Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Whole Grain Sourdough Biscuits

Whole Grain Sourdough Biscuits

These biscuits are quick, versatile, and way easier than homemade bread. We use fresh ground flour for the best flavor, but I made them with storebought flour for years with great success as well. I've always used whole wheat flour for this recipe. They turn out delicious, and are great with butter and jam, or served alongside soup, or drenched in gravy with mashed potatoes.

To start, make a sourdough starter, or take yours out of the fridge and wake it up by bringing it to room temperature. I don't recommend buying a starter, since they are even easier than biscuits to make. You can store your starter in the fridge when you're not using it, or keep it on the counter and stir it daily if you do a lot of baking. You want a cup and a half of starter, so add enough equal parts flour and water to bring it up to that level.

I adapted this recipe years ago from the book How It All Vegan, and while I do use butter now, the dairy-free version is just as good.

Here are the instructions:

Preheat oven to 350

sourdough for biscuits

Mix together:

2 c whole wheat flour, finely ground
1/2 t sea salt
2 t baking soda

Add sweetener and fat:

1 tb sucanat (or honey, or sweetener of choice)
1/2 c butter (or use coconut oil for vegan biscuits)

sourdough biscuit dough
The biscuit mixture before adding sourdough starter
Stir in starter:

1 1/2 c sourdough starter     
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds are a great optional addition

I add my whole jar of sourdough starter to this recipe, and then as soon as my biscuits are baking I add fresh flour and water to the same jar (unwashed) for the next batch of sourdough. It will only take a day or two to mature, and then it's ready for the next batch of biscuits!

sourdough biscuit dough
Dough, ready for dropping & baking

Bake in muffin tins (I use silicon baking cup liners, but they're not necessary) or drop on cookie sheet, for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top

whole grain sourdough biscuits

Recipe makes about a dozen biscuits.

whole grain sourdough biscuits

These biscuits are lovely fresh from the oven. They will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.

Organic flours and whole grains can be purchased in bulk from Azure Standard, a natural foods distributor. Below are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!

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27 comments

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January 31, 2013 at 8:23 AM

I'm making my starter with Kombucha dregs. :) Do you soak your wheat with the sourdough added over night- then bake?

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January 31, 2013 at 1:23 PM

These biscuits are just mix and bake, I've never tried soaking them first. That said, we do generally soak all our grains, and I will definitely try soaking them before baking next time. That could be really great! As it is, the sourdough itself is soaked, of course, but the rest of the flour is just mixed and baked. I like your idea though!

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January 31, 2013 at 2:29 PM

I just made my first sourdough starter this week! I will try these for sure. I am curious as to how you grind your wheat?

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January 31, 2013 at 2:44 PM

I actually wrote an article on that very topic! http://alifeunprocessed.blogspot.com/2012/01/grind-your-own.html
I normally use a high speed blender, but for the biscuits I like a finer grind so I use the hand grinder. It's slow, but makes better flour. My husband suggested a pre-grind in the blender would make the grinder go faster, and he was right. So, I blend the wheat for a minute until all the grains are pulverized, and then pour it into the hand grinder, and put my kids to work! They love making flour, and it's way easier when it's been blended a bit first.

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February 1, 2013 at 5:30 AM

These look great! I love sourdough, but have never thought to make muffins with it. Would love for you to link them up at what i am eating! http://www.townsend-house.com/2013/02/what-i-am-eating-14.html

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February 1, 2013 at 5:08 PM

These look awesome! Too bad I just baked bread yesterday and I'm down to just a half cup of sourdough starter!

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February 6, 2013 at 2:05 AM

yum! I've never done sourdough starter, but I LOVE it.... inspired :o) Thanks for sharing at Tasteful Tuesdays this week! Do you sew or know someone who does? I have a fabulous pattern sale (18 patterns for under $25) and giveaway going on right now.http://www.nap-timecreations.com/2013/02/sew-fab-e-pattern-sale-and-giveaway.html

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Anonymous
February 8, 2013 at 4:13 AM

I'm wondering if you let the mixture sit when you add the sour-dough, as is normally done when making bread, or do you bake the mixture straight away.
Cheers Yvonne

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February 8, 2013 at 9:01 AM

You know what? The cookbook that I got this recipe from years ago said to just mix and bake, so that's what I've always done. But since reading another comment on the article, I've decided to update that part of the recipe so the whole thing "sours" before baking. I'll give it a try the next time I make them. However, they really do turn out great just baked straight away, which is how we've enjoyed them for years.

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February 11, 2013 at 5:50 AM

Thanks Senka, I'll check it out.

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February 19, 2013 at 6:53 AM

I'm just getting back into baking with wheat again. After thinking I was wheat/gluten intolerant I now realise I can tolerate bread if it's been pre-soaked and made more traditionally. So this is very interesting. I've been grinding my own flour in my vitamix but my first couple of loaves of bread did not cook in the middle, but these look a bit easier than a loaf of bread so really want to give them a try. I'm a bit scared to spend so long on a starter as I'm not sure it will have worked, but I'm going to give it a try in the next week. Many thanks!

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February 19, 2013 at 8:10 AM

The starter takes a couple of days, but after that you can make these biscuits every day or two if you want to. The starter is quick once it gets established.
I haven't tried this yet, but next time I make these, I'm going to soak the dough altogether once the starter is added. I'll leave out the baking soda, mix everything else, and let it soak for 12-24 hours before baking. According to the original recipe, only the starter is soaked, but I also prefer all my grains to be soaked.

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February 19, 2013 at 10:16 AM

looks simple and easy, love it!

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February 26, 2013 at 9:26 AM

These look lovely! I've got my sourdough starter going. It's about 2 weeks old now, and has only ever lived on the counter. It's really developing some awesome flavors, and I'm always looking for new recipes. This one's so simple, I'll definitely be trying it soon! Thanks. :) - Rachael

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March 4, 2013 at 11:01 PM

What a delicious idea! Thanks for sharing this recipe with the Hearth and soul hop.

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March 4, 2013 at 11:01 PM

What a delicious idea! Thanks for sharing this recipe with the Hearth and soul hop.

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Anonymous
May 23, 2013 at 8:31 AM

I love to try a new recipe and this one looks so good.......Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week; I hope you’ll join us again!


Cheers,
Kathy Shea Mormino

The Chicken Chick

http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com

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Ryan A.
June 20, 2013 at 7:32 PM

Hello again! I'm back with another "What can I do in Southeast Asia?" question (or two)!

1. As before, I wonder about making the sourdough starter and how to judge the correct length of time for the temperature ranges here (90-100+ F on most days). Any tips or advice?

2. Where I live, it is not common for us to have ovens for baking. Most people buy bread on the streets or steam things in their rice cookers or above similar devices. Do you think this batter/dough would respond will to being steamed? I can easily find the silicone cups you mentioned above and wondered if I would be able to put them in my steamer for "baking" that way. Ideas?

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June 23, 2013 at 5:26 AM

Love this recipe. Thanks for sharing. I use it once a week or so and make buns by allowing the sourdough rest for a few hours after mixing. Lately I have added finely chopped and then carlmelized onions. Sooo yummy as a burger bun or with cheese, lettuce and sprouts.

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June 24, 2013 at 6:30 AM

Thank you! I'll check it out.

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June 24, 2013 at 6:31 AM

Sounds SO good, thanks! I think I should definitely let mine rise a bit before baking. They are good without it, but it sounds like they are better after resting!

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June 27, 2013 at 5:46 AM

Ooh! I need to make these! I've been wanting to use a sourdough starter. Thanks for sharing this recipe at our HomeAcre Hop!

http://blackfoxhomestead.com/uncategorized/the-homeacre-hop-25/

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July 26, 2013 at 10:59 AM

These look delicious! I'd love for you to share them at Food on Friday at Tales of a Pee Dee Mama.

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August 16, 2013 at 2:23 PM

What a beautiful presentation for your awesome biscuits! Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipe with Full Plate Thursday.
Have a great weekend!
Miz Helen

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Anonymous
October 17, 2013 at 12:57 PM

These look amazing! I love the muffin cups too :)

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