A few weeks ago, I attended a virtual workshop, presented by Starchefs and Butter of Europe, that brought together pastry chefs and enthusiasts from around the country.

It was a privilege to “take class” with the educator and leader that is Chef Joanne Chang and to watch her make her famous sourdough biscuits! I am excited to share her recipe, and some fun butter knowledge, with all of you.

ps. I have written about the joys of European and French butter before so, if you are looking for a refresher, you can find it here.

Here are some top tips from Chef Joanne Chang:

Make sure the butter for the biscuits is fully chilled! Even cold, the European butter has a little give to it, it is softer – and the color difference is instantly noticeable.
Always bake with unsalted butter – this way you know how much salt you are actually adding to your recipe. Also unsalted butter is naturally fresher – this was a new fact to me! The salt acts as a preservative and that butter can then be made in bigger batches. Use unsalted butter actively, otherwise, you can freeze it.
When forming your dough, coat the flour with butter to protect the flour from forming gluten when you add liquid. (gluten = great for bread, not as great for cake or biscuit)

Sourdough Biscuits with Rosemary and Parsley

Pastry Chef Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery & Cafe | Boston Adapted by StarChefs

Fluffy, savory sourdough biscuits with rosemary and parsley.

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biscuits

Ingredients

Levain:
120 grams sourdough starter
1.25 cup all-purpose flour
Biscuits
1.75 cup grams all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
0.5 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 sticks unsalted European butter cold, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cold heavy cream

Instructions

For the Levain: Mix together the sourdough starter, flour, and 180 grams room temperature water and leave out at room temperature for at least 12 hours or overnight.
For the Biscuits: In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, parsley, and rosemary. Using your fingers,
smear and crumble the cut butter into the dry ingredients until the butter resembles smaller marble-sized pieces.
In a small bowl, mix together Levain and the heavy cream. Add to the dry ingredients and mix in
thoroughly with your hands. Cover and let rest at cool room temperature for 45 minutes, allowing the
liquid to fully absorb into the dry ingredients and giving the starter time to work.
Preheat oven to 375°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Dump the dough out onto a flat
surface and pat it into a 1.5-inch thick layer. Using a sharp knife, cut out 2.5-inch squares and place
them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should get about 8 to 10 biscuits. (At this point the biscuits can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 1 week. Add 5 to 10 minutes to baking time and proceed as directed.)
Place the biscuits in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the biscuits are light golden brown. Remove the biscuits from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Serve day of or wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature for 1 day. Refresh them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.