FLAKY SOURDOUGH DISCARD PUMPKIN BISCUITS

These flaky sourdough discard pumpkin biscuits are sure to warm the heart on a cold fall day. Serve with farm fresh butter for a cozy fall breakfast.

These flaky sourdough discard pumpkin biscuits are sure to warm the heart on a cold fall day. Serve with farm fresh butter for a cozy fall breakfast.

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LOTS OF SQUASH TO COOK

Today I went on an interesting mission. I had a bunch of pumpkin and butternut squash to cook, and some new ideas for how to cook them.

First, I wanted to make baby food. Yes, baby food. I’m finding that although my 15 month old eats lots of solids and still breastfeeds, sometimes I just run out of things to give her in those moments when she’s super hungry.

If you’re a mom you know that dinner rolls around quickly for kids, and you need to be ready. So I’m going to make a big batch of ground bison and roast a whole butternut squash. Then I’m going to puree the squash, add bone broth, some salt, sage, and parmesan cheese, and make a pasta sauce. Then I will store the sauce and the meat separately, and pull them out when she’s hungry but I don’t have anything ready for her. Good idea, huh?

This idea was inspired by my butternut squash ravioli recipe. As I was writing this post, I finished her butternut squash pasta sauce and it is delicious! I love that it is so nutritious but also tasty. I fed it to her tonight with the bison and pasta, and it was a HUGE hit.

The next thing I wanted to do was make a bunch of pumpkin. Why? Because I’ve been making these pumpkin biscuits with sourdough discard a lot here recently, and they’re so good! I also got a new recipe for pumpkin cookies from a friend, which I plan to share on the blog soon.

A NOTE ON SOURDOUGH DISCARD

This recipe calls for sourdough discard, which is just unfed sourdough starter.

Now, I don’t ever actually throw sourdough starter out. The reason some people have what’s called “discard” is because they only keep a small amount of sourdough starter on hand at one time. So they have to feed it, discard some, and then use it. That’s one way of keeping your starter alive.

The other way, which is the way I’ve always done for a few years now, is to simply keep more starter, and never discard any. So I have a large glass bowl that I keep my starter in and it lives in the fridge until I want to use it.

Then when I want to use it, I just feed it, and use it! No discard.

However, there are times when I would use unfed sourdough starter. Basically, what that boils down to is I just forgot about making the recipe ahead of time, and I don’t have time to let the dough sit and ferment.

That’s how sourdough discard biscuits were born.

I thought to myself, I never think about breakfast until I wake up, so how about I make biscuits with unfed sourdough starter? That way other people can whip this recipe up quickly, without thinking the day before about tomorrow’s breakfast.

PS – new to sourdough starter? Get started here!

I hope you enjoy these sourdough discard pumpkin biscuits!

New to Sourdough?

If you are brand new to sourdough, you’re going to love using your discard in these biscuits.

You can learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch to make homemade bread, sourdough pizza, bagels, and more. 

Put all your sourdough recipes in one spot! 

Download and print off this NEW sourdough recipes ebook and keep your favorite sourdough recipes on your counter for easy, every day cooking. 

WHY WE LOVE MAKING SOURDOUGH PUMPKIN BISCUITS WITH SOURDOUGH DISCARD

Easy to whip up the morning of! So many sourdough recipes require long-fermentation (which I truly do enjoy, especially when making sourdough bread). But for something like this, it’s nice to just have it be ready to go that morning. I don’t know about you but I rarely think about breakfast until everyone is already hungry!

Super light and fluffy. The first couple of times I tried this recipe, I didn’t get the “fluffiness” down right. But with some practice I figured it out. These truly taste better than restaurant biscuits, with that light and airy texture in the middle. So good.

A huge hit with the whole family. I had to make several rounds of this recipe just so I could take pictures of them for the blog. My family demolished them over the weekend when I had my parents over to our house. And, my 15 month old daughter loved them too!

Not super sweet, and no nasty ingredients. Just plain and simple, and you get the added benefit of pumpkin and sourdough starter too.

I get to use a biscuit cutter. Yes! And I got an antique one just for this. I love using it. But if you don’t have a biscuit cutter, you can also use the top of a mason jar.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PUMPKIN

Maybe you’re like most folks and, this time of year, when you think about pumpkin, tasty treats like PSLs or pumpkin pie come to mind. But did you know pumpkin is actually really good for you?

For one thing, pumpkins are packed with beta carotine. Your body changes this to vitamin A which helps you ward off germs (perfect for this time of year!), and helps keep your heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs healthy. Additionally, pumpkins offer vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, and folate – all of which strengthen your immune system.

Pumpkins are high in fiber and low in calories. That means they make you feel full without adding to your overall food intake for the day. If you’re looking for a healthy way to fill up, nutrient-rich pumpkin is a good go-to choice. The fiber uptick in your diet promotes digestive health, too!

Check out this post on WebMD for more fascinating health benefits of pumpkin.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission off items you buy at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure here.

TOOLS NEEDED

Large bowl

Bench scraper

Biscuit cutter (optional – or use a drinking glass or mason jar)

Parchment paper

Baking tray

Cooling rack

Pumpkin Biscuits with Sourdough Discard Ingredient List

Makes 6-8 biscuits

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick cold butter cut into cubes

1/4 cup pumpkin purée (or make your own pumpkin puree)

1 tsp pumpkin spice

3/4 C sourdough starter discard (unfed starter)

THE PROCESS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut the cold stick of butter into small cubes. Massage it into the flour mixture with your hands, creating a dough. It’s okay if the dough is a bit stuff or sticky right now.

Add the pumpkin puree, spice, and sourdough starter, and mix with your hands until just combined.

Flour a clean working surface and place the dough on top. Pat it down and use your hands to form it into a rectangle. Keep patting with your hands on top and on the sides, until you have a rectangle that is about 1 inch thick.

Fold the dough over into itself, then use a bench scraper to cut it in half, and then stack it. Repeat this process of folding, cutting, and stacking 3-4 times, each time getting the dough down to 1 inch thick (I learned this technique from Preppy Kitchen (one of my favorite Youtubers!). Add more flour as needed to keep it dry and flakey.

Create a 1 inch thick rectangular dough. Pat on top and on all sides so it’s nice and plump.

Use a biscuit cutter or the top of a mason jar top to cut out your biscuits. Place them on a parchment lined baking tray. You will only get 1-2 biscuits out of the dough, and then you repeat the patting, folding, cutting, stacking, and patting again process. Then cut more biscuits. Continue this process until all the dough is used up.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool a few minutes. Best served with a dollop of butter on top.

Enjoy!

FAQ

Does the discard help the biscuit rise?

Yes! Although just “discard”, the sourdough starter is becoming fed and active the moment you give it flour to feed on. So while it may not be totally fermented the way it would be if you let it sit out for a few hours or 1 day, it still has more health benefits than just flour and water combined. It also will provide some strength to allow the biscuits to rise. However, the more important step to get tall, fluffy biscuits is to stack them and pat them, and repeating this process several times before baking.

What is the secret to light fluffy and flaky biscuits?

I learned that the secret to light fluffy biscuits is lots of flour, high quality butter, and a good stacking and patting process before baking. Once the dough is formed, cut it in half with a bench scraped and stack it on top of itself. Then pat it into a rectangle, and repeat the process a few more times. This stacking technique gives you the layered, flaky biscuits that are to die for!

What do you serve with homemade biscuits?

Serve sourdough pumpkin biscuits with farm fresh butter on top, and then add an over-easy fried egg. The yolk mixed with the butter and the flaky biscuit is just a wonderful flavor bomb (and a pretty healthy breakfast I might add!)

MORE HEALTHY SOURDOUGH RECIPES FROM THE HOMESTEAD

Einkorn Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sourdough Discard

Sourdough Einkorn Peach Cobbler

Homemade Sourdough Bagels

Einkorn Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Sourdough Pizza with Chicken and Veggies

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