Cheesy Sourdough Sausage Balls

I’ve been working on replacing my old Bisquick recipe of sausage balls. Not that I haven’t used the mix for pancakes, dumplings, etc but the sugar and all the other things in it are not what I want in my baking any more. The experiments were delicious and also gave me another way to use my sourdough starter (it is about to celebrate its 3rd birthday).

I like sharp cheddar cheese in these but any good melting cheese would work. You could also add a ½ cup of chopped olives for a briny kick.

Such a tasty appetizer – meaty and cheesy with just a little tang.

1/2 cup sourdough starter discard
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup warm water
1 pound pork breakfast sausage
1 pound (about 4 cups) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Splash of milk (if needed)

Mix together the sourdough starter, flour and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside for at least 15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.

Brown the sausage, using a fork to chop it up in small pieces as it heats. Drain on a paper towel and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400° F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine sausage with the flour mixture. Stir well before adding cheese and melted butter. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined and comes together like a “dough.” If the dough needs a bit of additional moisture to come together, add a splash of milk.

Form into small balls (about a tablespoon in size) and place on the parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

The balls can be made ahead, cooled and frozen until ready to use. Just thaw and reheat.