Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
Makes enough to cover one 13 x 9 inch baking dish or six 12-ounce ovenproof baking dishes.
NOTE: When making fluffy buttermilk biscuits, we use the food
processor to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. We then
scrape this mixture into a bowl and stir in the buttermilk. If you
like, substitute an 8-ounce container of low-fat or whole-milk
plain yogurt for the buttermilk. If the dough does not quite come
together, add 1 or 2 tablespoons regular milk. Do not overwork the
biscuits. Unlike pie pastry, biscuits take to a number of different
flavorings.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup cold buttermilk, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons extra, if needed
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Pulse first six ingredients in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.
2. Transfer mixture into medium bowl; add 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir with fork until dough gathers into moist clumps. Add remaining 1 or 2 tablespoons buttermilk if dough is too dry. Transfer dough to floured work surface and form into rough ball, then roll dough 1/2-inch thick. Using 2 1/2 to 3-inch pastry cutter, stamp out 8 rounds of dough. If making individual pies, cut dough slightly smaller than circumference of each dish.
3. Arrange dough rounds over warm filling (see figure 6) and proceed with pot pie recipe.
VARIATIONS:
Parmesan Biscuits
Follow recipe for Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits, decreasing the butter to 5 tablespoons. After fat has been processed into flour and transferred to medium bowl, add 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces); toss lightly, then stir in liquid.
Herb Biscuits
Follow recipe for Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits, adding 3 tablespoons minced parsley or 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves and 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon or dill leaves after fat has been processed into flour.
Cornmeal Biscuits
Follow recipe for Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits, replacing cake flour with 1 cup yellow cornmeal.