March 3, 2010...9:27 pm

Buttermilk Biscuits

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I have been drooling over these biscuits for 2 1/2 years!  Why have I not made these sooner you ask?  It is a little bit of a change.  You see I have been making these since I was 12 years old.  They are good!   

My Gosh, I have  been cheating myself.  These biscuits are absolutely the best I’ve ever eaten.  And  I have tasted my share of biscuits.  2,000 to be exact!  I didn’t even  figure in the ones that I  baked nor the ones I’ve eaten at friends and family.  So I know biscuits.  WRONG!  These are incredible.  I first saw them in Southern Living in November of 2007.  I even pulled the recipe out to save and try later.  I just kept looking at it thinking, “ They can’t be that great.”     

My students made this recipe and I wanted to post something different. So here it is  Buttermilk Biscuits that got pushed to the back burner.  After all I have made buttermilk biscuits many times in my life. What’s the big deal?  It appeared again last month in Southern Living Our Test Kitchen Secrets.  Secret?  What could be so secret about making biscuits?  

 

Yesterday I tried the new recipe and was not that thrilled with the results.  It was good but not great.  I was ready to sit down today and write the post and say just that.  Then, I thought about it all afternoon.  I must have done something wrong.    Why would they publish it twice if it was just ordinary?  And besides the picture is down right obscene!  So I made them again!  Words cannot express the taste!  These little morsels are angelic!  What happened to the first round?  Just a slip of the recipe and all was lost. The  keys to your  success are here for you.   

Here are some things that I learned about making biscuits that I did not know and that you should know:  

1.  Dust the work surface with all-purpose flour.  I have always used the same flour that the recipe called for self-rising.  The reason:  The leavening in self-rising leaves a bitter taste on the outside of biscuits.  Where did that come from?  No one told me this for all these years!!!   

2.  Yesterday I used a dark pan.  That is OK if you want a dark thick crust on the bottom of your biscuits, but I don’t like that.  The recipe calls for a jelly roll pan which has a very short lip.  This pan does not brown the bottom so therefore the result is a much softer inside crumb.  I used mine today and it works so much better.   This is good!  

3.  I have always shaped biscuits with my hands, but for high school students to do this is very hard.  They handle them too much and add more flour making a tough biscuit.  This recipe says to cut with a  pastry cutter.  Yesterday I  used a closed cutter that was 2 in. in diameter.  Today I used a pizza cutter and cut them in 24 equal pieces.    It worked great!   So don’t twist the cutter or you’ll seal the edges of the biscuit and reduce the rise.  And the same with a glass , don’t use one.  Both sides of the cutter need to be open to let air to exit.   I knew that you should not twist the cutter, but never thought  that it would deter the rise.   

GI Joe has been home sick  for two days and has been the tester for the biscuits.  Today he had to remove the pan from the kitchen before I stuffed every single one of these things in my mouth.  I am not lying to you. They are fabulous!!!  I will be testing out the next 3 variations of this recipe and sharing them with you, but right now I have to head to the gym and get a handle on these handles!  

Here is what you need for the best buttermilk biscuits that I have ever had in my entire life.  I promise!  

1 stick of butter that is cold

Add butter to 2 1/4 cups of White Lily Self-rising flour

Using pastry blender cut butter pea size and chill for 10 minutes.

After shaking buttermilk add 1 1/4 cups

Stir with a fork until the sides of the bowl are cleaned

On  cutting board sift all-purpose flour .  Add the dough.  I added a small amount of self-rising flour to the dough to keep it from being too sticky and some to my hands.  Knead the dough 2-3 times.  Press the dough  out  and folded it into thirds.  

Here is the dough folded into thirds

Press out again into a rectangle 9×5 and fold into thirds.  Do this for a total of 3 times.  

   

Pat dough 1/2 inch thick cut out with a 2- in cutter and place side by side on parchment paper or lightly greased jelly roll pan.  I used a pizza cutter to cut the biscuits.  Southern Living recommends using a steel pastry knife.  I did not separate the biscuits after cutting them.  I used a bent edged spatula and lifted them into the pan.   Dough should touch.  Bake for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven: brush with 2 tablespoons of  melted butter.  Now run!!   If you don’t,  you will want to put all of them in your mouth .  I did!  Man these are good!  

Oh my goodness!  

  

Here is the recipe:  

Our Best Buttermilk Biscuits  

from Southern Living              Makes 2 dozen  

Prep time 20 min.    Chill time 10 min.  Bake time  13 min.  

  • 1/ 2 cup cold butter
  • 2 1/4 cups self-rising flour ( Use White Lily)
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • Parchment paper
  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  I used convection bake.  Cut cold butter with a sharp knife or pastry blender into 1/4 in. slices. Sprinkle butter slices over flour in a large bowl.  Toss butter with flour.  Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas.  Cover and chill 10 minutes.  Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Don’t go stir crazy here.  It will make biscuits tough.   

Turn dough out onto a floured surface.  Remember to use plain flour.  Knead 3 or 4 times, gradually adding additional flour as needed.  ( I kept self-rising flour on hand for this step) With floured hands, press or pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches) Sprinkle top with additional flour.  Fold dough over onto itself in 3 sections, starting with 1 short end.  Fold dough rectangle as if folding a letter-size piece of paper.  Repeat entire process 2 more times, beginning with pressing into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches)  

Press or pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface: cut with a 2-inch cutter.  I used a pizza cutter and cut dough into 24 equal pieces.  Not separating the dough I used a bent-edged spatula and placed them in a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper.  If using a biscuit cutter, use an open ended one.  Place biscuits in pan with the sides touching each other.   

Bake at 450 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from oven; brush with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.  

Here’s what my students made yesterday.  Only one class cooked because you guessed it -  it snowed! 

1st Block Kitchen 2

1st Block Kitchen 4

1st Block Kitchen 5

1st Block Kitchen 1

1st Block Kitchen 6


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