Sourdough Discard Herb Dinner Biscuits
These are soft, buttery, pull apart biscuits for the person who wants homemade bread at the table but does not have time to wait for dough to rise.
They use sourdough discard for flavour, while baking powder and baking soda do the lifting. Fresh herbs make them feel right at home beside turkey, ham, stuffing or a bowl of something warm.
This recipe uses discard from a starter that has already been reactivated and maintained. Do not add the dry starter from the package directly to the biscuit dough.
Makes about 8 biscuits
Ingredients
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup sourdough discard
• ⅓ to ½ cup cold buttermilk or milk
• Melted butter for brushing, optional
How to Make Them
Heat the oven to 425°F or 220°C. Lightly butter a 10 inch cast iron skillet or line a baking sheet with parchment.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and herbs.
Add the cold butter. Work it into the flour with your fingertips, a pastry cutter or two knives. Stop while there are still some little flat pieces of butter about the size of peas. Those cold pieces are what help create tender layers in the oven.
Add the sourdough discard and ⅓ cup of the buttermilk. Fold gently until the dough begins to come together.
The dough should look shaggy and feel soft, but it should not pour or stick heavily to your hands. If there is still dry flour hiding at the bottom of the bowl, add more buttermilk one spoonful at a time. Different starters carry different amounts of water, so let the dough tell you what it needs.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it gently into a rough rectangle. Fold it into thirds like a letter, turn it and press it out again. Repeat the fold once more. Do not knead it smooth. A slightly unruly dough makes a much better biscuit.
Pat the dough about 1 inch thick and cut it into 8 pieces. They can be round, square or whatever shape happens when you cut them. Place them in the skillet with their sides nearly touching for softer edges, or space them apart on a baking sheet for crisper ones.
If the dough has become warm while you worked, place the biscuits in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking. Cold butter going into a hot oven is what gives them their lift.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes. They are ready when the tops are deeply golden, the sides look set and layered, and the kitchen smells like warm butter and herbs.
Brush the tops with melted butter if you like. Serve warm and pull them apart at the table.
Make It Local
Once your Wild Root Sourdough Starter is active and happily living on your counter, the discard becomes an ingredient of its own. These biscuits are an easy place to begin and a very good reason to stop throwing that discard away.
