Chef John’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Description

This deceptively simple recipe can come out a million different ways with some very minor variations on the ingredients and amounts. This one’s my favorite – flaky, but not dry; chewy, but not tough; crisp in just the right spots.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled in freezer and cut into thin slices
  • ¾ cup cold buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk for brushing

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. Whisk flour
  3. baking powder
  4. baking soda
  5. and salt together in a large bowl. Add cold butter slices and cut into the flour with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  6. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour cold buttermilk into the well and stir gently until just combined.
  7. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and pat it together into a rectangle.
  8. Fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn dough a half turn
  9. gather any crumbs
  10. and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat twice more
  11. folding and pressing the dough a total of three times.
  12. Roll dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut biscuits. Reroll any scraps to cut more biscuits; you should get 12 total.
  13. Transfer biscuits to the prepared baking sheet. Press an indent into the top of each biscuit with your thumb. Brush buttermilk over the tops.
  14. Bake in the preheated oven until biscuits are flaky and golden brown
  15. about 15 minutes.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Servings: 12

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