Mini Sour Cream and Onion Sourdough Biscuits
Small stature, full flavor
Today I’m sharing a variation on one of my workhorse recipes, the infinitely riffable buttermilk biscuits from my book Baked to Order (see previously: kimchi and cheddar cheese skirt biscuits, salted honey ricotta biscuits). This particular iteration combines a couple of my favorite riffs on the basic biscuit: first, it’s partially hydrated with a generous glug of sourdough discard (for flavor and convenience, as I always have some in my fridge). Second, I cut them bite-sized to accommodate the varying appetites in our family. The toddler can finish one without waste, while the tween will easily polish off a handful or two.
Mini-fying baked goods can sometimes be more finicky than it’s worth, but in this case, there’s no extra work involved — just a matter of rolling the initial “slab” thinner than I would for heftier biscuits. (If the initial dough is too thick, tiny biscuits tend to topple over in the oven.) The shaping method ensures they’ll still end up perfectly flaky and proportionately tall, despite their small stature.
Enjoy biscuits with a steaming mug of soup, or spread with extra butter or cream cheese for a savory breakfast. Bet you can’t eat just one!
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Mini Sour Cream and Onion Sourdough Biscuits
Makes 25 mini biscuits
Ingredients:
160g sourdough discard (100% hydration), cold from the fridge1
100g full fat sour cream (buttermilk works too)
120g all-purpose flour
80g kamut flour (or sub all-purpose, whole wheat, or spelt flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
5g (1 1/4 tsp) kosher salt
10g granulated sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
113g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
30g (~3 medium stalks) green onions, finely minced (or sub chives)
Milk or cream, for brushing
Flaky salt, sesame seeds, or everything bagel seasoning, for garnish (optional)
Method:
In a medium bowl or jug, whisk together the sourdough discard and sour cream until homogenous. Refrigerate until needed.
In a large, wide bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried mustard powder.
Scatter the cold butter pieces over the top. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, smash and cut them into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are roughly the size of peas. Add the minced green onions and toss to coat with flour.
Scrape the discard mixture over the dry ingredients. Use a flexible spatula to fold and mash the starter into the flour-butter mixture. Once the starter is well dispersed (it will look drier than you’re used to, if you’ve made biscuits before), use your hands to continue folding the dough over itself, giving the bowl a quarter-turn between folds, until the dough mostly holds together and there is no more than a tablespoon of dry bits at the bottom of the bowl.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and use your hands/rolling pin to press it into a 1/2” thick rectangle (roughly 8” x 11”). Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into quarters. Stack the pieces on top of each other, sandwiching any stray floury bits between the layers. Gently roll the dough into a 7” square about 3/4” thick. Press a bench scraper or ruler against each side to sharpen the edges and corners. Transfer the slab to a parchment-lined sheet tray or plate and freeze uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until very cold but not frozen.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F with a rack in the middle and line a baking sheet with parchment. (Tip: If your oven tends to heat enthusiastically from the bottom, nestle another sheet tray underneath to keep the biscuits from overbrowning.)
If you want, trim a thin strip off each side of the biscuit slab — this helps the biscuits rise more evenly. (But to be honest, I rarely bother.) Use a sharp knife to slice the slab into a 5”x5” grid for a total of 25 biscuits. Flip each biscuit upside-down and arrange an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. (Tip: Flipping the biscuits over encourages them to rise higher, a tip gleaned from Tandem Bakery.) Brush the tops of the biscuits with milk or cream and sprinkle with flaky salt, sesame seeds, or everything bagel seasoning, if desired.
Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375F and continue baking until the biscuits are well risen and golden, about 10-15 minutes longer. (If you want to check the internal temperature, a fully cooked biscuit should register at least 200F in the very center.) Cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Biscuits are best served a little warm from the oven, but keep well for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Refresh until warmed through in a 325F oven, about 5 minutes.
The discard here is primarily for flavor and not leavening, so I prefer using an unfed starter straight from the fridge. If you only have active room temperature starter, that’s ok, though you may need a drizzle of cold water or milk to help bring the dough together.