Buttermilk Biscuits
Time: 1 hour | Serves: 3–6 Nature: Neutral | Flavor: Sweet
Recipe Source: Melinda Vandam and Travis Kern
Ingredients
- 300g self-rising flour
- 1 stick salted butter, frozen
- 240g buttermilk, very cold
- 2 TBL salted butter, melted
Directions
Preheat: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees with the oven rack in the center. Don't skip this step because a hot oven is essential for good biscuit rise.
Mix the Dough: Weigh the self-rising flour into a medium mixing bowl. Using a large box grater, shred the frozen butter and add it to the flour, tossing the butter shreds throughout the flour to distribute clumps and coat the shreds with flour. Measure the buttermilk and add to the flour mixture. Stir thoroughly with a rubber spatula until a loose dough forms.
Shape the Biscuits: Pour your shaggy dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Press into a rectangle approximately 10 inches by 6 inches. Fold the dough into thirds, like folding a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and press into a rectangle again, adding a little flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Fold again into thirds. With each fold and turning, the dough will take more shape and structure. Repeat the turn and fold one more time for a total of 3 turns.
Now press the dough into a rectangle about 7 inches by 4 inches and about 1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut off the edges of your rectangle just enough to create an exposed edge all the way around. Now cut the rectangle into 6 equal pieces to make square biscuits. This way, each biscuit has cut edges all the way around which allows the biscuits to rise evenly.
- Bake and Enjoy: Place your cut biscuits into a square baking tray so that the biscuits touch the side of the pan and each biscuit touches the other biscuits. Arranging so the dough pieces touch will encourage the biscuits to rise. Baste with melted butter on top.
Bake for 15–25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the biscuits are a deep golden brown. If you're using a heavy baking tool like a cast-iron pan, the bake time will be longer.
Serve with salted butter and your favourite jam.
What is Self-Rising Flour?
Self-rising flour is a tool to help save you time when making a variety of baked goods that are leavened with chemical leaveners. SR flour has the baking powder and salt already added to the flour in a standardized ratio for most leavened bakes, so you don't have to worry about adding it yourself. If you like biscuits and want to bake them regularly, make SR flour a pantry staple.
If you can find it, choose a SR flour made from soft winter wheat like what is available from White Lily Brand. The biscuits will be lighter and softer.
Biscuit Tips and Tricks
Biscuit ingredients are few, but shaping technique is key. Add a bench scraper as a tool in your baking kit that will help you lift and move sticky doughs like this one without having to add too much excess flour which will firm and toughen your biscuits. Also, if your finished biscuits are too crumbly, then work the dough another couple turns. If they are too bready, work them less.