Add chilled butter and pulse until largest pieces of butter are the size of a pea. Pulse baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and 3½ cups flour in a food processor to combine. ![]() They’re best the day they’re baked, but you can store them for up to two days in an airtight container if you somehow manage to have leftovers. Or take them from side dish to main course by serving them with sausage gravy, curry gravy, or fried chicken for a full-on sandwich vibe. These biscuits can lean sweet with a bit of sugar sprinkled on top or savory when paired up with pepper and salted butter. Finally, she likes to place biscuits on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the freezer for a few minutes before baking to make sure the butter is extra cold before baking. Many recipes call for a biscuit cutter (essentially a large cookie cutter) to create rounds, but Claire prefers to do something “a little controversial.” She cuts the slab of biscuit dough into squares with a knife (almost like a scone), which means no extra equipment-and fewer scraps. The final step is a form of low-key lamination wherein the dough is cut into four squares, stacked, and then rolled out again on lightly floured surface to achieve even more flaky layers. Claire suggests using a fork over a pastry cutter to prevent overmixing, followed by a brief kneading of the shaggy dough right in the mixing bowl. Next, there’s the swift addition of buttermilk (which is tangier and more acidic than whole milk) to the flour mixture, aiding in tenderness, browning, and lift. Using a food processor speeds things up-and keeps your warm hands out of the way-helping your cold butter from reaching room temperature. This allows for “little shelves” of butter, as Claire calls them, to sit between the dry ingredients so those coveted layers can form as the biscuits bake. It all hinges on keeping your prep time short and fast so your dairy stays as chilly as possible. And this easy biscuit recipe from former BA staffer Claire Saffitz is all about technique. ![]() The real secret for making biscuits with crispy, golden brown tops, tender pastry, and too many flaky layers to count lies in the technique. Serve them while they’re hot.įrom American Flavor (Ecco) by Andrew Carmellini.If you’re looking for clues to a winning homemade biscuit recipe, you won’t find them in the ingredients list. The biscuits will be very soft and flaky inside, with just a little bit of crispness on the outside. Using a big pastry brush, coat the tops of the biscuits with the honey butter. When the biscuits are baked through and the tops are golden-brown (about 20 minutes), pull them out of the oven. At about the 10-minute mark, turn the baking sheet so that all the biscuits bake evenly. (When we make these at the restaurant, we usually bake off the leftover pieces and eat them ourselves.)Ĭover a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay the biscuits on it, and put it on the middle oven rack. Reflour the work surface, the dough, and the rolling pin as you go.įlour a 3 ½-inch round pastry cutter, and cut out as many rounds of dough as possible (you should have 8 to 10 or so). Do this 7 times in all, skipping the folding step the seventh time. Slap the dough down hard with the palms of your hands to really bring it together, and then roll it out and fold it in again. Fold the dough round into thirds, like you’re folding a business letter. If things get sticky, add a little bit of flour.įlour a board or countertop well, and turn the dough out on it.įlour your rolling pin, and then roll the dough out until it forms a round about ½ inch thick. Then keep turning and kneading until you’ve got a roughly shaped ball of dough. ![]() You should end up with lots of little pebbles.Īdd the buttermilk and use your hands to mix everything together, turning the mixture until it forms a dough. Using a pastry cutter, or holding a butter knife in each hand, cut through the shortening and flour in an X-shaped motion until the shortening is mixed in. (If you don’t have a sifter, you can use a whisk.)Īdd the vegetable shortening. In a large bowl, sift together the fl our, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. It’s important to keep it warm so it will spread easily-and the longer you let it sit, the better the honey butter will be. Let the honey butter sit in a warm area of the kitchen, or over the lowest possible flame on the stove, until you’re ready to use it. ![]() Add the honey and salt, and whisk everything together until you have a shiny, well-combined liquid. Slowly whisk in the butter, piece by piece, letting each piece melt completely into the water before adding the next one.
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