I am taking a little break to spend time with my family and our brand new (and oh so delicious) baby girl. In the meantime, I have prepared a few recipes ahead of time. I might not have mastered sourdough bread (yet), but these sourdough biscuits were a fantastic discovery along the way.
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A few months ago, I started out on a new kitchen adventure that is sourdough. I was really diligent to get my starter going and feed it on a weekly basis... for a while. Having a brand-new baby girl tends to take priority over other things, obviously.
Unfortunately, I haven't had too much success baking actual sourdough bread, yet. So far, the results were too dry and crumbly, but I am not giving up. Consistency and perseverance are key, right? Perhaps, if I get more time on my hands (I am making no promises) I will have a post and share about my trials and errors on my sourdough bread experiments! Despite the outcomes, it should be interesting, nonetheless! Speaking of, have you tried making sourdough bread? If so, please share your ideas and suggestions with me!
In the mean time, I have found an amazing way to use up the 1 cup of the sourdough starter you are supposed to discard or use at every feeding - the most amazing sourdough biscuits!
These days I don't feed my starter (that I have named Arnold) every week anymore. (Arnold is still doing fine, though, don’t worry). That being said, whenever I do and don't feel like making bread, these flaky sourdough biscuits are on the menu.
Much to my husband's delight, who absolutely LOVES these biscuits. Whenever we need a little heartier side (with a light soup for example) I change these up to make Sausage Sourdough Biscuits.
In that case, instead of cutting the dough with a biscuit cutter, I flatten it more and roll it around a large, fully cooked sausage and slice up the roll before baking.
Here in Canada we can buy something called Mennonite Sausage which is fantastic for these sausage biscuits, but I've also successfully used Bratwurst or Octoberwurst before. I am assuming that any kind of fully cooked sausage (since it's only baking for 12-15 minutes) will be fine.
Even if you don’t have a lot of extra time on your hands, like me, you can still make these simple and easy sausage sourdough biscuits! There are only a few ingredients and it doesn’t take long at all! As I briefly mentioned, I really appreciate these biscuits with a light side, like soup or even salad. It’s the perfect balance and I think they complement each other well!
Did you give this recipe a go? If so, how did it go? Did you pair it with soup or salad or did you eat the biscuits by themselves? What type of sausage ended up working best for you? Please reach out with any pictures, suggestions or stories of your sourdough baking experiences!
(Note: in place of the sourdough starter, you could use a thick liquid like buttermilk for still amazing biscuits)
Random Questions
If your sourdough biscuits didn't rise, it could be due to several reasons. One common cause might be an inactive or weak starter. Ensuring your starter is vigorous and active is crucial for proper leavening. Additionally, factors like improper proofing or baking at the wrong temperature can also lead to flat biscuits.
Sourdough biscuits can turn crumbly if the dough is overworked or if there's too much flour in the mixture. Overmixing the dough can lead to the development of gluten, resulting in a tougher and crumbly texture. It's essential to handle the dough gently and avoid excessive kneading to maintain a tender and flaky texture.
Baking with a sourdough starter not only imparts a distinctive tangy flavor to the baked goods but also contributes to their texture and rise. Sourdough starters contain wild yeast and lactobacilli, which aid in the fermentation process, creating a more complex flavor profile and improving the digestibility of the final product.
Yes, you can freeze uncooked sourdough biscuits for later use. It's advisable to freeze them on a baking sheet until firm and then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. When you're ready to bake, you can place the frozen biscuits directly in the oven, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time as needed.
Recipe
Sourdough Sausage Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup 125 g all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup 75 g butter, cold
- 1 cup sourdough starter or buttermilk
- 1 8 ounce 250 g sausage, I use fully cooked Mennonite sausage; optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 F.
- Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter, fork or even by hand until mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in as much sourdough starter as needed to form a soft dough. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead over a couple of times.
- For regular biscuits, flatten the dough and cut into 10-12 biscuits (using a knife or biscuit cutter).
- For sausage biscuits, flatten and shape the dough into a long rectangle (as long as the sausage). Roll sausage up in biscuit dough; seam side down. Cut into 10-12 slices.
- Place [sausage] biscuits on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Pin Sourdough Sausage Biscuits recipe for later?
More Info
Recipe adapted from Food.com
If you are interested in making your own sourdough starter The Kitchn has a great tutorial.
If you have gluten sensitivities but love biscuits, consider trying these coconut flour biscuits.
Kathy Baker
I live at 8700 feet and my first try at biscuits using a sourdough discard wasn't great. They didn't rise a lot but tasted good and were flaky. Thinking of trying your recipe. What is your altitude? Thanks.
Regina | Leelalicious
I first made these at 3500 ft. I am now at 6500 and still made them successfully
Mickey Obermire
I substituted almond flour to create a more carb-friendly version. They came out light and fluffy.
Marie
Is the starter fed or unfettered for the biscuits??
Regina | Leelalicious
I use unfed discard
La.
What is the point of using sourdough if you don't ferment the dough at all?
Regina
This is a way to use up sourdough starter/discard. The biscuits still have a wonderful sourdough flavour
Diandra
Ooooh, I love sourdough! As a student I had my very own starter, but once we moved, something changed, and it has never tasted quite as good again... I blame the microorganisms in the mountain air!
Regina
Mmm...maybe that's my problem too? The high elevation around here has caused nothing but baking problems.
Jacquee @ I Sugar Coat It!
Bread is my nemesis, especially sour dough. Those biscuits at the top look YUM and your sausage rolls bring back memories of filling up on pigs in a blanket with my roomies. Good times! 😉
Regina
No better memories than the ones invoked by foooood 😉