Buttermilk Biscuits
Photo by Mark Weinberg
MAKES
10 large biscuits or 20 smaller biscuits
TAKES
Prep time: 2 hours 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total: 3 hours 10 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
There are SO many ways to make biscuits, and this is my go-to recipe for the most towering, flaky buttermilk biscuits ever. A few things about my rendition of this classic bake: I like to cut the biscuits into squares instead of using a round cutter to make them - this does away with scrap dough, and means no re-rolling. See Notes below for information on how to make these biscuits with liquids other than buttermilk, and be sure to watch the first episode of the Biscuit Bonanza on YouTube for more biscuit fun!
INGREDIENTS
600 g / 5 cups all purpose flour
4 g / 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
12 g / 2 tablespoons baking powder
170 g / 6 ounces (¾ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch/1 cm cubes
460 g / 2 cups cold buttermilk, plus more as needed
egg wash, as needed for finishing (see Note)
Bake Along With Me Step by Step:
METHOD
1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add the butter and use your hands to break up the cubes, tossing until each one is well coated with flour. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until the largest pieces are about the size of peas. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the buttermilk. Mix with your hands or a spatula until the dough comes together: it will look craggy, not smooth. If the dough seems dry, add more buttermilk 15 g / 1 tablespoon at a time until it is evenly hydrated.
2. Turn the dough out, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes (and up to overnight).
3. On a lightly floured surface, pat out the chilled dough to ½ inch / 1 cm thick. The exact shape doesn’t matter, but aim for roughly squared off or rectangular. Brush away any excess flour with a pastry brush, then fold the dough in half, then in half again (the dough will now be folded into quarters). Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and preferably 1-2 hours.
4. -For Large Biscuits: On a lightly floured surface, pat out the dough into a rectangle about 7 x 8 inch / 18 x 20 cm wide, and about 1 inch / 2 ½ cm thick. Use a bench knife or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 10 equal pieces. First, cut the dough in half lengthwise, and then cut each half in half crosswise into 5 even pieces, making a total of 10 biscuits.
-For Small Biscuits: On a lightly floured surface, pat out the dough into a rectangle about 9 x 10 inch / 23 x 25 cm wide, and about 3/4 inch / 2 cm thick. Use a bench knife or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 20 equal pieces. First, cut the dough in half lengthwise, and then cut each half in half crosswise into 10 even pieces, making a total of 20 biscuits.
5. Transfer the biscuits to a parchment lined baking sheet:
-For Standard Biscuits: stagger the biscuits so there is space between each piece to encourage even browning.
-For “Supportive” Biscuits: arrange them nearly touching in a tight rectangle. As they bake, the biscuits will touch each other at the sides, and these sides will support the biscuits as they rise and bake.
6. Refrigerate the tray of biscuits while you preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C with the oven rack in the center. When the oven is hot, egg wash the surface of the biscuits. Bake until the surface is deeply golden brown:
-For Large Standard Biscuits: 25-30 minutes
-For Large Supportive Biscuits: 35-38 minutes
-For Small Standard Biscuits: 15-20 minutes
-For Small Supportive Biscuits: 18-24 minutes
NOTES
Buttermilk is a biscuit classic, but just one option! You can make biscuits with just about any type of dairy (or non dairy) base. Some of my favorites below:
Yogurt Biscuits: Replace the buttermilk with 510 g / 2 ¼ cups plain yogurt or 528 g / 2 ⅓ cup Greek yogurt.
Kefir Biscuits: Replace the buttermilk with an equal amount of plain kefir.
Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche Biscuits: Replace the buttermilk with 538 g / 2 ⅓ cups sour cream or creme fraiche.
Sometimes I top my biscuits with grated cheddar or other cheese to create a crisp, golden topping on the biscuit! You can see some of these in the photo!
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
