Buttermilk Biscuits
Homemade buttermilk biscuits are so much tastier than anything you’ll find in the store, and they are easier to make than you might think! You just need to know a few bits of methodology to make them absolutely perfect! This recipe will make about 16 - 24 depending on the size biscuit cutter you use. Since these freeze so well, I always make a big batch of dough, but if you wanted to only make 12, you could half this recipe easily. I’ve included some close approximations in cups and tablespoons for some of these ingredients, but if you want to get consistent results, you really should weigh those ingredients!
INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients
680 grams (about 5 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
40 grams (about 3 tbsp) baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp sugar
Wet Ingredients (all of these need to be VERY cold!)
60 grams (just over 4 tbsp) really good butter (like Kerrygold), cut into small cubes
120 grams (about 2/3 cup) vegetable shortening or lard, cut into small cubes
2 cups buttermilk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone non-stick mat, or use a very well seasoned stone baking sheet.
Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir together. Once completely combined, sift all dry ingredients using a flour sifter or a fine mesh sieve.
Add the small pieces of butter and shortening to the dry ingredients. (Note: Take the butter and shortening (or lard) out of the fridge right before you’re about to use it. It needs to remain very cold!) Dip fingers into a bowl of ice water, dry them, and using your fingertips only, work the fats into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Place the bowl into the fridge for 10 minutes to keep it nice and cool.
After 10 minutes, take the bowl out of the fridge, create a well in the center of the ingredients, and add in the buttermilk. Using a large spoon, bring the mixture together as much as possible, then drop out onto a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, bring the dough together completely, but don’t overmix. Split the dough into two roughly equal pieces.
Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough out until it’s about an inch thick. Fold the dough in half, and then using your hands, flatten it out again. Repeat this 7 more times for a total of 8 folds. Once again, flatten the dough out to roughly 1 inch in height. Using a round biscuit cutter, push down all the way to your cutting board, twist slightly, and place the biscuit on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until you are out of dough. You may need to bring the dough together a few times and re-flatten. If you use a 3 inch cutter, you’ll most likely get around 15 - 18 biscuits, and if you use a 2 1/2 inch cutter, you’ll likely get around 22 - 24.
Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes, then turn 180° and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Enjoy!