Quick to whip up and freezer friendly, make this Easy Sourdough Discard Biscuits Recipe using your sourdough discard from a Sourdough Bread Starter! Buttery, soft, light and fluffy, these are the star at the breakfast table. This recipe is vegetarian and easily vegan.
A quintessential comfort food, easy sourdough biscuits are so simple to pull together. The wow factor comes from the sourdough discard incorporated into the dough. So hang on to that discard! It’s a practical way to use up sourdough discard tucked away in the back of the refrigerator in biscuits, banana muffins, pancakes and cookies!
Ingredients for Homemade Sourdough Biscuits
With a few pantry staples, this sourdough biscuit recipe can be whipped up in no time. Make them dairy full or dairy free! Here’s what you’ll need to make these sourdough starter biscuits (for full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below):
- All Purpose Unbleached Flour – I use Bob’s Red Mill
- Salt
- Baking Soda and Powder – aluminum free
- Sugar
- Cold Unsalted Butter or Vegan Butter
- Sourdough Discard – 100% Hydration
- Dairy or Plant Milk – I use homemade Cashew Milk
The images taken on this post are biscuits made with with dairy butter. The vegan biscuits I tested look similar, although a little less golden, but taste fabulous!
Table of Contents
Quick Guide: How to Make Sourdough Discard Biscuits from Scratch
Get out your largest mixing bowl, favorite flour, bench scraper and biscuit cutter! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and make room in the freezer. In summary, here’s how to make the fluffiest sourdough discard biscuit recipe (for full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below):
- First, whisk the sourdough discard and milk together.
- Second, in another bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and soda.
- Third, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients.
- Fourth, make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the sourdough starter/milk mixture. Gently mix, scooping up, folding and pressing the dough.
- Fifth, knead a few times until a cohesive dough forms. Roll or pat the dough out into about a 3/4″ thick disk. Cut the biscuits.
- PRO TIP: Next, freeze the biscuits for at least 15 minutes.
- Last, bake the biscuits until lightly golden.
Best of all, these easy sourdough biscuits can go straight from freezer to oven! A triumph!
Things for Slathering
- Easy Rhubarb Freezer Jam
- Homemade Pumpkin Butter
- Blueberry Jam
- Easy Blueberry Compote
- Honey – look for local and if possible at the farmers market
- Tomato Shallot Jam by Floating Kitchen
- Stewed Apples – diced small
- Rhubarb Maple Conserve
- Blood Orange Jam by The View From Great Island
Can You Freeze Sourdough Biscuits?
SOURDOUGH BISCUIT DOUGH:
Yes! Simply cut the dough into biscuits, lay on a parchment lined sheet pan then freeze. Once frozen, transfer the biscuits to a freezer container and store in the freezer for up to three weeks. Best of all, homemade sourdough biscuits go from freezer to oven with beautiful results!
PREVIOUSLY BAKED BISCUITS:
Yes! After baking the sourdough biscuits, allow them to cool completely. Once cool, transfer the biscuits to a freezer container and store in the freezer for up to three weeks. Thaw biscuits at room temperature, then wrap the biscuits in foil and rewarm. Also, you can slice the biscuit in half and toast them!
Related: Use your sourdough starter to make the most fabulous Seeded Multigrain Sourdough Bread or Everyday Sourdough Bread!
A Few Recipe Notes
- Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits: To boost the sourness of these biscuits, and to DIY buttermilk, add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into the milk and sourdough discard mixture.
- Vegan / Dairy Free Sourdough Biscuits: Yes Please! Use vegan butter (I tested this recipe with Earth Balance) and reduce the salt in the recipe to 1/4 tsp. Also, use plant milk. I like homemade unsweetened cashew milk, half diluted with water.
- Need a Sourdough Starter? I have a how to make a Sourdough Starter for you (so easy!).
- Work quickly when working the butter into the flour. The butter should remain cold and pliable throughout the mixing process. If the butter starts getting melty, pop the whole bowl in the freezer (before adding any liquid) for about 10 minutes.
- When kneading the dough, use a folding and pressing motion, scooping up bits of flour and butter from the bottom of the bowl and pressing the dough over and on top of itself. This helps build fluffy layers.
- Handle the dough as little as possible to get it to the cohesive mass for cutting. It’s okay if it’s a bit messy.
Biscuit Making Tools
Tools I use to whip this sourdough biscuit recipe up in a flash! (these are affiliate links)
More Sourdough Discard Recipes to Love
- Sourdough Oat Pancakes
- Vegan Sourdough Discard Pancakes
- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Discard Scones
- Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Sourdough Banana Muffins
- Sourdough Strawberry Shortcakes
Easy Sourdough Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 C (155g) Sourdough Discard
- 1 C (230g) Milk plant or dairy - I use unsweetened homemade cashew milk 1/2 diluted with water
- 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar optional - for a little more sourness
- 2 3/4 C (420g) Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbs Cane Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Fine Sea Salt use 1/4 tsp if using vegan butter* (see note)
- 1 1/2 Stick (175g / 3/4 C) Unsalted Butter or Vegan Butter (like Earth Balance), cold, just from the fridge, cut into 1/2" pieces
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Make room in the freezer for the sheet pan.
- In a spouted measuring cup add sourdough discard, milk and optional apple cider vinegar. Whisk. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and soda. To the flour mixture, add cold butter. I like using my hands here, but a fork or pastry cutter may be used instead. Start incorporating the butter pinching and mashing the butter pieces in between your fingers, working quickly so the butter stays cold. The point is to coat the butter in flour, pinching and tossing the pieces. Once the flour and butter is incorporated, there should be small (pea size) and larger pieces (almond size) of butter remaining, coated in flour. If the butter starts to melt, put the whole bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm the butter back up.
- Make a well in the center of the flour/butter mixture and pour in the sourdough starter/milk mixture, reserving a few tablespoons. Gently mix, scooping up, folding and pressing the dough. Add the remaining milk and incorporate it into the dough if the mixture seems a little dry.
- Once the dough forms a cohesive mass, flour your work surface and turn the dough out. Flour the top of the dough and knead it a few times (folding and pressing) until a cohesive dough forms. Pat and form the dough into a round. Lightly flour the top again and roll or pat the dough out into about a 3/4" (1.9cm) thick disk. Cut the biscuits with a 2 1/2" (6.3cm) biscuit cutter and transfer them to the parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Freeze the biscuits for at least 15 minutes. At this point the biscuits can be frozen solid, and held in a lidded container for up to three weeks. Bake partially frozen and completely frozen biscuits the same, straight from the freezer.
- While the biscuits are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 375F (190C) and arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the biscuits straight from the freezer on a parchment lined sheet pan for 17-19 minutes or until golden. The internal temperature will be between 190F-200F when done (87C-93C). Share warm, right out of the oven.
- Store baked biscuits at room temperature in a covered container for up to two days or in the freezer for up to three weeks. Biscuits are best right out of the oven, but if needed, they can be gently reheated at 350F (175C) for about 10-15 minutes. Wrap in foil when reheating to retain their softness.
I made a gluten free version of these biscuits by using my mature GF starter, which I feed with either superfine brown rice or sorghum flours. I subbed Cup4Cup GF flour for the AP flour in this recipe. These biscuits turned out great and rose so high with beautiful flaky layers! I baked 4 for my small family and put the rest in a freezer bag to bake from frozen for fresh biscuits whenever we want them. Yum!
Planning to try the recipe for the cranberry orange sourdough scones next with the same GF substitutions.
Hiii Melissa! Thank you for sharing your success with us and your tips! I bet they tasted amazing! Can’t wait to hear about the scones. Please keep us posted!
Can you use discard from day 3 of the starter?
Hi Monisha! I would wait until your starter is fully developed simply because I don’t think the flavor would be favorable. I hope this helps!
These are INCREDIBLE! And so easy to make. I didn’t cut the biscuits out, I just rolled the dough into a rectangle and then pre-scored/sliced the dough into squares before baking and they came out perfect and so easy to pull apart!
Thank you for sharing this recipe with us, definitely going to be a staple in our house!
SO happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Amanda! Thank you for sharing your tips about the pull apart biscuits (droooling!) !
This is my go to recipe for biscuits. I keep a stash of them in my freezer at all times. They bake up perfectly two at a time from frozen in my toaster oven for fresh biscuits several days a week.
SO happy to hear Andrea! Oh myyyy a stash in the freezer at all times is such a delight! Thank you for your note and recipe rating :D
Love these biscuits! I use the vegan variety with earth Balance buttery sticks and soy milk. I made them as drop biscuits the first time, second time cut with my pastry knife. Also, the second time, I added jalapeños, scallions, and a little nutritional yeast for a vegan jalapeño cheese biscuit- divine. Thank you!!!
Hi Kate! Thank you for your note and sharing your mouthwatering tips. Hooray for delicious vegan sourdough biscuits! I gotta give those drop biscuits a go :D
What could I use instead of sourdough discard ?
I made these using GF AP flour –
the flavor was good but I didn’t get much rise at all.
Does that mean the starter discard just wasn’t ready/yeasty enough?
its a newbie
Hi there Mr Downing! Thank you for your note. I’m sorry these didn’t work for you, but I see you used a GF AP flour. Unfortunately because I’ve not made these with a GF flour, I’m unable to say it was the flour as baked recipes are specifically formulated for the type of flour used. Sometimes, unfortunately, gluten full flour to gluten free is not always a one to one swap, although it does work sometimes. Did you use gluten free sourdough starter too? I’m curious about your baking powder… is it fresh?
I made the perfect biscuits this week. Perfect! Best biscuits I have ever had in my life. I am known for not being able to wash windows or make biscuits. I live at 7,600 feet and my biscuits are like rock solid pancakes normally. So, I followed this recipe except I decreased the baking powder to 1 tsp and the baking soda to 1/2 tsp with no vinegar because I used buttermilk. I have my own sourdough starter that I tend to randomly. I made the dough with a pastry cutter so I wouldn’t melt the butter, folded it 5 or six times when it was ready to knead, and then cut the biscuits. I froze them completely. I baked them at 375F for 22 minutes (till just turning golden). They were perfect! I am making a ton of them to freeze for the holidays as we will have a houseful (of appropriately quarantined family members). This recipe is awesome! Thanks
Hooray for perfect biscuits, Bonnie! Thank you for your note and sharing your journey with us! No doubt stocking the freezer for the holidays is such a great idea to share with your quarantined family. :D I hope everyone enjoys them too!
These turned out so good! My 12-year old declared I must make them every time I feed my sourdough! Great recipe. Really easy to follow. Thanks!
Hi Jen! Hooray and yes to every time (LOL)! So happy you’re and your little one are enjoying these tasty biscuits!
I figured out you can freeze the butter for a few minutes and then use the cheese grater to add it to the flour and that makes it quick and easy.
Thanks for the tip, Beverly!
I have made these twice. They are delicious and super easy
Hooray! Hooray, Avra! Thank you for your note… so happy to hear!
would you recommend using sourdough discard that is fresh and at its peak? (Like you would for a loaf) for instance, I keep all my sourdough discard in a mason jar in my fridge for a couple of days till I decide what to do with it. It still is airy and the cold slows the fermentation. Would that be okay to use?
Hi Tiffany! I don’t see why not… I’ve been playing with that scenario with SD pancakes and I’ve not noticed a difference. Please keep us posted!
I have made these several times now. I can not get the rise
From them. I am diligent about not turning my cutter.
Any suggestions? Other then the rise we live the flavor and ease.
Hi Ronica! Thank you for your note! So happy to hear your enjoying the flavor and ease of these biscuits. With regards to rise, I’m wondering if the bs or bp is expired or has lost its potency? The Kitchn has a good resource for testing your https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-test-if-baking-soda-or-baking-powder-is-expired-tips-from-the-kitchn-111759 leaveners potency. I’d start there.
That was my next guess. I know I purchased these at Christmas time.
I have tried lots of different SD biscuit recipes, and this one is my favorite! Whipped up a batch tonight to go with beef stew and my daughter couldn’t quit raving about them. I’m so excited I’ve finally found a recipe that I’m happy with. I love that I don’t have to make a sponge the night before. This will definitely be my go-to biscuit recipe.
Hi Cheryl! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! So happy to hear it’s your go-to recipe!
Looking forward to more great recipes using sourdough starter. I look forward to using my starter & bake LOTS of biscuits, pancakes & bread!!
It’s taken me a month to finally get a starter that’s growing. I live in the Rocky Mountain high altitude (above 8,000′) and had a lot of problems.
Home too cold so starter was not growing. Changed to filtered water even though water here is wonderful. Changed to a larger glass jar & using cheesecloth. Added 1/4c of whole wheat flour with 3/4c all purpose unbleached white.
And now, it sits in my oven (no heart!!) For 24 hours. And it stays at 71° (thanks to my Chef son too!)
After 3 days, finally starting to grow (bubbles in dough!) Feel very hopeful now that within 5+ days, I’ll have a strong sourdough starter.
Hooray for your starter to grow, and your diligence! You’ll be baking in no time!
I have found that my perfect temperature for rising bread and growing starter is my oven with the door propped open about an inch or two. The oven light brings the temp in there up to perfect. Try that!
Such a great tip Bonnie!
Thank you for creating a recipe with 1/2 cup of starter and not 1 whole cup!! I was searching and searching this morning because I only had 1/2 a cup! They’re in the oven right now!
Hooray! So happy to hear Morgan! I hope you enjoy the biscuits!
Do you have to freeze them before bake?
Really good recipe: so much flavor.
Thank you for your note, Rachel! So happy to hear!
Gave this recipe a try the other night when I had extra leaven left over (isn’t that considered discard?). My husband declared that if I wasn’t already married, he would propose. And he placed a request for me to make a huge batch and freeze. Thanks for the great recipe.
Hi Amy! I LOL when I read your note! So happy to hear y’all are enjoying the recipe. Extra leaven = discard! You got it! Thank you for your note and here’s to a HUGE batch next time! lol!
These look delicious, I was wondering what flours you would recommend to make these gluten free?
Hi H! Thank you for your note. You’d first have to start with a GF sourdough starter, then start experimenting! Maybe try a GF 1-1 flour instead of regular AP flour. Sounds like I need to develop a GF sourdough biscuit recipe!
Yes would love to see a GF biscuit recipe!
Hi Meghan … thank you for your note! I’m working on it! ;D
These were delicious! I love that they can be baked from frozen. Would like to play around with my gluten free starter with these!
Hi Mariah! SO happy to hear! Thank you for your note, giving the recipe a go and rating! Keep us posted with your experiments. I’m inspired :D
My first attempt at biscuits using my sourdough starter was successful, but time intensive. I’m sure it was a combination of my slow mixing and my texting my sister who was admitting Mom into hospital, but I’ll try it again & see if it speeds up! Gluten free biscuits, Yeah! Oh, and I froze 2 dozen, so that’ll be a great time saver!
I took pictures, but can’t copy them here. 😋 🤨
Hi Catina! So you made gluten free biscuits with this recipe? We’d love to hear what flour you used and any modifications you made! I hope your mom is okay ❤️
One other question, do you use your starter straight from the fridge or do you feed first? Thanks
Hi Trish! Use starter straight from the fridge.
thanks so much, I have just started using sour dough . I appreciate the help.
Can you use buttermilk for the milk?
Hi Trish… while I’ve not tried it, I wouldn’t hesitate using it. Hold out a few tablespoons and if the dough feels like it could use a bit more hydration, add it. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Trish – I always use buttermilk (leave out the lemon juice). I’ve also had to resort to using self-rising flour (I’m in SC – there was one Lilly White Flour on the shelf; try to reserve some of my all purpose) and that worked just fine as well – still light and tasty 😋
Hi Lalita! Thank you for your note and sharing your tips. So happy you’re enjoying the biscuits!
We made these biscuits last weekend and they came out great! The texture is spot on, tender and flaky. I loved watching them bake and see the butter melt, creating an awesome crust. They taste delicious too. Our sour dough starter is young so I’m curious to see if they biscuits will have more sough dough flavor as the starer ages.
We included the apple cider vinegar but I don’t think it’s necessary (as the directions indicated), so next time we make them we’ll probably skip it to see if we miss it.
We baked them completely and stored them in the freezer. They re-heat lovely, with just a few seconds in the microwave.
We will definitely be making them again! Thank you for sharing!!
Hiii Tina! Thank you for your note, rating and giving the biscuits a go! So happy you enjoyed the biscuits!
How scrumptious do these look?! So perfect for the Thanksgiving table Traci. Love your new photo and about me video! So nice to see you in the video! Well done!
Great ! I come back from my honeymoon to the States and I tasted the biscuits buttermilk (I seen a lot of recipes on the blogs but in France, we don’t have these biscuits)
I love that ! Thanks for this recipe
I hope taste it soon
Have nice day
Elodie
These looks great, Traci. I love anything sourdough and I don’t think I’ve ever had a sourdough biscuit. Looking forward to trying these. Love that you can freeze them – that’s a great tip. These would be great for Thanksgiving! You could make them ahead and then warm them up before dinner. Pinning!
Oh myyyy they’re soooo nice, Geraldine! They give already SO delicious biscuits a little more somethn’ – as if biscuits could be any better! Having some in the freezer make whipping these up even easier! Thank you for pinnin, G!
Why do you have “sourdough discard”? If you only feed the starter with the amount of starter you’ll need for the recipe, then there’s never any discard. I save about a quarter cup of starter and if I need 200 grams of starter, I add 100 grams flour and 100 grams water. No discard.
Hi Joy! Thank you for your note. I use discard to add flavor to all kinds of recipes, when not relying on a ‘ripe’ starter for leavening. So, I always make a little more starter than I need and store it in the fridge until I’m ready to make pancakes, waffles, or crackers for example. That way I always have some discard on hand, and I don’t have to wait for a starter to ripen when I need a bit quickly. You can use your regular starter for this recipe, just stir your starter down, if you like. This recipe is simply the way I manage my starter and recipe. I hope this helps!
These look so fluffy and delicious! And must-make for soup season. Always gotta have something for dunking!
Oh yes! On top of soup or as a side! Drooling, Liz! :D
Sourdough biscuits! I don’t know who could resist these. I can practically smell them through the screen. These would definitely be a huge hit at Thanksgiving or anytime!
Irresistible, Jean! I’m thinking these would be fabulous on top of a pot pie! :D