Commonly known as "squashed fly biscuits", these biscuits are crunchy, tasty and sugar-free. Using a good amount of sourdough discard, these Sourdough Garibaldi Biscuits have a hint of that signature tang that complements the tartness of the currants perfectly! A wonderful snack, and a great treat with a cup of tea, we make these every couple of weeks as soon as we have enough sourdough discard to use!
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I always called these currant-sandwiches "Garibaldi biscuits", but never questioned the name. Apparently, they were created in honour of Giuseppe Garibaldi, a patriotic Italian general. Seb, on the other hand, has never heard of Garibaldi biscuits until I started making them, but we soon realised that he simply knows them by a different name - "Squashed Fly Biscuit". Doesn't that sound appealing?! I'll be honest, I don't even like to think about this funny (and very gruesome, in my opinion) name when I eat them.
How to Make Sourdough Garibaldi Biscuits?
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sourdough starter, melted butter and a tablespoon of maple syrup to make a smooth dough.
Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a small rectangular slab or put in oblong Tupperware boxes and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the dough is firm, but don't leave it longer than 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Take one piece of the dough and roll it out onto your baking parchment as thinly as possible. Dust the rolling pin and the top of the dough as much as you need to to ensure the dough doesn't stick and tear. (The best thing to use I find is a stainless steel rolling pin that's been cooled in the fridge for a while). The dough may have uneven edges but try to make it as even as possible.
Scatter the currents evenly on the rolled out piece.
Then take another baking parchment piece, sprinkle it with a generous amount of flour. Roll out the second piece of dough into a rectangle of the same size as the first one. Then invert it onto the currants and carefully unpeel the baking parchment.
Gently roll the "currant-sandwich" until the currants start showing through the layer on top. Trim the edges if needed.
Slide it with the baking parchment onto a large baking sheet. Cut it into rectangles (we cut it into 40) with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet and bake for another 5 minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy. The outer edge biscuits will crisp up quicker. I like to remove them and return the tray to the oven for a few more minutes so that the inner biscuits have a chance to crisp up too.
Remove the garibaldi biscuits from the oven and leave them to cool down. Then break them up into individual biscuits and store them airtight at room temperature for up to a week.
Have more sourdough discard to use? Want to make more cookies? Try our Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookies and Sourdough Gingerbread next!
For other sugar-free bakes, have a look at our recipes below:
- Refined-Sugar Free Chocolate Tart (Gluten-Free too)
- Honey Oat Cookies with Cranberries and Pistachios
Sourdough Garibaldi Biscuits | Refined Sugar-Free
Equipment
Ingredients
- 135 g plain flour
- 225 g sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 70 g butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 150 g dried currants
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sourdough starter, melted butter and a tablespoon of maple syrup to make a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a small rectangular slab or put in oblong tupperware boxes and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the dough is firm, but don't leave it longer than 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C. Take one piece of the dough and roll it out onto your baking parchment as thinly as possible. Dust the rolling pin and the top of the dough as much as you need to to ensure the dough doesn't stick and tear. The dough may have uneven edges but try to make it as even as possible.
- Scatter the currents evenly on the rolled out piece.
- Then take another baking parchment piece, sprinkle it with a generous amount of flour. Roll out the second piece of dough into a rectangle of the same size as the first one. Then invert it onto the currants and carefully unpeel the baking parchment.
- Gently roll the 'currant-sandwich' until the currants start showing through the layer on top. Trim the edges if needed.
- Cut it into rectangles (we cut it into 40) with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy. The outer edge biscuits will crisp up quicker. I like to remove them and return the tray to the oven for a few more minutes so that the inner biscuits have a chance to crisp up too.
- Remove the garibaldi biscuits from the oven and leave to cool down. then break them up into individual biscuits and store airtight at room temperature for up to a week.
Nutrition
Antonia Sattler says
How do you make these paleo/AIP/vegan? 🙂
Please.
Ieva Greber says
Unfortunately, I haven't made these with the listed dietary requirements in mind, but if I ever do I will make sure to update the recipes with the details.
Antonia Sattler says
Can I use cassava flour instead? To make gluten free? And leave out the sour dough?
Ieva Greber says
Thanks for asking, Antonia! Swapping out the sourdough discard for 112g plain (all-purpose) flour and 112g water should work fine as a substitute. As for cassava flour, I honestly can't say, as I haven't tested it, but without any gluten I'd expect the dough to struggle to hold together properly the way this recipe is written. If you do give it a go, I'd love to hear how it turns out!