Easy Sourdough Biscuits

These sourdough biscuits are buttery, tender, and have a subtle tang from the sourdough starter, making them a perfect way to use up active starter or discard. Unlike traditional biscuits, the sourdough adds extra depth of flavor while keeping them light and fluffy.

This recipe combines simple pantry staples like flour, butter, and milk with sourdough for a soft interior and crisp golden edges. Whether served warm with butter and honey, as a breakfast sandwich, or alongside dinner, these biscuits are a delicious and easy way to incorporate sourdough into your baking routine.

Here are some tips for making the best sourdough biscuits:

1. Use Cold Ingredients

• Keep your butter, starter, and milk cold to ensure flaky layers.
• You can even freeze the butter and grate it for easy incorporation into the flour.

2. Don’t Overwork the Dough

• Mix just until the dough comes together—overmixing can make biscuits tough.
• Handle the dough gently to maintain a light and airy texture.

3. Fold for Flakier Layers

• After patting out the dough, fold it over itself 2-3 times before cutting the biscuits.
• This technique creates layers similar to laminated dough, resulting in a fluffier biscuit.

4. Use a Sharp Cutter

• Press straight down when cutting biscuits—don’t twist the cutter, or it will seal the edges and prevent proper rising.
• If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, use a sharp knife to cut square biscuits (no wasted dough!).

5. Place Biscuits Close Together

• For softer biscuits, place them touching each other on the baking sheet.
• For crispier edges, space them apart.

6. Bake at High Heat

• A hot oven (425°F/218°C) helps biscuits rise quickly and develop a golden crust.

7. Brush with Butter

• For extra flavor, brush biscuits with melted butter before or after baking.

8. Use Discard or Active Starter

• Discard starter adds tang and depth of flavor.
• Active starter gives a slight boost in rise but isn’t necessary due to the baking powder/soda.

What is 100% hydration Sourdough Starter?

A 100% hydration sourdough starter means that the starter is fed with equal parts flour and water by weight. This results in a balanced consistency, similar to thick pancake batter, making it easy to mix and incorporate into recipes.

How It Works:

• 100% hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour (1:1 by weight).
• Example: If you feed your starter 50g of flour, you must also add 50g of water to maintain 100% hydration.