7-10-2026

My Sourdough Biscuits

I have yet to try these in a dutch oven, but I will.

I keep a real sourdough starter going. It is usually neglected at the back of my refrigerator where it stays for months at a time. I have always been able to revive it by feeding it every day for a week and using the discard to make pancakes.

I just tried using it to make biscuits at home, and they came out great. I made a couple of changes to my recipe (from 2019 that I found somewhere). The changes were based on watching some dutch oven videos and were as follows:

I did some reading and learned that southern cooks always use oil to make their biscuits. I can use canola oil rather than butter and avoid a lot of saturated fat, which I am concerned about. That is all about reducing cholesterol and keeping my heart healthy. Using oil is no liability. The biscuits come out better if anything.

I watched Kent Rollins biscuit videos and he says to use a pan with sides and not a sheet like I always have. This is great advice and makes all sides of every biscuit soft and like all the others.

My skillet

I just measured and took a close look at it. It is marked "8SK" and Lodge calls it an 8 inch skillet. It has an auxilliary handle across from the main handle. It is what I have used every day in my kitchen for years. It measures 10 inches across the top and thus offers real estate that is identical to my 10 inch dutch oven for laying out biscuits.

My starter

I have had several starters over the years. The one I use now I got several years ago from the baker at Barrio Bread here in Tucson. I showed up with a container, bought some bread like I always do, and asked. He did not hesitate.

To keep it going, whenever I use it, I put 2-3 big spoonfuls into a bowl and then "feed it" with 3/4 cup of water and 1 cup of flour. I add the water to the stater first, stir it up good, then stir in the flour. I leave it on the counter all day (and night) and the next morning I am realy to use it and repeat the process.

My biscuits

1 cup starter (more or less)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
2 tsp baking power
1/4 cup oil
extra flour as needed
I just guess at the amount of oil rather than make a mess in a measuring cup.

I sift the dry ingredients together, then add the oil and mix it in, then I add the starter and mix it to get a ball of dough that gathers in the middle of the bowl. I typically have to add some more flour to get a proper dough.

Once I have a ball of dough, I spread a bit of flour on the counter, dump the dough on that, knead it if needed to make it uniform, then spread it out to about a 1 inch thickness by patting with my hands. Then I use a 2 inch round cutter to get about 8 biscuits. These nicely filled my 8 inch cast iron skillet and into the oven it went at 350.

After 30 minutes, the tops were just showing a faint brown, as were the bottoms when I tipped them up to check. They were some of the best most tender biscuits I have ever made. No need to cook them any longer.

Sourdough pancakes

I have made these for years, but I like the biscuits above better. 
1 cup of starter (more or less)
1 egg (this may be optional)
1 tb sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tb oil
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
I mix everything except the soda and baking powder, then add them at the very last. This avoids wasting all the leavening action while you stir the main mix. I never need to add any liquid.
Feedback? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Dutch Oven Info / tom@mmto.org