These sourdough biscuits are soft, fluffy, buttery, and just a little tangy from the starter. They’re a great way to use sourdough discard without waiting on a long rise or adding another complicated recipe to the day.

Fresh sourdough biscuit with honey drizzled on top on a white plate.

I really like sourdough biscuits because they still taste like classic homemade biscuits, but the discard gives them a little extra flavor.

The baking powder and baking soda give the dough plenty of lift, so you’re not depending on the starter to do all the work. Anytime I’ve relied solely on sourdough starter, my biscuits turn out flat and pretty sad looking.

They’re great with butter and honey, split open for breakfast sandwiches, or served with soup, chili, or sausage gravy. Basically, if a warm biscuit makes the meal better, you’ll want to make these.

Good Things to Know

Ready in: About 30 minutes
Uses discard: Yes
Freezer friendly: Yes
Best for: Breakfast, soup, chili, jam, and biscuits with gravy
Reheats well: Yes

Kim’s Tips for the Best Sourdough Biscuits

Use very cold butter. Frozen butter works, too. The colder the butter stays, the better chance you have of getting soft biscuits with flaky layers. If the butter gets too warm, pop the biscuits into the fridge for 30 minutes or so before baking.

The dough should come together without feeling wet or sticky. Start with the smaller amount of milk, then add more only if the dough is too dry to hold together. Sourdough discard can vary a little, so the milk amount may not be exactly the same every time.

When you cut the biscuits, press the cutter straight down and lift it straight back up. Twisting the cutter can seal the edges and keep the biscuits from rising as well.

If you’re starting a sourdough recipe pile, don’t miss my how to make sourdough starter, sourdough starter pancakes, sourdough waffles, and sourdough naan.

How to Make Sourdough Biscuits

Flour and baking ingredients for sourdough biscuits in glass bowl.

Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper. Stir the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl.

Flour mixture for sourdough biscuits in a glass bowl on white surface.

Cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks crumbly with small bits of butter throughout. A few larger pieces are fine. That butter helps make the biscuits tender.

Mixing sourdough biscuit dough with flour, discard, and water in a glass bowl.

Add the sourdough discard and part of the milk. Stir just until the dough starts to come together. If it looks too dry, add a little more milk at a time until the dough holds.

Raw sourdough biscuit dough balls on a baking sheet.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it only a couple of times. Pat it into a 1-inch thick circle or rectangle, then cut out the biscuits.

Freshly baked sourdough biscuits on a baking sheet.

Move the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet and bake until the tops are golden brown. Serve them warm with butter, honey, jam, or gravy.

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