These fluffy, buttery sourdough biscuits are made with leftover sourdough discard, giving them a hearty flavor and tender texture. They can be made quickly for an easy breakfast, or long-fermented for added flavor and sourdough benefits.
Homemade sourdough biscuits effortlessly pair with any meal. Served with sausage gravy, they are a popular main dish for breakfast; sliced in half, they make the best egg and bacon breakfast sandwiches. Spread them with butter and homemade strawberry jam for a versatile side dish. They can even be topped with sweetened whipped cream and fresh fruit for dessert, just like this sourdough peach cobbler.
When made with sourdough discard and baked right away, these biscuits are quick and easy, while still offering great taste, texture, and nutrition from the addition of the fermented sourdough.
The long-fermented version follows a very similar process but ferments overnight before adding the leaveners. This fermentation time improves the digestion of the grains and makes the nutrients more bioavailable, yielding tender biscuits with deep flavor and lots of sourdough tang.
There’s nothing better than rustic, golden biscuits in a cast-iron skillet, which just happens to be one of my favorite sourdough baking tools.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Flavor and texture – You’ll enjoy the distinct tangy flavor of sourdough alongside the buttery and tender texture of these soft, flaky sourdough biscuits.
Better nutrition – The fermentation time provides benefits to your gut health with prebiotics, which feed your probiotics, facilitating a healthier gut microbiome. The process also frees up nutrients in the grains by breaking down phytic acid, resulting in more nutritious biscuits.
Simple and quick – An easy recipe made with simple ingredients, these fluffy biscuits have the best flavor and can be ready in about half an hour. They are also a great way to use up extra sourdough discard!
Ingredients
Flour – I use freshly milled whole wheat white flour, but you can use all-purpose flour.
Cold butter – Cold butter is much easier to work with.
Sourdough discard – For this recipe, you can use an active sourdough starter or discard. Discard will add more sourdough flavor than fed starter.
Baking powder and baking soda – Even though these are sourdough biscuits, there is no kneading like bread, so there is less gluten formation, and in return, less natural rise. The rise comes from these added leavening agents.
Milk or buttermilk – Buttermilk adds another depth of tanginess, but milk also works great.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sourdough Biscuits
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl and combine.
Step 2: Chop the cold butter into chunks and add it to the flour mixture. Cut with a pastry cutter until the butter resembles coarse crumbs.
Step 3: Add sourdough discard and buttermilk, stirring until the ingredients are incorporated.
Step 4: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, rolling it out to about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut out the biscuits using a biscuit cutter or even the rim of a glass. Gather biscuit dough scraps together and roll out again, continuing until all the dough is cut into biscuits.
Step 5: Place the cut biscuits onto a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or a greased glass baking dish.
Step 6: Bake for 14 to 20 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown.
Long-fermented Sourdough Biscuits
Step 1: Add flour and sugar to a large mixing bowl and stir. Chop cold butter into cubes and add to the flour, cutting with a pastry blender until the butter resembles coarse crumbs.
Step 2: Add the sourdough discard and buttermilk, stirring until just combined.
Step 3: Cover the bowl with a tight lid (i.e. plastic wrap, lid, beeswax wrap) and place it into the fridge for 24 hours. For best digestion, I recommend three days.
Step 4: The next day, sprinkle baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the top of the fermented dough. Incorporate well.
Step 5: On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to about 3/4 to 1 inch thick and cut out the biscuits. Cut out as many as you can, then gather the scraps and roll them out again. Continue this process until all the dough has been cut into biscuits.
Step 6: Place the biscuits into the prepared cast-iron skillet or baking sheet. Space them out if you’d like to keep them separated, as they will expand while baking. You can also keep them close together, and they can just be pulled apart after baking, which will keep the sides softer.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
Step 8: Bake biscuits for 14 to 20 minutes or until golden.
Tips
- If you have a gluten sensitivity, aim to ferment these biscuits for 24 hours.
- Incorporate cold butter with a pastry cutter, cheese grater, a couple of forks, or even your hands.
- This recipe can use an active starter or discard, and fermentation is optional.
- Cut your biscuits using a biscuit cutter, mason jar, cookie cutter, or anything round. You could also cut them into squares.
- A bench scraper is helpful for transferring the cut biscuits to the baking sheet if they are sticking.
- Add a cup of shredded cheese and some garlic powder to the dough and brush the tops of the biscuits with garlic butter for a savory, cheddar biscuit.
Recipe FAQs
Cooled biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, or refrigerated for about a week. Biscuits can also be frozen in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently reheat in the oven.
Flat biscuits are often the result of old baking powder and/or baking soda. If these ingredients are not fresh, then they may not provide a good rise. Biscuits can also be flat if the dough is overworked or the oven is not hot enough.
To add more of that delicious sourdough tang, ferment the dough longer. Making a quick biscuit will only give you a slightly sour flavor, while long fermenting the grains (12-24 hours) in a warm spot gives the wild yeast time to ferment the flour and develop that flavor.
Discard can be kept in the fridge for anywhere from one week to several months. Discard still needs to be fed occasionally to keep it from spoiling. If there are signs of mold in your discard, throw it out. For more information, I have a post all about sourdough discard.
Sourdough is so special because not only does it make the grains easier to digest, but it is also more nutritious than non-fermented grains. This is due to grains containing phytic acid, which prevents nutrient absorption. During the fermentation process, phytic acid breaks down, making the nutrients more bioavailable.
More Sourdough Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Sourdough Beignets
- Sourdough English Muffins
- Quick Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
- Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Granola
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, 280 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder, 8 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, 4 grams
- 1 tablespoon sugar, 12 grams
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, 4 grams
- 8 tablespoons cold butter, 113 grams, cut into chunks
- 1 cup sourdough discard, 250 grams
- 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk*, 122 grams, You can also use water
Instructions
QUICK
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl and combine.
- Chop the cold butter into chunks and add it to the flour mixture. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender.
- Add sourdough discard and buttermilk, stirring until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, rolling it out to about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut out the biscuits using a biscuit cutter or even the rim of a glass.
- Place the cut biscuits onto a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 14 to 20 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown.
LONG-FERMENTED
- Add flour and sugar to a large mixing bowl and stir. Chop cold butter into cubes and add to the flour, cutting with a pastry blender.
- Add the sourdough discard and buttermilk, stirring until just combined. Place a clean tea towel or sheet of plastic wrap over the bowl and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
- The next day, sprinkle baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the top of the fermented dough. Stir well.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 3/4 to 1 inch thick and cut out the biscuits. Cut out as many as you can, then gather the scraps and roll them out again.
- Place the biscuits into the prepared cast-iron skillet or baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Bake biscuits for 14 to 20 minutes or until golden.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I used all-purpose einkorn for this recipe and the dough was super sticky. I had to hand shape each biscuit and they didn’t end up rising much. They were SO DELICIOUS anyway.
The ratios of water to flour can vary with einkorn! I’m glad they turned out tasty for you.
Oh for yums sake!! I made the quick batch and am so happy to be able to use my discard for these delightful little puffs of goodness!
So glad you enjoy the recipe!
Hi! If I am going to make these using FM flour, is it a 1:1 swap for all purpose? I would use the same amount or no? Thank you!
You may have to adjust the liquid ratio and increase it depending on the type of flour you’ve milled.
I was too tired and totally did not read the instructions well, I added all the ingredients in… will it be ok to ferment overnight with the baking soda & powder in it?
It’s better to add them after, but I would try and it should work!
Hello,
Can these be made savory by adding cheese, garlic, and chives? If so, when would you recommend adding these ingredients? And what amounts?
Yes, you could add those in! I would just sprinkle in the amounts that you want and add them after most ingredients have been incorporated.
Lisa. These are outstanding biscuits. For Christmas morning I did a full 24 ferment about 8 hours on counter the rest in fridge. Amazing. Today I’m making a double batch quick version. Most will go in freezer for quick breakfast. Both ways turned Great. Thanks so much. Discard bagels are next! Tina
So glad you enjoyed them! Hope you like the bagels, too!
Hi! My dough was very sticky. So much so that I couldn’t even roll it out. Any ideas on what I could do differently next time?
Sorry you had that problem! That’s not normal. I would try making another batch. You should have better results.
Honey? I don’t see it in the ingredients, but it’s mentioned in the instructions?
You can use honey or sugar! I typically use honey.
Just started sourdough the last 6 months thanks to a friend that gifted me some starter and shared your YouTube channel with me. I have loved and tried so much on your website and shared with friends too. My husband said it’s the most fun addition to our last year haha.
Looking at this recipe…. You mention honey in the instructions, but I don’t see honey in the ingredients list. Can you share how much honey goes into this?
You can use honey or sugar! I typically use honey.
I love these biscuits, BUT I have tried to long ferment them for 24 hours twice and both times the dough turned into a sloppy mess and they tasted way too sour. I’ve made the quick version several times and they always turn out great. Today I let them ferment for about 6.5 hours and the dough was fine – not over-fermented like it was when I let it go for 24 hours. If you need to ferment for more than 8 hours for gluten sensitivity, I would refrigerate the dough after the first 8 hours.