I restarted my sourdough starter and that left me with a lot of discard. So I baked biscuits.
THE BACKSTORY
I was not one of those people who mastered sourdough during lockdown. I only got it "right" once and I was determined to not let it "beat me". I restarted the process and then I had to figure out what to do with the discard. There are recipes that used a few tablespoons and then there are recipes like the Buttery Sourdough Biscuit recipe from King Arthur Baking that use a full cup. Yay!
I started by watching the video of King Arthur baker Martin Philip and his family as they bake them. There were some cool variations with jam and berries, bacon and onions, which got me thinking, and rummaging through the fridge.
THE BAKE
I wanted to bake these but I didn't have enough all-purpose flour (eek!) but I did have a bag of Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure flour waiting for me to use it. I added an extra couple of grams of the sourdough discard because in the past I have found that if I don't my bakes are a little drier. I also chilled the dough for 15 minutes because my butter got a little soft, probably my kitchen was a little too warm.
Then I shaped the dough into a 4x10 brick and the fun began. Following the Martin Philip video, I mixed up shredded cheddar cheese, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of garlic. Then spread it on the brick, did a book fold and patted back out to 4x10. Then cut into wedges, coated with milk (and baked for 22 minutes.
THE RESULT
I really liked the buttery, cheesy biscuits. They don't look like traditional biscuits but boy do they taste great. I sprinkled the top with a little black pepper since they were filled with cheese. To keep the bottom from browning too quickly, I double panned the trays. I also rotated the biscuits halfway through for even browning, a must for my oven. Delicious as-is and even better with a pat of butter. They can be wrapped and frozen to enjoy later.
WILL I BAKE IT AGAIN
I think I have another recipe to add to the rotation. It is a great way to use the discard and the base could be a great canvas for all types of delicious variations.