So, armed with an excess of sourdough discard, I decided to see if I could use up all of my discard while also making biscuits/scones that are light, full of flavor, and not too heavy on the butter or shortening. I wanted to achieve a biscuit better than the one my recipe from a famous flour company makes. The answer is, yes, I could build a better biscuit. Sourdough discard must have magical properties, because it makes fantastic biscuits--light, slightly tangy, high-rising, and, as biscuits go, fairly nutritious. I admit, these biscuits are not the 10 minutes and in the oven version, at least not on the first day. You'll need to let the dough sit for the best flavor. I mix my discard up, let it sit out until it rises close to the top of the bowl, and then pop the mixture into the refrigerator until I'm ready to bake the biscuits. When I am ready to bake, the remaining part of the mixing/shaping process does take about 10 minutes. The biscuits include white whole-wheat flour to boost the nutrition content, and using a bit of canola oil helps to keep in check the amount of butter necessary. Cheddar cheese (okay, not a "health food") provides an extra hit of flavor that complements the sourdough tang. These are some of the best biscuits you'll taste, so really, it is worth making them. They're especially good split and filled with a slice of ham or slathered with apple butter or even strawberry jam. Are you hungry yet?
Use Up the Discard Sourdough Cheese Biscuits/Scones -- Makes 12
3 cups of sourdough discard/starter (I use white whole-wheat based discard)
1 1/2 cups of white whole wheat flour
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
In a large bowl, stir the white whole-wheat flour into the discard until it is thoroughly blended in. Let the mixture sit, loosely covered with plastic wrap, until it about doubles--usually 4-8 hours. Pop the mixture into the refrigerator if you're not ready to use it immediately. I've left my mixture in the refrigerator for about 24 hours with no problems. When you're ready to bake your biscuits, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter into the flour mixture until small pea-size pieces form. Add the canola oil to the starter mixture, mixing it in until it's thoroughly incorporated. Then add the flour-butter mixture to the sourdough starter mixture. Dump the loose dough onto the prepared baking sheet and knead/pat it into a rectangle about 12 inches long, 6 inches wide, and an inch thick. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the cheese on top of the rectangle. Fold the dough in half and roll it out again to a rectangle. Top the rectangle with another 1/4 cup of the cheese and fold and repeat the process until all the cheese is incorporated. Again, pat the dough into a rectangle about 12 inches long, 6 inches wide, and an inch thick. Cut the dough into 12 triangles and space them out evenly on the parchment. Bake the biscuits for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
