You simply have to try this recipe if you have a starter! Buttery biscuits that are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy in the middle. This recipe is so incredibly simple but the outcome is so delicious! It uses simple ingredients and requires no buttermilk. Instead, the acid in the starter activates the baking soda and powder, providing amazing lift to these bad boys. Bake them in a cast iron skillet if you can. They're more buttery and savory than sour, but you could play around with using older discard starter. Either way, you won'r regret it.
The original recipe, which I modified, is from: https://www.akneadtobake.com/post/sourdough-flaky-biscuits
The recipe is here, and pictures of the process are below:
Ingredients:
350 g pastry/cake flour
315 g sourdough starter (100% hydration, fed 10-12 hours before)
120 g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sugar (up to 2 Tbsp.)
1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk
1 tbsp butter to brush the biscuits
Note: If using self-rising flour (what I use), decrease the baking powder to 2 tsp.
Note: Let the starter rise at room temperature. After rising you can pop it in the fridge for 1-2 hours (optional) before making the biscuits so it's cold. The starter should be slightly thick.
Note: If using salted butter, reduce the salt or omit. For sweeter biscuits use up to 2 Tbsp. sugar.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter a cast iron skillet or other cooking vessel.
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl.
Add the butter and use a pastry blender or your hands to cut the butter into the flour until it's pea sized. Make sure to keep the mixture cold.
Add sourdough starter and half the milk.
Begin mixing. Add the rest of the milk until it forms a loose shaggy dough.
Mix until no crumbs remain, but be gently and don't overwork the dough.
Note: if the dough is firm and dry, cover the bowl and refrigerate 10-15 minutes.
Place the dough on a clean surface and roll out until 3/4 inch thick.
Use a biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits, avoiding the outer edge so you can get clean cuts with all the layers exposed. Don't twist the cutter.
Use your hands or a spatula to place the biscuits in a greased skillet. They get a better rise if they don't touch each other or the walls.
Brush the top with melted/softened salted butter. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on the top and bottom.
Smoosh together the leftover dough, cover, and chill. Then roll out, cut and bake after the first batch is finished.
As soon as they are out of the oven brush them with melted butter and feast. Best eaten on baking day or the next day if reheated.
Makes 16 biscuits
See below to see how I made a half batch of the recipe:
Before cutting the butter into the mixture of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
After cutting the butter in
Before mixing in the starter and milk.
And the dough is ready! It was a bit tough and warm so I put it in the fridge about 15 minutes before rolling out.
Then roll out that bad boy on a clean surface.
About 3/4 inch thick.
Start cutting biscuits! Don't worry the leftover dough will be used!
Biscuits before baking. You can already see the beautiful layers from cutting it cleanly.
Brushed with butter and ready to bake!
After baking. Phenomenal!
They rose so well! I was not ready for that!
Nice toasty brown bum, I mean... bottom ;)
Open it up and it has a super soft flakey (and fricken' delicious) interior.
Here are some mutants I made with the leftover dough, don't waste it! Sometimes the mutants taste better than the regular one because they have more crispy bits!