How to make buttermilk biscuits for your Thanksgiving table

November 18, 5:00 AMBoston Food ExaminerJacqueline Church

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Flaky biscuit

Flaky hot biscuits make any meal wonderful, sourdough makes them better

Leather District Gourmet Buttermilk Sourdough Biscuits

• 2 C All purpose flour (White Lilly or King Arthur)
• 1 tsp salt (not iodized)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 C butter
• 1/4 C lard (leaf lard or shortening)
• 1/2 C buttermilk, lowfat
• 1 C sourdough starter
• Melted butter
   

Steamy hot biscuits from the oven

Preheat oven 425 degrees.

Sift dry ingredients together. Use fork and fingers to distribute butter/lard into the flour mixture. Mix buttermilk and starter with fork and add to flour/butter mixture until soft dough cleans sides of bowl. Turn onto floured surface knead gently no more than 30 seconds. Roll to about 1/2” thick and cut with biscuit cutter or glass turned over and dusted with flour.

Arrange on lightly greased pan, sides just touching. Brush with melted butter. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.

Bake about 12-15 minutes.

Tips on Technique, Ingredients:

• Soft wheat flour like White Lily creates more tender biscuits.
• Don't over mix or knead.
• Twisting the cutter will impede rising.
• Use non iodized salt for all your cooking. We get enough iodine in our diets and you get cleaner taste from kosher salt or sea salt.
• Lowfat buttermilk can be used to brush the tops for browning.

Here's a recipe for turkey dressing muffins from White Lily flour. Make them now and create wonderful stuffing from your home made seasoned muffins. So much more economical and healthy than buying pre-made stuffing crouton.

Don't fear the fat: Leaf lard is enjoying a resurgence in popularity as we learn that our bodies break it down better than artificial transfats, and that flavor really does make things taste better.

"...pork fat contains nearly a quarter less saturated fat than butter, more than double the monounsaturated and nearly four times the polyunsaturated fat, according to the USDA. And lard contains no trans fats, now universally considered dangerous."

If you liked this recipe, visit Examiner.com's Thanksgiving menu musts recipe slideshow.