Buttery Biscuits
Yields: 12-15 biscuits
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Oven 400 degrees
Ingredients
3 cups of A.P. flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 stick of cold butter (frozen)
3/4 cup of buttermilk
1/4 tsp. baking soda
This is the recipe I like to use: I just used a different technique in making the biscuits.
To begin with make sure you have 2 sticks of frozen butter, give it about 20 minutes in the freezer.
In a large mixing bowl add your all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk the ingredients together.
Roll the frozen butter sticks into the flour mixture and make sure all sides of the butter are coated. This is so the butter does not slip thru your hands. Also you will have a better grip on the butter when grating it.
Grate the frozen, floured butter (both sticks) into the dry mix. Then you can lightly incorporate the butter and dry mixture together. You do not need to work the butter into the flour, just make sure the grated butter is lightly mixed into the flour. Do not over mix, you want the biscuits as light and fluffy as possible.
Add the buttermilk and incorporate with a wooden spoon until it just comes together. It may look like it is not enough buttermilk but it is.
Empty out the bowl of biscuit dough out onto your lightly floured surface and shape it into a square with your hands then roll out into a 7 inch square, use your bench scraper to keep the sides straight.
Roll the top edge over to the middle of the dough and then the bottom side over the the middle. It should look like an envelope.
Roll the dough out again and continue the same way for 4 more times. Each time you roll out the dough, it will become easier to work with and you are slowly getting the glutens going with out over working it. The final roll out, should roll into an 9 in. square.
When you are on your last fold you will see a nice smooth dough, roll it out to a 9 in. square, straightening the edges with the pastry scraper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, so the pastry gets cold and the biscuits will hold up well in the oven in their baking process.
After the dough is ready to come out of the fridge, use a sharp knife and flour it. So you can neatly cut off all 4 edges of the dough. Cut the edges gently without pressing the edges down. You want a clean cut. The biscuits will rise and lift better in the oven.
Continue to cut into squares, brush the tops with butter with a sprinkle of salt or sugar and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.
(I chose to try squares, but you can do round or any shape you want) Sometimes I just like to switch it up.
This what the finished product should look like. They do melt in your mouth and the layers of the biscuits are just beautiful.
Is there a difference between scones and biscuits? there is a difference. Scones are connected with England, Scotland and Ireland traditionally. I am not sure who discovered them first. Scones have sugar and eggs added to them and are sweet & buttery They are like a mini shortcake. Great with fresh jam and clotted cream.
Biscuits are usually very flaky made with lots of butter, cream, milk or even buttermilk, and very few ingredients like flour leavening agents, salt, and/or sugar. For myself, the best biscuits I have tasted you will find in the southern States, along with their sausage gravy. They are usually rolled or dropped and everyone has their own secret recipe on how their biscuits are made. I do know they are all made with love and when they are made that way, they taste even better. Although I am sure I have looked odd many times putting butter and jam on them. Here in Florida, both ways are delicious! In fact, living here long enough, I found I am loving the biscuits and gravy more and more. Less jam more gravy!
I have made my biscuits with a round cookie cutter many times over and grated my butter. It really does add flakiness to the biscuit. I know the ingredients are simple, and simple is good. I do notice that making square biscuits there is less waste with the dough . Although I know cutting them round is the way it’s always been done. I do think the buttery taste and the layers of flakiness really make a good biscuit.
Please enjoy! Feed back is also good.
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