Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits

Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits

One of the very first things I remember trying to bake when I was growing up were biscuits - buttermilk or baking powder - the perfect biscuit eluded me for years.  In fact, until recently, I was still never satisfied with the biscuits I tried to make at home.

A biscuit should be light, fluffy, tender and flavorful.  Most of the biscuits I made in the past would hit on a couple of the key points, but never all of them.  From the various tidbits of knowledge I've gleaned over the years it seems there are a few specific notes on biscuit making that will help you to make the very best biscuits you can:

1.  The oven should be hot - as in screamin' hot.  You'll notice the temperature for the oven is 450 degrees F.  It isn't a mistake.  The biscuits need this high temperature to bake fairly quickly and get their lift and height.

2.  Use COLD ingredients.  The colder the better.  I like to keep my shortening and butter in the fridge or freezer even.

3.  Use a combination of shortening and butter - the shortening will give you the fluffy and tender texture, while the butter enhances the flavor of the biscuit.

4.  Work the ingredients into the flour mixture as quickly and gently as possible - in other words, don't work it in so much that when you get to the point where you are patting the dough together a bit it is already warm. 

5.  Once the milk has been added and you mix the dough, very gently, and as little as possible, knead the dough to bring it together - this isn't bread dough though, so don't really work it too much.

6.  If you realize that you didn't follow #4 above, then place your cut biscuits into the fridge for 10 minutes before you bake them. 

7.  Don't skip the melted butter brushing before and after baking - when brushed before it helps the biscuits achieve that beautiful golden color, while brushing after keeps them nice and tender and not crusty on top.

With this recipe, I am thrilled to say that I have finally found my biscuit nirvana.

Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
4 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup cold buttermilk
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the shortening with a fork or pastry blender until it looks like coarse cornmeal. Add the buttermilk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until well mixed.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly two or three times. Roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch cutter.  You can pat scraps back together gently and cut again, but try to only do this once as the more you work the dough the tougher the biscuits will become.

Place the biscuits in a greased cast iron skillet. Gently press down top of biscuits. Brush the biscuits with half the melted butter. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the hot biscuits with the remaining butter. 

Recipe adapted from Food Network