Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Buttermilk Biscuits

A strange thing happens to me when the weather dips below freezing. I crave carbs. The delicious fattening kind. You know...the kind that fills you with warm fuzzies on the inside. These buttermilk biscuits do just that. Serve them sweet with even more butter and a generous dousing of honey or savory by drowning them in country gravy.


Buttermilk Biscuits

Cook's Illustrated
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening 

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted melted butter 

1 cup cold buttermilk

Directions
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.



 Add shortening to flour mixture; break up chunks with fingertips until only small, pea-sized pieces remain. 


 
Working in batches, drop butter slices into flour mixture and toss to coat


Pick up each slice of butter and press between floured fingertips into flat, nickel-sized pieces. 


Repeat until all butter is incorporated; toss to combine. Freeze mixture (in bowl) until chilled, about 15 minutes.





 

Add all but 2 tablespoons of buttermilk to flour mixture; stir with fork until ball forms and no dry bits of flour are visible, adding remaining buttermilk as needed. Transfer dough onto center of prepared work surface, dust surface lightly with flour.


Bring dough together into cohesive ball.




 Roll dough into 10-inch square about 1/2 inch thick



Cut out 3-inch rounds with floured biscuit cutter, dipping cutter back into flour after each cut.

Carefully transfer rounds to ungreased baking sheet, spaced 1 inch apart. 


Brush biscuit tops with melted butter. Bake until tops are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. 


Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before serving.


16 comments:

  1. That is perfection if you ask me

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  2. Your biscuits look perfect and I agree about craving carbs, only I crave them ALL the time. :-) I'll have gravy with mine, please. :-)

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  3. Wow! I want to just reach into the computer & snatch me one of these! Beautiful photos too!

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  4. Jennifurla you're too kind :)

    Jean, I always said I'd be able to give up meat for extended periods of time, but not carbs! It's my weakness.

    Christina thanks so much!

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  5. I'm still looking for the perfect biscuit recipe. I will have to try this one too. They look just perfect!

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  6. That last photo with the preserves. Oh man these look so good right about now. I need a little something before I call it a night.

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  7. Oh, boy, do those look flaky and delicious...just the perfect biscuit. I'm glad I have some buttermilk in the fridge!!!

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  8. that looks absolutely delicious... drool...

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  9. Looks soooooooo delicious. Even the raw dough looks like a really good dough -- when it's like that, you know the end result will have to be really good!

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  10. Oh yes. It's been carbs nonstop for the last, oh, 3-4 months.

    Such a perfect biscuit. Gorgeous ring, too :)

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  11. That totally makes sense. Whenever the weather turns nasty like that, our bodies crave what will keep them warm -- fat and carbs. Nothing wrong with that! Especially when they are as wonderful looking as these biscuits. ;)

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  12. Your biscuits are gorgeous - soft and flaky! You did an amazing job...wish I could grab a few!

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  13. Want....them! This look so good...moderation would be right out the window. ;)

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  14. O-M-G!! Even the raw dough has layers! Thank you for the great process photos!

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  15. These biscuits look, well, perfect! :)

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  16. i have to try this recipe of yours! i tried making buttermilk biscuits for the first time and it turned out like bricks!!! thanks for this beautiful post!

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