Flaky Sourdough Discard Biscuits

Sourdough discard acts like buttermilk here to give these biscuits their impressive rise, airy texture, and signature slightly tangy flavor. These are so easy to make, and there's nothing better than a warm, crispy biscuit slathered in honey or jam.

Since using sourdough discard to function like buttermilk worked so well in this Irish soda bread, I decided to try it in biscuits, too.

Result: Very possibly the best biscuits I've ever had!

They're crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and have so many satisfying layers throughout! These are delightfully buttery, with just the slightest hint of sourdough tang from the discard.

How to make sourdough discard biscuits

These are so easy to make - you probably already have all the ingredients, and they can be in the oven in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Here's the cast of characters for these:

• All-purpose flour - I always use regular flour for these, and they turn out super light and fluffy.
• Baking powder - I like to use baking powder for a leavening agent here. Typically biscuits with an acidic ingredient rely on baking soda for the rise, but I like to use baking powder because - unlike soda - powder is activated when it's heated, meaning you can cut these biscuits, freeze them, and bake them later (more on that below!).
• Sugar - Just a tablespoon of sugar for a touch of sweetness and to help with browning. You won't notice it's there, but you'd miss it if it weren't there!
• Salt - These are so flavorful in part thanks to the hefty dose of salt.
• Unsalted butter - A whole stick. Butter gives these the best flavor and crisp exterior. It's also responsible for the flaky layers. (See how you get those below!)
• Whole milk - I view milk as sort of a carrier for the discard here - it brings the discard to roughly the same consistency and pH as buttermilk.
• Sourdough discard - The star of the show! The discard adds flavor, helps the texture of the biscuits to stay tender, and acts with the baking powder to give these their ultra-high rise. You want discard that's fairly liquid, but that still smells pleasant.

How to make the dough

Some other methods you can try

• Bake in a cast iron skillet - Sometimes when I'm going for an extra homestyle vibe, I bake these in my (not preheated) 10-inch cast iron skillet. It takes 30-35 minutes at 425 degrees, and the edges don't get as browned.
• Cut in the butter using a food processor - You can most definitely use a food processor to cut in the butter. Pulse together the dry ingredients, then add the butter cubes and pulse until in pea-size pieces. You'll want to transfer to a bowl to mix in the wet ingredients - if you do it in the food processor, your butter will be too small by the time it's all mixed together. I DO feel like flattened butter (as detailed in the recipe instructions) makes for the flakiest biscuits, but a food processor will still give you some mean biscuits!
• Brush the biscuit tops with heavy cream right before baking - If you want biscuits that are even more browned and even more crisp on top, brush the tops with heavy cream! You can do this with fresh biscuits or frozen.

Tips for biscuit success

• Dough consistency - If you have to choose between dough that's too wet and dough that's too dry here, dough that's too wet is the better option! Just add however much flour you need during the folds to prevent sticking, and by the time it's ready to cut, it will be just right. I once made extremely wet and sloppy biscuit dough, added an obscene amount of flour during folds, and had (shockingly) amazing biscuits once they were baked.
• When cutting biscuits, you want to go straight down into the dough, and straight back out with the cutter. Resist the urge to twist it! Twisting will seal up the edges and inhibit a really robust rise and flaky layers.
• If you want to simplify cutting, go for square biscuits - press the dough out into a 1-inch thick square and cut into a 3-by-3 grid for 9 biscuits.
• When gathering up scraps to recut, stack them and press them out. This will give you maximum layers.
• Freeze to bake later - Highly recommend having some biscuits ready to bake in your freezer! Freeze on a baking sheet or tray lined with parchment paper immediately after cutting, then transfer to a Ziplock bag. They will keep for up to 3 months. Bake straight from the freezer at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes on a lined baking sheet. This is the same time as fresh biscuits - frozen occasionally take a few minutes longer, but that is not always the case for me, so start checking at 18 minutes.