Classic Buttermilk Biscuits
A good biscuit relies on the interplay between cold butter and hot air. If you treat the dough with a heavy hand, the layers will turn dense; treat it gently, and you get a flaky, tender crumb.
Keep the temperature low
The secret is cold butter and cold buttermilk. If the butter melts before it hits the oven, you lose the lift.
- large mixing bowl
- pastry cutter or two forks
- baking sheet
- biscuit cutter
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 tbspbaking powder
- 1/2 tspbaking soda
- 1 tspsalt
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter, frozen and cubed
- 1 cupchilled buttermilk
Folding for layers
Instead of kneading the dough, pat it out and fold it over itself three times. This creates distinct, flaky sheets of pastry.
The method.
Mix dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a wide bowl until uniform.
Cut in the butter
Toss the frozen butter cubes into the flour. Use a pastry cutter to break them down until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized chunks remaining.
Add buttermilk
Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overwork it.
Fold and shape
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Pat into a rectangle, fold it into thirds like a letter, rotate, and repeat twice more. Roll or pat to a 1-inch thickness.
Cut and bake
Press a biscuit cutter straight down without twisting. Place biscuits on a baking sheet so they touch slightly. Bake at 425°F until the tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Freeze your butter for at least 30 minutes before starting.
Avoid twisting the cutter; a clean downward press helps the edges rise evenly.
Placing the biscuits so their sides touch in the pan encourages them to grow upward rather than spreading out.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my biscuits turn out flat?
The butter likely melted during mixing, or the dough was handled too much, which toughens the gluten.
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Buttermilk's acidity reacts with the baking soda to provide lift. If you must substitute, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for ten minutes.
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