Southern Buttermilk Biscuits – (Medium ease)

Nothing like the taste and smell of homemade biscuits.  Here are a few tips & hints to help you along;

• Do not over-bake.
• The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
• The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
• I have been told that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there’s less chance of over mixing.
• If not using a food processor – Use a fork to mix the wet ingredients into the dry – do not stir to mix – just “fluff” together
• Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit, use your hands to pat the dough out
• You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze freeze them, place in plastic bags when frozen for up to a month.
• When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder ( use one without aluminum)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
• 1 cup buttermilk ( approx) * You can make your own buttermilk: Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line. (if possible use whole milk or heavy cream). Let stand for five minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
3. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal, using a pastry dough cutter or two knives.
4. Add the buttermilk and using a fork mix JUST until combined, do not beat.
5. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be wet.
6. Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
7. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick. Use flour to dust the board or counter if dough is sticking.
8. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
9. You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
10. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
11. If you like”crusty” sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
12. Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.

What do do with the biscuits when they come out of the oven; drizzle with honey, spread butter, or jam on your biscuit, eat naked, or squirt some whipped cream on each half and add fresh fruit on top.  Or my fav, Biscuits and Gravy – post to come.

Hint; Never cut a biscuit with a knife, always break in half.

Tagged: biscuits, Breads, breakfast, dessert, dinner, honey