Cake Flour Biscuits Food

THE ULTIMATE FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUIT RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Rub the inside of a cast iron skillet with a bit of vegetable oil or melted shortening. This will create a deliciously crispy bottom on the biscuits. (*You can also bake these in a baking dish. See note below.)
• Cut the butter into small 1/2-inch pieces, put them on a plate or in a bowl, and pop it into the freezer for about 10 minutes. You want the butter to be very cold, but not frozen.
• Put the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor OR in a mixing bowl. Pulse a few times to blend, OR stir with a wire whisk.
• Add the butter and pulse 3 or 4 times, just until the butter is incorporated enough for the mixture to look like coarse crumbs. Alternatively, use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You can also just use your fingers; rub the butter into the dry ingredients just until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. (See photos above for guidance.)
• If you've been using a food processor, dump the mixture into a mixing bowl. Set a small bowl of flour nearby just incase you need it later.
• Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to gently mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough begins to form. Then, use your hands to gently knead the dough until it holds together completely. (See notes below about under and over working the dough.)
• Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface. Pat or roll it out into a rectangle that's about 1-inch thick. If it's really sticking to the work surface, sprinkle with a bit of flour. Use only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking.
• Fold one side of the dough to the center, then fold the whole thing over again, like you're folding a letter. (See photos above for guidance.)
• Give the dough a quarter turn and roll or pat it out into a 1-inch thick rectangle again. Repeat the folding process, give the dough a quarter turn, and repeat the folding process once more.
• Roll or pat the dough back out into a 1-inch thick rectangle and use a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. As you cut them out, set them on a plate. Reroll the dough as necissary, cutting out biscuits until you have 8-10 biscuits.
• Set the plate of biscuits in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then, remove the biscuits from the plate and place them in the cast iron pan (or baking dish). Set the biscuits very close together inside the pan so that their sides are touching. This will help them rise while they bake.
• Brush the tops of the biscuits with 2 tbsp (1oz/ 28g) melted butter and place in the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until their tops are golden brown. Biscuits are best served immediatly, while still warm, drizzled with honey or spread with jam.

CAKE-FLOUR BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut lard and butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut lard and butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and pat it down again, as gently as you can. Repeat. Now gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
• Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Cut 1/2 cup of the butter into 1/2-inch pieces and refrigerate it along with the shortening. In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the steel blade, pulse together the cake flour, 3/4 cup of the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the butter and shortening and pulse to combine, until small crumbles are present. 6 to 8 times, or Add the buttermilk and pulse until a dough ball forms, about 5 to 6 times.
• Dust a dry work surface with flour and have the remaining 1 cup ready for kneading. Turn the dough out onto the floured work surface. With floured hands, gently press the dough out into an 11 by 8-inch rectangle, about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick, dust lightly with flour and gently fold it over in thirds, like a letter. Roll or press out to a 6 by 6-inch rectangle again about 2 inches thick. Cut the dough into 9 squares (2 by 2 inches each) with a pizza cutter. Transfer the biscuits to a silicone mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet about 1/2-inch apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Melt the remaining tablespoon butter and brush tops with melted butter, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt.
• Place baking sheet in the middle of the oven and immediately turn oven down to 450 degrees F. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove biscuits to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes.

TENDER & FLAKY HOMEMADE BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry dough blender and cutter or by using your hands. If you use your hands, just be sure not to over work the butter or you may make it soft. If this happens, refrigerate the flour/butter mixture until the butter solidifies again. You should have very small pea sized pieces of butter still in tact.
• Add the buttermilk and stir together. The dough will look a bit shaggy, but should no longer have dry powdery flour and it shouldn't be too wet either. If you need a few more drops of liquid, add it sparingly, you don't want the dough to be too soft.
• Pour the shaggy dough onto the work surface and fold the dough over on itself a few times using a pastry scraper. This will form a more cohesive dough, but won't melt the butter.
• Lightly flour the surface and roll the dough out to 1/4-inch rectangle. Try to keep it as clean a rectangle as possible, but don't worry if the edges are a bit scruffy.
• Now fold the dough into thirds using your pastry scraper. And again, so it is like a letter.
• Now use a biscuit cutter to cut out the dough.
• Gently press together any scraps and use them to make more biscuits. Be careful not to over work these scraps or they will end up tough.
• Place the biscuits on the sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Make sure they have enough space to expand slightly in the oven. They will grow up more than out, so they can be placed fairly close.
• Bake at 425°F for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS - SOUTHERN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Drop in butter and using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces with flour and cut and rub the butter into the flour mixture until it is pebbly with different sized pieces from very small to pea-size.
• Pour the buttermilk over the dry ingredients and toss gently with a fork and turn the ingredients until you have a nice soft dough.
• In the bowl, give the dough 3- 4 kneads to bring the dough together.
• Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough.
• Dust the top of the dough very lightly with flour and quickly pat the dough with your hands until it is about 1/2-inch high.
• Use a biscuit cutter to cut as many biscuits as you can.
• Re-roll remaining dough and cut more biscuits until dough is used up.
• Place biscuits on baking sheet.
• Bake the biscuits for 14- 18 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.