Perfect, Flaky, Layered Buttermilk Biscuits (tutorial

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 All-purpose flour

• Other

  • 1 1/3 cups Buttermilk plus extra if needed and for brushing
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces by weight very cold butter

Found on foodiewithfamily.com

Description

Ingredients

• 4 cups (1 pound by weight) self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces by weight) very cold butter
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk plus extra if needed and for brushing
• all purpose flour for dusting the work surface

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Add the self-rising flour to a large mixing bowl.
• Cut the stick of butter in half. Cut one half in 4 batons lengthwise, then cut across the batons to create small cubes. Cut the other half of the butter into pats as thin as you possibly can. Toss the cubes and pats of butter into the flour using just your fingertips so that they are fully coated with flour. Then, one piece at a time, quickly rub each pat and cube of butter between your fingers like you are rubbing dried glue off of your fingers. Continue doing this until all the butter has been rubbed into uneven pieces no larger than peas.
• Pour all but about 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk around the inside edges of the bowl. Reserve the buttermilk in case its needed. Use a sturdy spoon, silicone or rubber spatula, or flexible dough/bench scraper to toss the buttermilk into the butter and flour mixture until a scrappy dough starts to form. If the mixture is still very dry, toss in the remaining buttermilk. Pick up a small amount of the dough and squeeze it in your hand. If it holds together youre ready to proceed. If most of the mixture is still very dry, you can add buttermilk -1 tablespoon at a time- until the dough holds together when squeezed.
• Dust a clean work surface with all-purpose flour (NOT self-rising here) and scrape the dough out into a pile. Quickly and gently use just enough pressure to pat the pile of dough into a rectangle that is about 2-inches thick. As youre patting it out, gently incorporate any crumbling edges back into the dough mass.
• Slide both hands under one side of the dough (at about 9 oclock if you think of the dough as a clock face), lift it up, and fold it over the other side at 3 oclock like youre closing a book. Again, pat the dough round out into a 2-inch thick rectangle. This time, slide your hands under the bottom of the dough at 6 oclock and fold it up toward 12 oclock. Repeat the patting into a 2-inch rectangle, folding from 9 oclock to 3 oclock, patting, then folding from 6 oclock to 12 oclock. Each time you do this, the dough should hold together just a little better.
• Rub a rolling pin with flour and very gently roll out the dough into any shape youd like, but aim for 3/4-inch to 1-inch thickness. Flour a sharp round or square open-topped biscuit or cookie cutter. Cut straight down into the biscuit dough, not turning or spinning the cutter as you cut. Cut the biscuits as closely together as you possibly can, minimizing any excess between them. If you do not have a sharp biscuit cutter, use a sharp knife and cut straight down into the dough forming squares.
• Transfer the biscuits to a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet, brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, rotating the pan front to back halfway through baking. When they are golden brown, delicious looking, and lofty. Remove them from the oven. Let stand at least 2 minutes before eating or transferring to a towel lined bowl.
• Transfer the unbaked, cut biscuits to a parchment lined cookie sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and stick the cookie sheet in the freezer. When the biscuits are frozen solid, stack them in a resealable freezer bag, label the bag, and keep frozen until needed, or for up to 3 months. If you store them longer than that, they will still be bake-able after that, but not quite as high-rising and tasty!
• Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the frozen biscuits on the sheet leaving at least 2 inches between each biscuit. Brush the biscuit tops with buttermilk and bake the biscuits for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, lower the heat to 425°F and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown, delicious looking, and lofty! Remove them from the oven and let stand at least 2 minutes before eating or transferring to a towel lined bowl.