Classic Buttermilk Biscuits Nytimes Food

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
• Using a pastry cutter or fork, quickly cut butter into flour mixture until it forms pea-size crumbs and is uniformly mixed. (For flaky biscuits, you want the butter to remain cold.) Make a well in center of mixture and pour in buttermilk. Stir together until it just forms a moist, slightly tacky dough.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 2 or 3 times, then pat out into a 3/4-inch-thick round. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the biscuits. Do not twist the cutter; doing so prevents proper rising. To prevent sticking, dip the cutter lightly in flour between biscuits. Also, do not reroll scraps, but pat them together and cut into rounds. Transfer biscuits to baking sheet.
• Whisk egg and milk together with a fork. Generously brush egg wash on top of each biscuit. Bake until brown, 15 minutes. Serve hot.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with butter or line with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Combine until the ingredients are incorporated. Cut in the butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and gently mix until the mixture just begins to come together.
• Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Pat the dough into a 10 by 12-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch squares or use a 2-inch round cutter to cut out biscuits. Press together the scraps of dough, and repeat the process. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with the black pepper. Bake the biscuits until lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Brush the tops with the melted butter. Cool on a baking rack.

CLASSIC BUTTERMILK BISCUITS (NYTIMES)

Steps:

• Set rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 500°F.
• Sift together in bowl cream of tartar and baking soda to make baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter. Working quickly, rub it between your fingertips until half is coarsely blended and remaining pieces are 3/4" thick.
• Make a well in the center of the flour. Add all the buttermilk and stir mixture QUICKLY, just until it has blended and a sticky dough forms. (Add 1-2 tbsp.more buttermilk if dough appears too dry.).
• Immediately turn the dough onto a floured surface. Using floured hands, briskly knead about 10 times until a ball forms. Gently flatten the dough, and using a flouring rolling pin, roll to 3/4" thick. Prick dough with flour dipped fork at 1/2 " intervals.
• Flour a 2-3" biscuit cutter and stamp out rounds. Arrange on a heavy, parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake only until golden--10-12 minutes.
• Remove and brush with the melted butter. Serve hot.
• NOTE: Great for breaksfast right out of the oven with butter and honey. We eat biscuit leftovers reheated and cracked in half with a creamed vegetable/chicken mixture. (Tastes like mini potpies).

SCOTT PEACOCK'S CLASSIC BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Sift together the cream of tartar and baking soda to make baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the lard or butter. Working quickly, rub it between your fingertips until half is coarsely blended and the remaining pieces are 3/4-inch thick.
• Make a well in center of the flour. Add all the buttermilk and stir the mixture quickly, just until it has blended and a sticky dough forms. (If the dough appears dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons buttermilk.)
• Immediately turn the dough onto a generously floured surface. Using floured hands, briskly knead about 10 times until a ball forms. Gently flatten the dough and, using a floured rolling pin, roll to 3/4-inch thick.
• Using a fork dipped in flour, pierce the dough through at 1/2-inch intervals. Flour a 2 1/2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter. Stamp out rounds and arrange on a heavy, parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Remove and brush with melted butter. Serve hot.

FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
• In a bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, quickly cut in 8 tablespoons butter until it forms pea-size crumbs and is uniformly mixed it (for flaky biscuits you want the butter to remain cold). Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in buttermilk. Stir together until it just forms a moist, slightly tacky dough.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 2 or 3 times, then pat out into a 3/4-inch-thick round. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the biscuits. Twisting the cutter prevents proper rising; to prevent sticking, dip the cutter lightly in flour between biscuits. Do not re-roll the scraps, but pat them together and cut into rounds. Transfer biscuits to the baking sheet.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Brush butter lightly over the tops of biscuits. Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

OLD-FASHIONED BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Combine the buttermilk, oil and sour cream; stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. , Pat or roll out to 1/2-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place 2 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Serve warm.

SMALL-BATCH BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt to combine. Add the cold cubed butter, and toss until each cube is well coated with flour. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
• Make a well in the center of the bowl, and pour in the buttermilk. Use your hands or a silicone spatula to mix the ingredients together until they form a homogenous dough. (It will look quite shaggy.) If the dough is not coming together, add more buttermilk by tablespoons.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Toward the end of chilling, heat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Butter a 9-inch square baking pan, a 9-inch round cake pan, an oven-safe skillet or a baking sheet.
• On a lightly floured surface and using floured hands, pat the dough into a rectangle 1/2-inch thick. Fold the dough in quarters. Using floured hands, pat the dough out again to a square about 1 1/4-inch thick.
• Cut the square of biscuit dough into four even pieces. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared pan in a cluster, with about 1/2 inch of space between each biscuit.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the surface of the biscuits, and bake until deeply golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before carefully separating and serving.

ALL-PURPOSE BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut 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 gently pat it down again. Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
• 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.