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Mother's Buttermilk Biscuits

Source of Recipe

From "Biscuit Bliss" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"For many Southerners, this is the queen of all biscuits, and my North Carolina mother is no exception. These are the light, fluffy, tangy wonders that nurtured me as a child, the ones featured at barbecues, church suppers, and political rallies throughout the South, and the ones I still make on a fairly regular basis. Needless to say, Mother couldn't imagine making these biscuits with anything but soft, low-gluten, winter Southern flour and Crisco shortening, and to watch her fix a batch following no 'receipt' except the one in her head and fingers is a unique experience I've yet to duplicate with total success. By no means should you handle this dough too much, and since the nature of all ovens can vary enormously, begin watching the biscuits very carefully after about 12 minutes to make sure the tops don't overbrown."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
◦ 1 tablespoon baking powder
◦ � teaspoon baking soda
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ � cup chilled vegetable shortening
◦ 1 cup buttermilk


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 450� F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the shortening and cut it in with a pastry cutter or rub with your fingertips till the mixture is mealy. Gradually add the buttermilk, stirring with a wooden spoon just till the dough is soft and slightly sticky.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and, using a light touch, turn the edges toward the middle, pressing with your hands. Press the dough out � inch thick and cut straight down into even rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Pat the scraps together and cut out more rounds.

Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet no more than � inch apart and bake in the upper third of the oven till lightly browned on top, about 12 minutes.

Makes about 16 biscuits






❧ Biscuit Bonus:
If soft, low-protein Southern flour is unavailable for making biscuits, an acceptable substitute can be made by combining 2 parts all-purpose flour with 1 part cake flour.