30 Minute Sourdough Discard Biscuits
Buttery, flaky sourdough discard biscuits only take 30 minutes to make from start to finish!
Servings: 8 biscuits
Calories: 378kcal
Equipment
- 1 10 Inch Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 315 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt 6 grams
- 2 tablespoons sugar 25 grams
- 4 teaspoons baking powder 18 grams
- ¾ cup cold butter 170 grams
- 1 cup sourdough starter you can use discard or active starter (240 grams)
- 1 egg 50 grams, approximately
- ½ cup milk 120 grams
- 2 tablespoons butter for the skillet 28 grams
Instructions
- Preheat + prep pan. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a cast iron skillet (or baking dish) in the oven to heat.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Cut in cold butter. Add cold, cubed/grated butter and cut it into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-size pieces (that’s what makes flaky layers).
- Add wet ingredients. Stir in sourdough discard, milk, and egg just until the dough comes together. Don’t overmix.
- Laminate for layers. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat into a rectangle, fold in thirds, rotate, and repeat 3–4 folds.
- Cut biscuits. Pat dough to about 1-inch thick. Cut straight down with a biscuit cutter (don’t twist) for the best rise.
- Bake. Carefully remove the hot skillet, add a little butter (optional but delicious), and place biscuits close together. Bake 15–18 minutes until tall and golden.
- Finish + serve. Brush tops with melted butter and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Sourdough discard: Unfed or active starter both work since baking powder provides the rise.
- Butter temperature: Keep butter very cold for the flakiest layers; warm butter will reduce lift.
- Do not overmix: Mix just until combined and handle the dough gently to avoid dense biscuits.
- Layering tip: Folding the dough a few times before cutting creates tall, flaky layers.
- Pan choice: Baking in a preheated cast iron skillet gives the best rise and golden bottoms.
- Fresh milled flour option: Substitute fresh milled hard white wheat 1:1 by weight for all-purpose flour. Allow the dough to rest briefly after mixing so the flour fully hydrates. Add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time if dough is too sticky.
- Storage: Store baked biscuits airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 677mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 674IU | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 2mg
