Buttermilk Biscuits

Photo and recipe shared by The Hillbilly Gourmet

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients

■2 cups all-purpose flour (a soft wheat brand like White Lily will turn out the best biscuits)
■4 teaspoons baking powder
■1 teaspoon salt
■1/2 teaspoon baking soda
■6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold, cut into chunks)
■1 cup buttermilk (can also use milk, cream, or half-and-half or splash a little vinegar into the bottom of a measuring cup and fill it the rest of the way with milk to approximate buttermilk)

Note

This recipe makes 10-12 biscuits, but I usually cut the recipe in half to make 6. Also, to make the biscuits pictured here I used self-rising flour and omitted the salt, baking soda, and half of the baking powder.

Directions 

Step 1 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put a baking stone or baking sheet in the oven to preheat.

Step 2 

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Step 3 

Add buttermilk a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until the mixture comes together into a sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and lightly coat the outside with flour. Flatten and fold into thirds. Repeat the flattening and folding twice, adding flour as needed but being careful not to add too much flour, which will toughen your biscuits.

Step 4 

Lightly press the dough into a rectangle about an inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter or knife to cut into the desired number of biscuits. I use a knife and don't worry about the shape of my biscuits. Not using a biscuit cutter prevents me from having to re-roll the scraps, which will also toughen it.

Step 5 

Place the biscuits on the preheated pan barely touching one another. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 12 minutes. Serve with butter, jelly, gravy, etc.