Easy Sourdough Discard Biscuits (Ready in 20 Minutes)
Last Updated on June 25, 2026 by Autumn Ballard
These sourdough discard biscuits are tall, flaky, and ready in just 20 minutes. An easy homemade biscuit recipe that’s perfect for breakfast, dinner, or using up extra sourdough discard.
When I need something homemade on the table quickly, these sourdough discard biscuits are one of my favorite recipes to make. They come together in about 20 minutes, use simple pantry staples, and are a delicious way to put extra sourdough discard to good use.
What makes these biscuits special is their texture. They bake up tall with beautiful flaky layers, a golden exterior, and a soft, buttery center. They’re the kind of biscuits that feel like they took much more effort than they actually did.
Whether you’re serving them alongside soup for dinner, topping them with sausage gravy for breakfast, or simply enjoying one warm with butter and honey, these sourdough discard biscuits are a simple recipe you’ll find yourself making again and again. They’re proof that homemade food doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious.
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What is Sourdough Discard
Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you would typically remove and discard before feeding your starter. Rather than throwing it away, you can think of it as a flavorful and valuable ingredient for all kinds of recipes!
Discard is a mixture of flour, water, wild yeast, and lactic acid bacteria. While it may not be active enough to leaven bread on its own, it has a distinct tangy flavor of sourdough. Using sourdough discard not only minimizes food waste but also adds a unique taste to recipes like these biscuits we’re about to make.
What You’ll Love These Sourdough Discard Biscuits
- Ready in 20 minutes. When you need homemade bread in a hurry, these biscuits come together quickly with simple pantry ingredients.
- A great way to use sourdough discard. Instead of letting leftover discard go to waste, turn it into warm, homemade biscuits your whole family will love.
- Tall, flaky layers. Thanks to cold butter and a few simple folding techniques, these biscuits bake up with beautiful layers that pull apart perfectly.
- Soft, buttery texture. Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, they’re delicious served warm with butter, homemade jam, or a drizzle of honey.
- Perfect for any meal. Enjoy them with breakfast, alongside a bowl of soup or chili, or serve them with your favorite family dinner. They’re also sturdy enough to use for breakfast sandwiches.
- Beginner-friendly. If you’ve never made biscuits from scratch before, don’t worry. This simple recipe is easy to follow and doesn’t require any special equipment or baking experience.
As a mom, I love recipes that don’t require hours in the kitchen but still make everyone feel like they’re sitting down to something special. These sourdough discard biscuits are one of those recipes—simple enough for a busy weeknight but delicious enough to make again and again.
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Key Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: I prefer King Arthur Organic All-purpose flour for all of my sourdough baking. You can’t beat the quality.
- Sugar: Just a tablespoon of sugar turns ordinary biscuits into the best biscuits!
- Butter: Be sure your butter is nice and cold. You can even pop it into the freezer a few minutes before grating it into your dry ingredients.
- Sourdough Discard: Obviously this is essential for homemade sourdough biscuits.
- Half & Half: You’ll need just a little liquid when mixing up the dough. I like to use half & half or heavy cream instead of milk because it adds to the richness of flavor.
You can find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Easy Sourdough Discard Biscuits
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 425°F. A hot oven helps the cold butter create steam as the biscuits bake, giving them their signature flaky layers and beautiful rise.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until everything is evenly combined.
Step 3: Cut in the Butter
Using a box grater, shred the cold butter directly into the flour mixture. If you don’t have a grater, simply cut the butter into small cubes.
Use a pastry cutter or fork to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with small pieces of butter remaining. Those little pockets of butter are what create flaky biscuits, so don’t overmix.
Step 4: Add the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, stir together the sourdough discard and half-and-half. Mixing them together first helps loosen the discard, especially if it’s cold from the refrigerator.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Continue mixing just until there are no dry streaks of flour. Be careful not to overwork the dough, as this can make the biscuits tough.
Step 5: Fold the Dough
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll it into a rectangle using a rolling pin.
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Fold the dough into thirds, like folding a letter, then roll it out again to about 1-inch thick. This simple folding technique creates beautiful flaky layers as the biscuits bake, so don’t skip this step!
Step 6: Cut the Biscuits
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares or rectangles for easy, no-waste tender biscuits. If you prefer a more traditional look, you can also use a biscuit cutter.
Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet or a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving just a little space between each one. A bench scraper makes for easy lifting.For an extra rustic touch, these biscuits also bake beautifully in a cast iron skillet.
Step 7: Bake Until Golden
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are tall and golden brown.
Serve warm with butter, honey, homemade jam, or your favorite gravy. They’re also delicious alongside soups, stews, and family dinners.
This sourdough biscuit recipe will produce the most tender flaky sourdough biscuits you’ve ever had and is a delicious way to use your sourdough starter discard.
Serve them with sausage gravy, or melted butter and jelly. One of my family’s favorite ways to enjoy this recipe is to drizzle honey butter on top. This is easy to make by just stirring together softened butter and a little honey. This is also my go-to recipe for a last minute bread to serve with soups, stews, or other savory meals.Â
TIP: Add a little cheddar cheese & herbs for homemade cheddar bay biscuits.
FAQ
YES! I recommend making a double batch every time you make this recipe: one to bake and one to freeze. After you cut your biscuits, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flash-freeze them for 2 hours. Then pop them into a freezer bag.
Even though discard comes from your starter, it’s not an active leaven so you will need to add these ingredients to get the rise you desire.Â
For this recipe, I have subbed in heavy cream as well as whole milk.Â
Tips for Tall, Flakey Biscuits
- Use cold butter: For flaky biscuits, make sure your butter is cold. Grate or cut it into small pieces before adding it to the dry ingredients.
- Don’t overwork the dough: Mix the dough until it just comes together. Overworking it can result in tough biscuits. By cutting the biscuits into squares, you’ll prevent overworking dough scraps.
- Chill the dough: If you have time, chill the dough for 10-15 minutes before rolling it out. This helps the biscuits rise better and stay flaky.
- Properly flour your surface: Lightly flour your work surface before rolling out the dough to prevent it from sticking.
- Use buttermilk for extra flavor: If you have buttermilk on hand, it adds a slight tang and richness that pairs perfectly with the sourdough discard.
Ways to Serve Sourdough Discard Biscuits
With honey or cinnamon butter: Drizzle with honey or spread with cinnamon butter for a sweet treat.
Classic with butter and jam: Serve warm with butter and your favorite fruit preserves or jam for a quick snack or breakfast.
As a side with soup: These biscuits pair beautifully with hearty soups or stews for a comforting meal.
Biscuits and gravy: Top with sausage gravy for a savory, southern-style breakfast.
Sandwiches: Use them as a base for breakfast sandwiches with eggs, cheese, and bacon or sausage.
More Biscuit Recipes
Easy Cinnamon Biscuits
Quick & Easy Strawberry Shortcakes
Fluffy Sweet Potato Biscuits
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If you make this recipe, please leave a rating on the recipe card below! I’d also love for you to tag me @autumn.chasingoursimple on Instagram so I can see what you’ve been baking!
Easy Sourdough Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1/2 Cup Sourdough discard
- 1/2 Cup Half & Half
Instructions
- Before you begin, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. You’ll want a nice hot oven in order to get a quick rise from the steam produced by the butter in your homemade biscuits.
- In a large bowl add all of your dry ingredients; flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk them all together to incorporate.
- Using a cheese grater, shred cold butter into your dry ingredients. If you don’t have a grater, you can use a knife to chop your butter into small pieces. Cut it in using a pastry cutter or a fork. Make sure it’s well incorporated.
- In a medium bowl stir together the sourdough discard and half & half. Placing them in the bowl together will thin your discard that is likely thick and cold straight from the fridge.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry flour mixture and mix together using your hands. Don’t try to avoid getting your hands messy. Using your hands to mix is the best method for incorporating all of the ingredients. A shaggy dough will begin to form. Keep mixing until there are no dry bits of dough.
- Begin rolling out your dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out just enough to fold it like a letter and then roll it out the rest of the way. ( Be sure to watch my video below to see how this is done.) Do not skip this step! Folding your dough allows pieces of butter to stack and creates beautiful flaky biscuits.
- Now finish rolling out your biscuit dough and use your pizza cutter to shape perfect sourdough biscuits. Of course, you can always use a biscuit cutter, but I find that I waste less dough using my pizza cutter. Surprisingly enough, thick rectangle biscuits taste just as good as round ones.:)
- Place biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or greased baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. You can also bake these in a cast iron skillet if you want to up your homesteader game.
- This sourdough biscuit recipe will produce the most tender flaky sourdough biscuits you’ve ever had and is a delicious way to use your sourdough starter discard.
- Serve them with sausage gravy, or melted butter and jelly. One of my family’s favorite ways to enjoy this recipe is to drizzle honey butter on top. This is easy to make by just stirring together softened butter and a little honey. This is also my go-to recipe for a last minute bread to serve with soups, stews, or other savory meals.
