Ever wonder what to do with the sourdough starter you discard when you feed it? It has many uses! Here’s one: delicious biscuits. Adapted from Brot Bakehouse's Sourdough Biscuits.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (or use ¼ rye or whole wheat flour and ¾ all-purpose flour)
- 1½ tablespoons (20g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6g) salt
- 2 sticks (227g) unsalted butter, dairy or vegan, cool room temperature
- 1 cup (275g) sourdough discard (can be straight from the fridge), or use ripe starter—with this you could ferment the batter overnight
- ¼ to ½ cup (100 to 120g) full-fat yogurt (cow or soy) or approximately ¼ cup (50 to 70g) buttermilk—the amount you use depends on your flour
- Optional: melted salted butter, cream, or soy milk for brushing and coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 430°F and position the rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir the baking powder, flour, and salt. Using your fingers to disperse the butter in the flour, mix until it is well incorporated. Some large pieces of butter may remain. Place in the fridge to cool down.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard and yogurt.
Add the discard mixture to the flour mixture and fold until a slack dough is formed. You may repeat this process two or three times, placing the dough in the fridge between mixings to keep it cold. You may wrap the dough at this point and store overnight in the fridge for a morning bake.
When ready to bake, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold gently just until the dough comes together. Pat into a rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut out about 12 squares or triangles.
Place biscuits 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with melted butter, cream, or soy milk and sprinkle with a few flakes of coarse sea salt if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool a few minutes, then serve warm. The biscuits can be frozen and reheated in the oven.
Tip: If you like extra tender biscuits, use half of the sourdough.
