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These Sourdough Biscuits are buttery, flaky, and quick to make with sourdough discard or active starter. They’re soft and tender inside, golden on top, and perfect for serving with breakfast, dinner, soups, stews, or a generous swipe of butter and jam.

Sourdough biscuits on a blue plaid plate with a bowl of jam

Kellie’s Note Biscuit Love
Why You’ll Love My Sourdough Biscuit
Ingredients For Sourdough Biscuits
How to Make Sourdough Biscuits
How to Store Sourdough Biscuits
Kellie’s Tips for the Best Sourdough Biscuit
What to Serve with Sourdough Biscuits
Easy Biscuit Variations
More Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes
Easy Sourdough Biscuits Recipe

Kellie’s Note
Biscuit Love

If you’ve ever kept a sourdough starter, you already know the discard situation can get out of hand fast. I hate wasting it, but I also don’t always want a project. That’s where this Sourdough Biscuit recipe comes in. It’s simple, classic, quick, and one of my favorite ways to turn leftover sourdough starter discard into something tasty, useful, and completely irresistible.

I’ve made a lot of biscuits, and the best ones always come down to the same things: cold butter, a light hand, and knowing when to stop playing with the dough. The sourdough discard adds a subtle tang that makes these taste a little more complex than a regular buttermilk biscuit, but they’re still easy enough to make on a busy weeknight.

These are the biscuits I make when I want something warm and homemade to go with chicken soup, chili, eggs, roast chicken, or a big spoonful of honey butter. They’re tall, flaky, buttery, and just rustic enough to feel homemade in the best possible way.

Why You’ll Love My Sourdough Biscuit

These Sourdough Biscuits are one of those recipes that earns a permanent spot in your kitchen because they’re easy, practical, and go with just about everything.

Beginner-friendly: The dough is supposed to look a little shaggy, so there’s no need for perfection here.
Great way to use sourdough discard: No more staring at that jar in the fridge wondering what to do with it.
Quick and easy: No overnight rise, no yeast, no complicated shaping.
Buttery and flaky: Folding the dough a few times helps build those tender biscuit layers.
Classic flavor with a sourdough twist: The discard adds just enough tang without overpowering the biscuit.
Perfect for breakfast or dinner: Serve them with eggs and bacon in the morning or with soup, stew, chili, or roast chicken at night.

Ingredients For Sourdough Biscuits

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy Sourdough discard biscuit recipe. The exact measurements are in the recipe card, but this will give you a quick look at what each ingredient does and how you can swap things around if needed.

All-Purpose Flour: This gives the biscuits structure while keeping them tender. If you want a slightly heartier biscuit, you can replace a small amount with whole wheat flour, but I wouldn’t swap all of it or the biscuits may turn dense.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These give the biscuits their lift. The baking soda also works nicely with the tangy sourdough starter and buttermilk. Make sure your baking powder is fresh; if it’s been hanging out in the pantry since who-knows-when, your biscuits may not rise as tall.
Kosher Salt and Sugar: Salt keeps the biscuits from tasting flat, and just a little sugar balances the tang from the sourdough. These won’t taste sweet, but the flavor will be rounder and more biscuit-shop delicious.
Cold Unsalted Butter: Cold butter is the key to flaky Sourdough Biscuits. Those little bits of butter melt in the oven and create steamy pockets in the dough, which gives you tender layers. Salted butter can be used in a pinch, but reduce the salt slightly.
Sourdough Discard or Active Starter: Either works here. Discard gives the biscuits a subtle tang and helps use up what you already have. Active starter can also be used, but this recipe doesn’t rely on it for rising, so there’s no need to wait for it to peak.
Cold Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds moisture, tenderness, and a little extra tang. Start with less and add only what you need. If you don’t have buttermilk, use whole milk mixed with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar, or try plain kefir for a similar tangy flavor.
Melted Butter: Brushing the warm biscuits with melted butter gives them that golden, glossy, “pull one apart immediately” finish. You can also add a pinch of garlic powder or chopped herbs to the melted butter for a savory version.

How to Make Sourdough Biscuits

This Sourdough Biscuit recipe is simple, but biscuit dough likes a gentle hand. The less you fuss with it, the better it behaves.

Start with a hot oven. Get your oven heated to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. A hot oven helps the butter steam quickly, which gives the biscuits their lift.
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, leaveners, salt, and sugar so everything is evenly distributed before the butter goes in.
Cut in the cold butter. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks crumbly with some pea-sized pieces scattered throughout. Those bigger bits are a good thing; they help create flaky pockets.
Add the sourdough starter. Stir in the sourdough discard or active starter, then drizzle in the cold buttermilk a little at a time. Stop when the dough just holds together. It should look shaggy and a little rough, not smooth or wet.
Fold for layers. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a thick rectangle. Fold it over itself a few times, like a letter. This quick step helps build those flaky layers without making the dough tough.
Cut the biscuits. Pat the dough back out to about 1 inch thick, then cut with a biscuit cutter or sharp knife. Press straight down if using a cutter instead of twisting, which can seal the edges and keep the biscuits from rising as high.
Arrange and bake. Place the biscuits close together if you want soft sides, or give them some space if you like crispier edges. Bake until they’re tall, golden brown, and the tops look lightly crisp.
Butter them while warm. Brush with melted butter right out of the oven so the tops soak up all that buttery goodness.

How to Store Sourdough Biscuits

Sourdough Biscuits are best warm from the oven, but leftovers are still absolutely worth saving.

Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to 5 days, though they may firm up a bit once chilled.
To reheat, pop them in a 300°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also split them and toast them in a skillet with a little butter, which is never a bad idea.
To freeze baked biscuits, let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a 325°F oven until warm in the center.
You can also freeze unbaked biscuits. Cut them out, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Sourdough discard biscuit cut in half and topped with jam

Kellie’s Tips for the Best Sourdough Biscuit

Keep everything cold. Cold butter, cold buttermilk, and a light touch are the secret to flaky biscuits.
Don’t overmix the dough. Once it comes together, stop. A shaggy dough makes a tender biscuit.
Use older discard for more tang. If you want a stronger sourdough flavor, use discard that’s been in the fridge a few days.
Add buttermilk slowly. Depending on how thick your discard is, you may need a little more or a little less.
Don’t twist the biscuit cutter. Press straight down for the tallest biscuits.
Fold the dough, but don’t knead it. Folding creates layers; kneading makes tough biscuits.
Bake close together for soft sides. This helps the biscuits climb taller as they bake.
Brush with butter immediately. The warm tops soak it right in and make the biscuits taste even better.

What to Serve with Sourdough Biscuits

Sourdough Biscuits are the kind of side that works with almost anything, which is why I love having this recipe in my back pocket.

Try them with:

Sausage gravy for a classic biscuits-and-gravy breakfast.
Scrambled eggs, bacon, or breakfast sandwiches.
Honey butter, blueberry jam, apple butter, or peach preserves.
Creamy soups like chicken noodle, tomato soup, potato soup, or broccoli cheddar.
Beef stew, chicken stew, chili, or pot roast.
Roast chicken or roast turkey dinner.
Fried chicken for the ultimate comfort food plate.
Ham and cheese for easy biscuit sliders.
A drizzle of hot honey for a sweet and spicy snack.

Sourdough biscuits on a white platter with a biscuit topped with jam in the background.

Easy Biscuit Variations

Once you have the basic Sourdough Biscuit recipe down, it’s easy to play around with the flavor.

Honey Butter Biscuits: Brush the baked biscuits with melted butter mixed with honey.
Cheddar Herb Sourdough Biscuits: Fold in shredded cheddar and chopped chives or parsley.
Garlic Butter Biscuits: Add garlic powder to the dough and brush the tops with garlic butter.
Black Pepper Biscuits: Add a generous amount of cracked black pepper for a savory bite.
Sweet Breakfast Biscuits: Add a little extra sugar and serve with jam or berries.
Everything Bagel Biscuits: Sprinkle the tops with everything bagel seasoning before baking.

More Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes

If you’re feeding a sourdough starter regularly, you already know how quickly discard can pile up. These are great ideas to keep in your rotation:

Easy Sourdough Biscuits

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