I love making Sourdough Biscuits because they’re my favorite way to use sourdough discard. They turn out tall and flaky, and the sourdough gives them a gentle tang that regular biscuits don’t have. The tops get beautifully golden and crisp while the centers stay soft. They’re buttery, tender, and so much better than anything from the store.
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I make them for weekend family breakfasts, Southern-style dinners, and holiday brunches like Thanksgiving and Christmas because they bake quickly and feed a crowd. They’re an easy make-ahead favorite that both kids and adults love. Store them in the fridge for 4 days or freeze for 2 months.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to Make Sourdough Biscuits with Step-By-Step Instructions
Scroll down for the full recipe card containing a full printable recipe and measurements in both US customary and metric units.
I’ll show you how to whip up tangy, flaky biscuits in under 30 minutes using your discard and just a few simple ingredients.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder to evenly distribute the leavening and break up the flour’s proteins to create a lighter dough. You can use table salt or fine sea salt, since both blend easily and season the dough evenly.
For a little extra flavor, add a pinch of rosemary or your favorite herbs and spices. I always rely on this balloon whisk at this step; it combines the dry ingredients so efficiently that the dough turns out better every time.
Work in the Grated Butter
Add half of the grated cold butter (use a box grater for easier, more even shredding) to the flour mixture. Use your hands or a dough blender to work it through until everything appears to be coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces remaining. Once the liquid is added later, this evenly distributed grated cold butter will create better layers throughout.
Add the Wet Ingredients
Pour in the sourdough discard, making sure to stir in any hooch, along with the milk. You can swap the milk for whole milk or buttermilk if you prefer extra tang. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a sticky biscuit dough forms. Gentle mixing keeps the biscuits tender and prevents them from becoming dense.
Shape and Fold the Dough
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a thick rectangle about 1 inch tall using a bench scraper or even a chef’s knife if you need help shaping or lifting the dough. Sprinkle half of the remaining butter over the surface, fold the dough in half, and then add the rest of the butter and fold again.
I always use a silicone baking mat here since it gives me a nonstick surface that helps the dough fold cleanly without tearing.
Cut the Biscuits
Roll or press the dough until it’s about 2 inches thick. Cut into biscuits using a biscuit cutter for a fluffy biscuit texture, gathering the scraps and gently pressing them together to cut a few more. Place the biscuits on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, press them straight down without twisting so the edges stay sharp and the biscuits rise evenly.
Chill and Bake
Pop the tray in the refrigerator while you heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). This keeps the butter cold, so it creates steam pockets when baking. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown and the dough has risen tall.
Sourdough Biscuits
Add Preferred SourceEquipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup cold salted butter grated
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.2 cups all purpose flour, ½ cup cold salted butter, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons salt
- Add half of the grated butter. Mix with your hands or a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Pour in the sourdough discard and milk. Stir until a sticky dough forms.1 cup sourdough discard, ½ cup milk
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Press into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
- Sprinkle half of the remaining butter and fold the dough in half. Add the rest of the butter and fold again to seal it in.
- Roll or press the dough to about 2 inches thick. Cut into biscuits and place on a baking tray. Chill in the refrigerator while heating the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Freeze your butter first: Put the butter in the freezer for 15 minutes before grating so it stays cold and creates the flakiest layers without melting into the dough.
- Use cold ingredients: Make sure both your milk and sourdough discard are cold from the fridge so the butter doesn’t melt before baking, which is what creates those steam pockets and flaky layers.
- Work quickly: Handle the dough as little as possible and work fast to keep everything cold, especially on warm days when butter melts faster.
- Don’t twist the cutter: Press straight down when cutting biscuits so the edges stay sharp and clean, which helps them rise tall and even instead of lopsided.
- Space them close: Place biscuits touching or very close together on the baking sheet so they rise up instead of spreading out, creating taller biscuits with soft sides.
- Flash freeze for storage: Freeze baked biscuits on a baking sheet for 1 hour before transferring to containers or bags so they don’t stick together, and you can grab just one or two at a time.
Nutrition
How to Store Leftovers
Keep these sourdough discard biscuits in an airtight container and enjoy them within the first day for peak flakiness. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap each biscuit tightly in plastic wrap or heavy-duty foil, place it in a freezer-safe container or bag, and store it for 2 months.
When you’re ready to eat them, thaw at room temperature for about an hour, then reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to restore the crispy exterior. You can also reheat them straight from frozen by adding a few extra minutes to the oven time.
What to Serve With Sourdough Biscuits
These biscuits are incredible with sausage gravy for breakfast, or split them open and pile on fried chicken for a Southern-style dinner. They also make fantastic sides alongside creamy soups like chicken pot pie or leek and potato soup because they’re perfect for soaking up every last bit
For a simple breakfast, spread them with salted butter and your favorite jam, or make breakfast sandwiches with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. The tangy flavor also pairs beautifully with a drizzle of honey, honey butter, or apple butter during fall and winter months.
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