buttermilk biscuits
Summary
| Yield | |
|---|---|
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Kind of Dish | bread |
| Dietary Info | vegetarian |
| Tags | southern |
Description
southern american biscuits. these are best eaten immediately. as if you had the reserves of self control necessary for it to be otherwise.
Ingredients
- 2 c flour
- 4 t baking powder
- 1 T corn starch or ground arrowroot
- 3⁄4 t salt
- 2 T butter (chilled)
- 2 T lard or shortening (chilled)
- 1⁄4 t baking soda
- 1 c buttermilk (chilled) (or normal milk)
- 1 T lemon juice (if no buttermilk)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F (200C - gas mark 6).
If you don't have real buttermilk, put a tablespoon of lemon juice in your milk and let stand for 10 minutes or so.
Put the flour in a big mixing bowl. Take out ONE tablespoon and put it back in the bag. Now add the corn starch or arrowroot. (This'll help reduce the gluten and make the biscuits fluffy.) Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix well.
Coat your work surface with a thin layer of flour.
Massage the chilled butter and shortening into the mix using your hands. Get it evenly distributed but don't dawdle. Quickly make a well in the center, then pour in the chilled buttermilk. Mix with a fork just until the dough comes together. It will be very sticky.
Turn dough out onto the floured surface. Flatten it with your fingers so it's about an inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter or an upside-down glass to cut out biscuits (don't twist - go straight down and straight up).
Put biscuits on a flat pan of some kind. (Put greased parchment paper between the biscuits and the pan if you don't want the bottoms of your biscuits to burn).
Bake for 15-20 minutes! BILL VIOLA!
Notes
I mean, Frank Viola.
Comments
now, i like these - a lot - but they never get real TALL. can anyone see why?
something that's just occurred to me is that there's a floured side - the bottom of each biscuit - and a non-floured side - the top. i always put the floured side DOWN. but maybe it should be the other way??