Buttermilk Biscuits
The secret to a high-rising biscuit is keeping your fat frozen and your handling minimal. You want to cut cold butter into flour until it resembles coarse cornmeal, fold in buttermilk until a shaggy dough forms, and press it out just enough to laminate the layers before cutting.
Cold is your only friend here.
If your butter melts before the biscuits hit the oven, you lose the steam that creates those signature flaky layers. Keep the kitchen cool and work fast.
- large mixing bowl
- pastry cutter or two table knives
- biscuit cutter
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 tbspbaking powder
- 1/2 tspbaking soda
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter, frozen and cubed
- 1 cupcold buttermilk
Laminating the dough
After bringing the dough together, fold it over itself three times like a letter. This creates distinct layers that puff upward in the oven.
The method.
Whisk dry ingredients
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in your bowl. Ensure they are evenly distributed.
Cut in the butter
Add the frozen butter cubes. Use your pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until you have pea-sized bits remaining throughout the mixture.
Add buttermilk
Pour in the cold buttermilk. Use a sturdy fork to stir until a shaggy, uneven mass forms. Do not overmix; if it looks messy, you are on the right track.
Fold and press
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Fold the dough over onto itself three times. Press the dough down to about one-inch thick.
Cut
Press the cutter straight down through the dough without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and prevents the rise.
Bake
Place biscuits on a parchment-lined sheet so the sides touch. Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
Other turns to take.
Sharp Cheddar and Chive
Fold in a half-cup of grated sharp cheddar and two tablespoons of fresh chopped chives during the final mixing step.
Black Pepper and Honey
Add one tablespoon of cracked black pepper to the flour and brush the hot tops with a light glaze of honey once out of the oven.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Place the cut biscuits so they touch on the tray; this forces them to rise up rather than spread out.
Use a bench scraper to move the dough; it keeps your warm hands from touching the butter.
If the dough feels sticky, let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes before cutting.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
You can use a tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of milk, but the acidity in true buttermilk is necessary to react with the baking soda for that signature lift and tang.
Why didn't my biscuits rise?
Usually, this happens because the butter got too warm or the baking powder has expired. Keep everything icy cold.
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