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Thanksgiving: Buttermilk Biscuits

Source of Recipe

From "Thanksgiving 101" by Rick Rodgers


Recipe Introduction

"Here they are, the most tender, most delicious, most buttery old-fashioned biscuits in the land. For the classic biscuit shape and texture, roll out the dough and cut into rounds or squares. Or add some whole milk to mix a softer dough that can be dropped from a spoon to create biscuits with a crispy surface. Either way, you will be serving an American classic."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
â—¦ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
â—¦ 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk


Recipe

Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400° F.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal. Mix in the buttermilk until combined. Knead lightly in the bowl to make a soft dough. Do not overwork the dough.

On a lightly floured work surface, pat out the dough with floured hands to a ¾-inch thickness. (Or lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and roll it out.) Using a 2 ½-inch round cookie cutter, cut out biscuits and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Gather up the scraps, knead gently to combine, pat out again, and repeat the procedure to get a total of 12 biscuits.

Bake until the biscuits are risen and golden brown, about 15 minutes. (The biscuits can be baked up to 8 hours ahead, cooled, and stored at room temperature. To reheat, wrap the biscuits, 6 to a package, in aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for about 15 minutes.)
Serve hot or warm.

Makes 1 dozen