Buttermilk Biscuits
Good biscuits rely on touch and temperature rather than complex chemistry. If the butter melts before it hits the oven, you lose your lift; if you overwork the flour, you lose your tenderness.
Cold butter is your only priority.
Cube your butter and return it to the fridge while you measure your dry ingredients. If your kitchen is warm, chill your flour bowl for ten minutes first.
- large mixing bowl
- pastry cutter or two butter knives
- biscuit cutter
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 tbspbaking powder
- 1/2 tspbaking soda
- 1 tspsalt
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 1 cupcold full-fat buttermilk
Fold for layers
Instead of rolling the dough once, fold it in thirds like a letter and roll again. This creates distinct sheets of dough and butter that puff apart in the heat.
The method.
Whisk dry ingredients
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in your bowl. Ensure they are thoroughly mixed to prevent uneven rising.
Cut in the butter
Use a pastry cutter to work the cold butter into the flour until the largest pieces are the size of small peas. Do not let it become a fine paste.
Add buttermilk
Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy, wet dough forms. Stop while there are still dry patches.
Fold and shape
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle, fold it into thirds, rotate it, and repeat three times. Pat to a 1-inch thickness.
Cut and chill
Use a biscuit cutter to punch straight down without twisting; twisting seals the edges and prevents the rise. Chill the cut biscuits on the tray for 15 minutes.
Bake
Bake at 425°F until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have risen significantly, about 15 to 18 minutes.
Other turns to take.
Sharp Cheddar and Chive
Fold 1/2 cup of grated sharp cheddar and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives into the flour before adding the buttermilk.
Black Pepper and Honey
Add 1 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper to the dry mix and brush the tops with a little honey-butter immediately after baking.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always press straight down with your cutter; a twist at the end crimps the edges and hinders the rise.
If the dough feels soft or sticky, put the whole tray back in the freezer for five minutes before putting them in the oven.
Place the biscuits so their edges touch on the baking sheet to encourage them to grow upward rather than spreading outward.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my biscuits come out flat?
The butter likely melted before the biscuits hit the oven. Ensure your butter and buttermilk are cold, and work quickly.
Can I use milk instead of buttermilk?
You can mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes, but the acidity in actual buttermilk is what reacts with the baking soda for the lift.