We're baking today!
I know, something I hardly ever do. This is one of those test-of-manhood things for me, like, everyone seems like they can make biscuits but I totally stink at baking but I really wanted to know how to make them so I told myself AGES ago that this needs to happen and then I looked and looked at recipes and read method after method and finally just did it one day and here's what happened!
I'm such a fraidy-cat. I've actually never bought a packet of yeast, much less attempted to used it. Maybe when I'm 40.
The biscuits, though, require no yeast, worked the first time, and were delicious. Winning all around! I used this recipe (there are several on this page, I used the very first one) and zero special equipment except a food processor. No rolling pin, no pastry cutter, no biscuit cutter, NOTHING. I knew I wanted to make these square or rectangular because I don't own a rolling pin, and the square biscuit approach means that you cut biscuits ONCE and lose zero dough. Again: winning all around.
The ingredients are as simple as can be! You need flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, butter, and buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk try not to freak out - 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon white vinegar mixed together MAKE BUTTERMILK. Seriously. No worries beef curry. 
Let's make biscuits! The key to fluffy biscuits is really cold butter. So, we freeze the butter THEN work really quickly to get the biscuits in the oven once we start making the dough. You can also make the dough and chill it again if you'd like to. But first, cut the butter into cubes. 
Place the butter in a dish and let it freeze for 15 minutes or so while you get everything else ready. Preheat the oven to 450F. 
Prepare a baking sheet (I used parchment paper, but baking spray is fine too), and measure the dry ingredients in to a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine the ingredients. 
Then, add the butter!
Pulse the butter into the flour several times until you can't see most of the butter. There will be some pieces the size of peas or so - the mixture should look like coarse meal, whatever that is. 
Now, liquids! I made a double batch of these so my food processor couldn't handle the whole job, but you can add the buttermilk in the food processor with no problem. I moved the butter mixture to a bowl and added the buttermilk. 
Then, combine everything to make a dough - this happens quickly, so as soon as all the buttermilk is incorporated to the mixture you're done! Don't mix any more than you have to. 
Now, we keep hurrying to make biscuits - we want the dough to stay as cold as possible! Flour a board really well and dump the dough onto it. 
Then, very gently use your hands to quickly press the dough into a rough rectangle. It doesn't have to be perfect at all - just a few flattening pats. 
Then, fold the dough over itself once or twice - this basically serves the same purpose as kneading but ensures that we don't knead too much. 
Once you've folded the dough over a few times, press the dough into a more even rectangle. 
Then cut biscuits! I made some large and some small for testing AND serving purposes - I was doing different things with this batch. 
Now, if you like soft edges and really high biscuits, place them on a baking sheet close together. If you like crispy edges, put them a little further apart. I brushed the tops with buttermilk and sprinkled them with coarse salt, but you could use pepper, sugar, or all three! Whatever you like. 
Then bake! 12 minutes, maybe a few more, 450F, boom. We're looking for slightly browned biscuits that have risen. Like these! I'm not going to lie, I love the texture of these and how you can TELL they are homemade. You can of course mess with these and make them smoother and more uniform, but why? Rustic, light, and so buttery is the name of this game. 
Now, we have biscuits. I made a kick-ass breakfast sandwich to show you next, but you could of course do ANYTHING with these. I'm particularly infatuated with biscuits and butter and wine. BECAUSE MONDAY IS UPON US.
You could totes have biscuits and wine for dinner. Just saying. 
Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons very cold salted butter if you use unsalted butter use 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk plus extra for brushing
- salt pepper, and/or sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Cube the butter, and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times. Add the butter cubes and pulse a few more times to break the butter up into pieces about the size of little green peas, and no larger.
- Add the buttermilk to the flour mixture (in the food processor or in a separate bowl) and combine to form a sticky dough. Working quickly, move the dough to a floured board and press into a rectangle about an inch thick. Fold the dough in thirds like an envelope and press the dough back into a 1-inch rectangle. Handle the dough as little as possible to keep the butter very cold.
- When the dough is flat, cut into squares or rectangles using a pastry cutter or a very sharp knife. Place on a baking sheet - the biscuits should be touching for soft sides, or 1 inch apart for crispy edges. Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little bit of buttermilk and sprinkle the tops with salt, pepper, sugar, or a combination - your choice!
- Bake the biscuits for 12 minutes or until golden and puffy. Serve warm or let cool.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- The key to very fluffy biscuits is to work the dough as little as possible - not much kneading at all, and work quickly to keep the butter very cold. So, keep the buttermilk in the fridge until the last minute and measure everything else before getting the butter into the flour. Then, go to town!
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