Ina Cheat Day. Growing up, one thing in life was guaranteed: Grandma Cole’s Whole Wheat Sourdough Biscuits would be waiting for us when we arrived at her home. I’d always split mine in half, smear butter on each side, and warm them briefly in the microwave. It was one of the many sourdough recipes she was constantly pumping out of her kitchen. It’s been over ten years since I’ve had one of her biscuits and with all the posts about people attempting sourdough starters (I used Serious Eats version), I was getting nostalgic for this childhood treat.
Having never made them with my grandma, I wasn’t sure what little tips she left off the recipe card. I’ve now attempted them three times and have yet to truly nail them.
For the first batch, I made the recipe exactly as written and while the taste was pretty close, the color was off and the texture was much drier than I remember. Batch two, I swapped out the shortening for the hand-written note calling for 5 oz of oil, and added a little more molasses. The results were flat and dense (you need shortening or butter to puff them up) Batch three I added both fats, and while delicious, the dough was hard to work with and the biscuits spread too much.
I’ll keep plugging away trying to perfect these, in the meantime, I’ve shared the recipe below for you to give these a try. Baking is not my forte so I’ll take any tips or advice on how to make these perfect!
My mom recently sent all of my grandma’s sourdough recipe cards, everything from donuts and gingerbread to English muffins and her famous coffee cake, so that should keep me busy for the rest of my time at home!
Whole Wheat Sourdough Biscuits
1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon molasses
1 3/4 to 2 cups sourdough starter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl. Blend in shortening. Mix molasses well into 1 3/4 cup sourdough. Stir sourdough starter lightly into the flour mixture. Add more sourdough if necessary to make soft dough. Turn out on a floured board and let rest for 5 mins for easier handling. Knead lightly. Roll 3/4 inch thick and cut into 8 squares. Bake for 10-15 min until golden brown.
XOXO,
Trent
