Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Whenever I announce that I’m going to make a batch of biscuits, oohs and aahs from family and friends fill my kitchen. Their excitement makes me feel as though I possess some kind of wizardry when all I do is turn five basic ingredients into something so universally loved. It’s not magic, I prefer to think of it as alchemy -alchemy that anyone can achieve with just a few tricks up their sleeve. And, I fully believe that once you can successfully bake a biscuit, you will have friends for life. After all, who doesn’t hanker for a towering, flaky, buttery, biscuit.
One of my favorite ways to eat a biscuit is drenched in thick sausage gravy, preferably with a side of eggs. You can be sure that if ‘biscuits and gravy’ are on the menu, I will be ordering it. It’s my all time favorite. No kidding. I have actually planned vacations around pit-stops at restaurants famous for their biscuits. That said, I don’t discriminate when it comes to the way I will eat a hot steaming biscuit. Butter is a must, followed by a slathering of homemade jam or a drizzle of honey. And then there’s Fried Chicken and Biscuits, or biscuit topped chicken stew. This recipe from Ina Garten is comfort food at its best. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture. I’m passionate about biscuits.
The recipe I’m sharing here is very straight forward. It’s the technique that sets it apart, creating the flaky layers recognizable in the photo above. Success depends on what I call the Holy Trinity Method of biscuit making. Start cold, work fast, and be gentle. The butter and buttermilk should be VERY cold. You will want to work fast so that the butter doesn’t start to warm up. And lastly, be gentle when working the dough. Too much rough handling and the biscuits will be tough.
So get rolling out a batch of biscuits – and make some friends!
Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) COLD butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup COLD buttermilk
2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
Flaky or Course salt (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425˚. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place in the bowl of a food processor, the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Pulse several times to combine.
Add the cold butter and process until mixture looks crumbly and with some pieces of butter still visible. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the buttermilk. Using a rubber spatula, bring the dough together by stirring from the outside into the middle, gently pressing on the mixture as you go.
Once mostly combined, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, gently but quickly shape the dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick, running vertically. Fold the dough letter-style by bringing the bottom 1/3 over the middle, and then fold down the top 1/3 over that. Press the dough back into a 1-inch thick rectangle, and repeat the folding process two more times.
Gently roll (or press) the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Cut out biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch cutter, re-rolling scraps once. Brush tops of biscuit with melted butter, then sprinkle with flaky salt if desired. Bake on prepared baking sheet for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Leftovers can be re-warmed in a 350˚oven for 5 minutes.
A few additional notes to guarantee biscuit success:
˚ After cutting the butter and measuring the buttermilk, place them into the freezer while preparing remaining ingredients.
˚ When cutting out the biscuits, DO NOT twist the biscuit cutter, Rather, make one quick cut straight down.
˚ If time allows, place baking sheet with biscuits into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before baking.
I use a food processor to make my biscuits, but if you prefer, you can go old-school and use a pastry blender to work the butter into the dry ingredients.
Makes: 10-12 Biscuits
Thanks for the tips. My biscuits always come out heavy and with a low rise – thinking I must be overworking the dough.
Always happy to help 🙂
What beauties! For me with salted butter and home made jam!
Thanks Deb! I am a ‘salted’ butter fan. It’s actually the only butter I use. Shh – don’t tell anyone. 😉
Made these this weekend to accompany homemade beef stew. They were delicious! Great with stew and even better afterwards with salted butter and homemade apple butter! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Rachel, glad you enjoyed them! Beef stew + Biscuits = YUM!!!