Bake Flaky, Buttery Sourdough Biscuits with this easy recipe
Flaky, buttery biscuits make the perfect accompaniment for almost any meal. You can top with butter and jam or gravy. You can make garlic butter to drizzle over the top. Biscuits can even make a delicious topping to something like chicken pot pie. They’re already amazing, just the way they are. This recipe takes a regular biscuits and makes it incredible! The simple addition of sourdough starter and the time to ferment makes these biscuits develop an amazing flavor AND adds nutritional benefits! Try my flaky sourdough biscuits recipe today.
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Ingredients for Sourdough Biscuits
The ingredients for sourdough biscuits are pretty simple. If you’re already a biscuit pro, just add in a half cup of starter and let it ferment on counter for 8+ hours. No special adjustments, no special techniques. If you’re not used to making biscuits, or need specific measurements, here’s what you’ll need:
- flour ( I use organic unbleached all purpose)
- baking powder
- salt ( we use Redmon’s or Celtic sea salt)
- butter (make sure it’s cold)
- milk (you can use almost any dairy product in a pinch, but try milk or half n half)
- sourdough starter (this can be active or discard)
How to make Sourdough Biscuits
When you first mix your dry ingredients togethers, whisk them thoroughly. If your’e not careful, you can leave a clump of baking powder. Nobody wants to bite into a clump of baking power – ask me how I know. After whisking well, cut the COLD butter into the flour. You can use your hands, but be cautious not to melt the butter.
Ferment the Biscuit Dough
This biscuit dough will be wet and a little bit of a mess. That’s to be expected. Mix it well and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Leave it on the counter 8+ hours or overnight in the fridge. Fermenting sourdough can help to break down phytic acid which makes the biscuits more digestible. The flavors of the unbleached flour will develop into a deep, rich, multi-faceted flavor!
Southern Sourdough Layered Biscuits
Equipment
- 1 bowl
- 1 cast iron skillet or sheet pan
- 1 patry cutter
- 1 stirring utensil
- 1 biscuit cutter, jar lid ring, etc to cut biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 Cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 Tbs cold butter
- 3/4 C milk, buttermilk, or half n half
- 1/2 C sourdough starter can be active or discard
- 1/3 C melted butter for brushing top of biscuits
Instructions
- Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Which together to evenly distribute the baking powder. No one wants a mouthful of baking powder.
- Add the cold butter and cut it into the flour with the pastry cutter. You can use your hands to blend the butter by squeezing the flour into each chunk of butter. Be careful not to handle the butter too much.
- Stir in the milk until all flour is wet.
- Add in the sourdough starter and knead until the mixture is well combined.
- Cover with a damp tea towel or cloth and leave at room temperature for 8-10 hours or in the fridge for up to several days. *top of the dough may turn grey from the baking powder, but I find that keeping the cloth on top damp stops this from happening.
- Preheat the oven to 450 ℉.
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it 10-15 times. Roll the dough out to about 1.5" thick. Fold in half.
- Roll the dough out again until 1.5" thick. fold in half. Repeat this process 4 or more times to create layers in your biscuits. Try not to use your hands because the butter will melt. You want cold chunks of butter to still be visible in your dough.
- Roll the dough out to about 1" thick an cut the biscuits out with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Push the cutter straight down into the dough. Do not twist.
- Arrange the biscuits in you skillet or on your pan, either touching on all sides, or just beryl separated form each other.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and bake for 15 minutes. Biscuits should be golden brown. Continue to bake if the biscuits do not have enough color yet.
Notes
- Really any type of flour will work, but we don’t enjoy whole grain flour in our biscuits.
- Sourdough starter can be active, discard, or even just-fed. As long as you give it time to ferment, the flavors will develop.
