Buttermilk Sourdough Biscuits

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   In a medium mixing bowl, combine 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) whole wheat pastry flour, ½ cup sourdough starter, 1 cup buttermilk, and 2 tablespoons honey. Whisk until well mixed. Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and a dish towel, and let the sponge ferment at room temperature (around 70°F) for 8 to 10 hours.

2. Step 2.

   After the sponge has fermented, preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Step 3.

   In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the remaining 6.75 ounces (about 1½ cups) whole wheat pastry flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Cut or grate 3 tablespoons cold butter into small pieces and add along with 3 tablespoons cold lard or coconut oil. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Alternatively, pulse in a food processor.

4. Step 4.

   Add the flour-fat mixture to the fermented sponge and stir with a mixing spoon until combined. When it becomes too difficult to stir, flour your hands and quickly fold the dough until a soft, bouncy, and pliable dough forms that does not stick to your hands. If it sticks, add unbleached white bread flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together easily.

5. Step 5.

   Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter, then gently roll it with a rolling pin into a 10-by-7-inch rectangle about ¾ inch thick.

6. Step 6.

   Using a pastry scraper or knife, cut the dough into six equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to create twelve triangles. (For round biscuits, roll dough to ¾ inch thick and cut with a 2½- to 3-inch biscuit cutter.) Place the shapes on the prepared baking sheet.

7. Step 7.

   Bake the biscuits for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides. Let them cool slightly on the baking sheet before serving warm.