Master Recipe
Buttermilk Biscuits
makes 12
NOTE: Mixing
the butter and dry ingredients quickly so the butter remains cold
and firm is crucial to producing light, tender biscuits. The
easiest and most reliable approach is to use a food processor
fitted with a steel blade. Expect a soft and slightly sticky dough.
The wet dough creates steam when the biscuits bake and promotes the
light airy texture. If the dough is too wet for you to shape the
biscuits by hand, lightly flour your hands and then shape the
biscuits.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plain cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (see figures 3 through 5)
3/4 cup cold buttermilk, or 3/4 cup plus
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl or workbowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.
3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips to quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second.
4. If making by hand, stir in buttermilk with a rubber spatula or fork until mixture forms soft, slightly sticky ball. If using food processor, remove cover and pour buttermilk evenly over dough. Pulse until dough gathers into moist clumps, about eight 1-second pulses.
5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and quickly form into rough ball. Be careful not to overmix. Using a sharp knife or dough cutter, divide dough in quarters and then cut each quarter into thirds. Quickly and gently shape each piece into a rough ball (see figure 6), and place on ungreased cookie sheet. (Baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)
6. Bake until biscuit tops are light brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.
VARIATIONS:
Buttermilk Biscuits with All-Purpose Flour
We find that a blend of cake flour and all-purpose flour creates a light, airy, and tender biscuit. If you don't have cake flour on hand, you can use all-purpose flour alone, although the crumb will be coarser and the crust crispier because of the higher protein content in the flour.
Follow master recipe, replacing cake flour with an extra cup of all-purpose flour. Increase buttermilk or yogurt by 2 tablespoons.
Sweet Milk Biscuits
Buttermilk (or yogurt) adds richness and a distinctive tang to the biscuits while also helping the dough to rise. Biscuits made with whole milk are not as flavorful and need extra baking powder to rise properly.
Follow master recipe, replacing buttermilk with 3/4 cup whole milk and increasing baking powder to 1 tablespoon.