Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups unbleached-unbromated all purpose Flour (250 grams)
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
8 Tbsp Butter
1 Cup chilled Buttermilk
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.)
Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky. Do not over mix. The more you work the dough, the tougher it will be. Overworking causes two things to happen: one, it creates gluten which is needed for yeast rolls but not desirable for biscuits; and two, it allows the bubbles from the chemical reactions to be released into the air deflating the dough.
2 cups unbleached-unbromated all purpose Flour (250 grams)
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
8 Tbsp Butter
1 Cup chilled Buttermilk
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.)
Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky. Do not over mix. The more you work the dough, the tougher it will be. Overworking causes two things to happen: one, it creates gluten which is needed for yeast rolls but not desirable for biscuits; and two, it allows the bubbles from the chemical reactions to be released into the air deflating the dough.
Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and
gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round.
Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through
the dough and never twist. Twisting
smears and locks the edge together which makes it hard and will not rise
properly. Place biscuits on baking sheet
so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible
and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light
as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)
Mom usually made drop biscuits when I was growing up. They are much easier because they don’t have
to be rolled out and I actually prefer the taste and texture. Simply add an additional 1/4 cup buttermilk
and spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet or bread pan.
Biscuits like those from Red Lobster can be made by adding sharp
cheddar cheese and garlic powder to the drop biscuit recipe. Then brush a little melted butter on top
while hot.
Lightly patting the top of any style of
biscuit before baking with just enough buttermilk to moisten the top will yield
a nice golden brown crust without making them too hard.
Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.
No comments:
Post a Comment