Is there anything better than a tall, flaky biscuit straight from the oven? I don’t think so.
Even though I didn’t grow up in the south, biscuits were a big part of my life as a child. I can still remember watching my Grandma Palmer mix up a batch from memory without even measuring anything. I always marveled that she didn’t have to consult a recipe. She told me that it was because she had made them so often that she could do it in her sleep.
My mother made biscuits on a regular basis too. She used the recipe in the “red checkered cookbook” as we called the “Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.”
For years, that cookbook was the only one I owned. My mother bought it for me when I got my first apartment and I continued that tradition with each of my daughters.
I don’t actually consult that cookbook very often these days, but for years I did use the biscuit recipe found in those pages. Now I have over 100 cookbooks, a fact that the Kitchen Genius commented on over the weekend, as he consulted more than a dozen looking for inspiration.
I love looking through all of those cookbooks. They are as much fun to read as a novel. We have a Hitchco*ck style wooden rocking chair in the corner by the bookcase that I sit in when I’m searching for ideas.
Most of the time, I make biscuits to go along with a chicken stew with onions, celery, carrots, peas and gravy. Chicken and biscuits are pure comfort food in our family, which is why I made it last Friday for my parents and Thommy and Katie.
My step-father had undergone a series of medical tests that left him worn out so KG and I brought them dinner. We also delivered some to Thommy and Katie because she had a tough week.
Biscuits are fabulous paired with fried chicken, but they are equally good with beef stew. They make a wonderful vehicle for a breakfast sandwich too. When I was growing up, biscuits and gravy was a staple on our Thanksgiving table. In short, anytime you need a quick bread option, biscuits are a fine go-to.
There is a science to making a great biscuit. These days, I prefer to make buttermilk biscuits because I like the slight tang the buttermilk offers. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can add a little vinegar to whole milk. It’s not quite as good, but it works in a pinch.
I always use a pastry blender to combine the butter and flour. Once you add the buttermilk, it’s important that you don’t overwork the dough. Overworking it will make it dense instead of light and fluffy. Once the dough just comes together, fold it into thirds and pat it down. Repeat once more. This helps create layers.
Use a metal biscuit cutter and make sure you don’t twist it. Just push it straight down into the dough and then lift it up. Twisting it will prevent the sides from rising. Place the biscuits close together but not touching on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. This gives you edges that are slightly crispy. If you prefer softer edges, place the biscuits so they are just touching.
The biggest tip for creating tall and flaky biscuits is to put the biscuits in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking them. Once they are on the baking sheet, just pop the whole thing in the freezer. Then when the biscuits are in the oven, the steam from water in the melting butter evaporates upwards, bringing the biscuit dough right along with it.
All biscuits are best eaten warm straight out of the oven. This recipe makes a dozen biscuits, but you can easily cut the recipe in half or freeze the extra biscuits raw to bake at a later time.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Makes 12
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Add butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles course crumbles. Add buttermilk and mix just until the dough comes together.
Turn dough out onto the counter and form it into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle in thirds. Pat it gently and repeat. Pat dough into a rectangle that is 1-inch thick. Cut biscuits with a 2 3/4-inch metal biscuit cutter, making sure you don’t twist the cutter. Place biscuits close together but not quite touching on the prepared baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes. Bake biscuits for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm with butter or gravy.
