevent sticking) will provide the most sharp cut, and a bench scraper a close second choice. You’ll first use the knife to cut the dough into quarters for stacking and pressing to make the layers, then you’ll use it to cut the final biscuits. But before cutting out those rectangles, trim the edges of the full mass of dough as well—this will ensure the biscuits rise tall on all four sides. I like to press together those scraps into one more biscuit, which bakes off a little less uniform but no less tasty.
Heat the oven to 450ºF with a rack in the center. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the starter discard and the sour cream until combined. Place the refrigerator.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
Toss the butter cubes into the flour mixture to coat them in the powder. Use your fingers to press the butter into thin shards, then continue to work it into the flour mixture until it forms chickpea and lentil-sized pieces.
Drizzle the wet mixture over the sourdough mixture, using a fork to mix together into a shaggy dough. Knead the dough a couple times in the bowl just to bring it together.
Dust a work surface with more flour. Dump out the dough. Gently pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick square.
Use a floured knife or bench scraper to cut the dough square into quarters. Stack the quarters on top of each other, then use your hands or a lightly floured rolling pin to press them down into a 1-inch-thick square. Repeat.
Use your hands or a lightly floured rolling pin to gently press and roll out the dough into a 1 ½-inch thick rectangle. Use a floured knife or bench scraper to carefully trim the outer edge of the dough, re-flouring after each cut. Cut the rectangle into 6 even pieces, re-flouring after each cut. Gently press together the trimmed pieces to make one more biscuit, which will bake off a little less uniform but no less tasty.
Sourdough biscuits cut and ready for baking.
Divide the biscuits evenly on the prepared sheet pan.
Bake the biscuits until puffed and deeply golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then serve warm.
Notes
If the flour and liquid mixture is too dry, (conservatively) add a little sour cream to help it come together.
Sourdough Discard Biscuits FAQs
Can I make these biscuits in advance?
While you can reheat a baked biscuit, the best way to prep biscuits in advance is to freeze them cut and raw. The process is the same as for drop biscuits, scones, cookies, and other similar baked goods: Freeze unbaked biscuits on a parchment-lined sheet pan until solid, about 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, follow the recipe as written, knowing the biscuits may take an extra 5 to 10 minutes to account for defrosting.
Baked biscuits can also be frozen first on a parchment-lined sheet pan until solid, then transferred to a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost, then reheat in a 350ºF oven until warmed through.
What If I don’t have enough starter discard?
If you don’t have the called-for 220 grams of starter discard, and it’s not yet time to re-feed your starter, you can supplement the needed amount with equal weights of more dry flour and fresh water or milk.
Can these biscuits be made vegan?
I can’t guarantee the same results, but if there are brands of vegan butter and sour cream that you feel confident baking with, feel free to give them a try in this recipe.
Can I make these biscuits more sweet or savory?
These biscuits do have some sugar and salt, but are fairly neutral in terms of flavor. To push them more firmly into the sweet realm, consider adding about 1 teaspoon or warm spices like cinnamon or cardamom, and sprinkle the tops of each biscuit with more sugar (you can brush the top with a bit of milk or beaten egg if you have it to help the sugar adhere).
To make them more savory, try 1 teaspoon of savory spices or a spice blend, like ground cumin, coriander, or za’atar; and sprinkle the top of each biscuit with a bit of flaky salt (keep the sugar in the recipe, it helps to balance the sourdough’s tang).
Can I swap in another dairy product for the sour cream?
This recipe was specifically developed for sour cream’s specific fat to water ratio. Since other dairy products have different ratios of fat to water, as well as differing consistencies, they could change the dough’s texture and biscuit’s flavor. While heavy cream, milk, or buttermilk are too loose for this dough, full-fat Greek yogurt or ricotta would be the best substitutes for sour cream.
Can I use a biscuit cutter to punch out round biscuits?
If you’d prefer round biscuits, you can use a biscuit cutting to punch out rounds, rerolling and cutting the dough as needed to make them all—but see above for why I recommend cutting into rectangles with a knife.
