Stop Throwing Away Leftover Biscuit Scraps

Imagine a world where every last bit of biscuit dough is put to good use, resulting in perfectly circular biscuits that leave no dough behind. No more off-cuts go to waste when you bake your scraps with your biscuits. The process of making these scrap-free biscuits is simple. Starting with your favorite biscuit recipe, roll the dough into a large, uniform slab. Transfer the whole slab to a prepared baking sheet, use a biscuit cutter to make circles — leaving all the scraps in place — and bake. 

This technique is used by Erika Council at Bomb Biscuits in Atlanta as a way to utilize all the dough and save time. Further, with this method, you avoid re-rolling the dough, which can potentially cause the biscuits to become overworked and tough. Erika learned the trick from her grandmother and uncle, telling Garden and Gun "The adults would get the actual biscuits and the kids would get the scraps, which was fine with us."  

The final result? Tender uniformly-shaped biscuits that leave nothing behind. The scraps form the perfect biscuit-shaped spoon to dip into jam or to scoop up your favorite homemade gravy. For those who find this method a bit intimidating, you can also try baking your uniquely shaped scraps separately while still yielding a no-waste result. 

But what should you do with those fresh biscuit scraps? If you opted not to cook the scraps with the biscuits, you can upcycle your raw biscuit remnants in a variety of ways. First on our biscuit scrap revival list is soup dumplings. Just boil them in the soup, like traditional dumplings, until they float to the surface and are cooked through. Next up, shape the dough into twists or sticks, (or even arrange small piles of any way-shaped scraps) brush them with garlic-infused butter, and bake until golden brown.

If your scraps are already cooked you can try whipping up a biscuit bread pudding, by soaking the scraps in a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, and a splash of vanilla, then baking until lightly browned. You can also make savory biscuit bread pudding. You can shred leftover biscuits into crumbs to sprinkle over casseroles or use as a topping for macaroni and cheese. 

Last up to the plate are biscuit-scrap croutons to elevate your salads. Dice baked biscuit scraps, season them with herbs and spices, and toast them. And you can freeze your biscuit scrap dough, whether raw or baked, to save it for later use. There are no rules when it comes to repurposing your leftover scraps, so be creative and enjoy.