11.25.2007

Buttermilk biscuits


Once upon a time, when I blogged about making biscuits and gravy, a friend commented that their biscuits went "from good to great" when they started making a buttermilk biscuit recipe. Our biscuits were OK- certainly good enough to be drowned with gravy before eating- so I didn't change the tried-and-true recipe.

Well, in this new kitchen, I've been wanting to cook like crazy, and yesterday morning I decided to make the jump. These biscuits turned out not only gravy-worthy, but jelly-worthy, soft and fluffy and better than any biscuits I've made before. I was delighted.

First, as you may know, I don't cook anything if I don't have the ingredients on hand. It is very rare that I go out & buy something to complete a recipe. I have to really be craving it. Anyway, this was more of a spur-of-the-moment decision, so I used what was on hand- and that meant, no buttermilk.
How to make buttermilk:
1 T lemon juice (or vinegar. Basically, something acidic) for each cup milk. Let stand a few minutes, then stir and use in the recipe.

Now, on to the biscuit recipe:
2 C flour
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C shortening, chilled, cut into 1/2 n pieces
3/4 C buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until crumbly (I use my hands to do this, primarily because I've never figured out how to use a pastry cutter.) Make a well in the mixture and pour buttermilk in. Mix quickly, until a (very) sticky dough forms. Turn onto a generously-floured surface & fold over on itself 3 or 4 times (to make layers!) Roll to 3/4 in think. Cut biscuits. Put dimples in the tops of the biscuits to aid in even rising. Brush with butter (I forgot this part.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.


I made about 9 good-sized biscuits. Like I said, these are soft & fluffy- smother them with butter, jelly, gravy, whatever you prefer. Definitely worth trying, though.

2 comments:

Stephanie Appleton said...

I'm going to have to try these. I'm not real thrilled with my biscuit recipe.

Becca said...

Mmmm....mmmmm...anything that calls for milk can be made better with buttermilk! Except, hot chocolate. That might not be so good. Seriously though, buttermilk puts all baked goods right over the top!

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