For years I've been making a standard biscuit recipe from the betty crocker book and every single time I've been disappointed. Last week I decided enough was enough - it was time to learn to make really good biscuits. I tried all sorts of recipes, some with sugar, self rising flour, shortening, etc.
After lots of recipe searching and about 20 batches I have one that works and tastes as good as it looks. Here's my final recipe and some tips.
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
½ C salted butter, iced & cubed
1 C cold buttermilk (Good substitute: 1/4 C plain yogurt and 3/4 C milk, mixed, let stand for several minutes)
2 T buttermilk or cream (for tops)
Oven 425 | Baking sheet lined with parchment or sprinkled with corn meal
Behold - biscuit glory!
Flaky biscuit tips:
Buttermilk substitute (not as good but in a pinch...): 2 T lemon juice or cider vinegar and milk to make 1 C total
Freeze em: Uncooked biscuits can be frozen and cooked frozen in a 450 oven. 8 minutes @ 450 and then another 7 or 8 mins with the oven turned off (do not open door).
After lots of recipe searching and about 20 batches I have one that works and tastes as good as it looks. Here's my final recipe and some tips.
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
½ C salted butter, iced & cubed
1 C cold buttermilk (Good substitute: 1/4 C plain yogurt and 3/4 C milk, mixed, let stand for several minutes)
2 T buttermilk or cream (for tops)
Oven 425 | Baking sheet lined with parchment or sprinkled with corn meal
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl.
- Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles small peas.
- Make a well in the center of butter and flour mixture. Pour in buttermilk; stir until just barely combined.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface, pat together into a rectangle. Don’t worry about errant crumbs and chunks. Dough will come together as you work.
- Fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn dough a half turn, gather any crumbs, and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat twice more, folding and pressing dough a total of three times. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.
- Roll dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut out 12 biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.
- Transfer biscuits to the baking sheet. Press an indent into the top of each biscuit with your thumb. (aides even rise)
- Brush the tops of biscuits with 2 tablespoons buttermilk or cream.
- Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.
Behold - biscuit glory!
Flaky biscuit tips:
- Make sure your baking powder is fresh.
- Chill flour if possible
- Consider grating frozen butter into flour mix, alternatively slice it thinly and stick it in the freezer for a few minutes.
- The folding step is the key to that layered flaky texture - don't skip but work quickly.
- Cut biscuits straight down - do not twist cutter as it seal the sides and they don't rise as well. Use a real biscuit cutter or something with sharp edges - no glasses. A soup can with lip cut off works well.
- Avoid over handling dough. The key to awesome biscuits is COLD ingredients and minimally handled dough.
Buttermilk substitute (not as good but in a pinch...): 2 T lemon juice or cider vinegar and milk to make 1 C total
Freeze em: Uncooked biscuits can be frozen and cooked frozen in a 450 oven. 8 minutes @ 450 and then another 7 or 8 mins with the oven turned off (do not open door).
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), and give those a try! 
