by Sheila Watson Kraklow

Created on: March 14, 2009   Last Updated: April 05, 2009

If you are an old hand at baking sour dough bread, this article is just for you; try your hand at making quick and easy sour dough biscuits! Imagine fresh, fluffy hot sour dough biscuits, made from scratch! You can do it with your sour dough starter and a little time.

The basics (in case you don't have some starter already made):

Every sour dough baked item needs starter. This starter was originally made from part of the recipe that is kept back, stored in a glass or crock container, and allowed to ferment. On the other hand, it can be made from scratch.

The fermentation process is done at room temperature to capture and utilize the wild yeasts that swim around in our air. When the yeast combines with a bit of sugar, flour and water viola you have made sour dough starter.

It is important not to use metal bowls, spoons, or lids when compiling the starter and to keep it loosely covered during the fermentation process.

-Starter

Pour 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of flour into a tall glass or crockery. Add 1 tsp. of sugar, stir with a wooden spoon, cover loosely with sling warp and place starter in a warm, draft free place in your kitchen. Allow this starter to sit undisturbed.

Making starter, the process:

Two days before you are going to make the biscuits, feed the starter. Open the container the contents should be bubbly! Add 1 cup water and 1 cup flour (whole grain, whole wheat or rye flours make a nutty flavored starter and dough) and stir gently. Cover loosely and return to it spot. Let this sit, soon you will notice a beer smell; you have made the starter. It can be refrigerated however remove from refrigeration 2 hours before using to wake and warm up the yeasts.

To make sour dough biscuits:

Pour room temperature starter into a large bowl, add 1 cup water and 1 cup flour, and stir to combine. This is called making the "Sponge." Cover this loosely with cling wrap and let this sit until its bubbly. (1 hour or so, depending on your individual yeast) When the sponge is foamy on top it is ready to use.

-Real Sour Dough Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups starter

2 cups flour, sifted

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2tsp. salt

1/4tsp. cream of tartar

2 tsp. sugar

1/2cup canola oil

2/3 cup milk

For melting/topping:

1/4 cup butter

Directions:

Makes about 16 biscuits

Sift dry ingredients together and add to a bowl. Combine starter sponge with milk and oil add dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 400oF.

Roll or pat dough out on a lightly floured work surface and cut into as many biscuits as you can get. Continue until all dough is used. (I use a 3 1/2 inch cutter for nice big biscuits.)

Put butter in the bottom of a rectangular cake pan 13x9" and place in oven, when butter is melted remove and allow pan to cool a couple of minutes.

Place each raw biscuit one at a time into the melted butter and then flip over so the buttered side is facing up. Continue with this dropping and flipping until all biscuits are in the pan, you may need more than one pan and extra butter.

Allow to sit for 15 minutes to proof a little and then bake 10-12 minutes or until nicely browned on top.

Remove from oven and serve these nice biscuits with butter and any fruity jam or alongside any meat and potatoes meal!

They will be mighty fine eating!

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