Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
1 cup buttermilk, cold
1 tablespoon butter, melted (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Prepare a baking tray using either parchment paper or a reusable silicone baking mat, if you have one.
In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Next, cut the 7 tablespoons of cold butter into cubes. Try to keep the butter as cold as possible, as cold butter will impart better texture and flavor to the dough. If it starts to soften too much, pop it back into the fridge or freezer until it cools down again.
Add the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture and mix with a pastry cutter until there are only small clumps, around the same size as a pea.
Create a small well in the center, and pour the buttermilk into the well. Then fold the buttermilk into the mixture using a spatula.
Lightly press the dough to bring it together completely and then drop it onto a lightly floured flat surface.
Then, roll out the dough into a large rectangle shape, about 10×9 inches.
Next, fold the dough in half and repeat the process a few more times. This helps layer the butter to ensure a rich, flaky taste throughout. The shape of the final rectangle should be around 9×4 inches and around 1 inch in thickness.
Using a round cutter, punch about 8 rounds in the dough. Transfer the biscuit dough to your previously prepared baking tray, ensuring to leave room for the biscuits to expand in the oven.
Use the dough scraps to roll and fold out more biscuits.
Then, bake the biscuits in the oven for approximately 11-13 minutes, until they are golden brown.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter for some added flavor, if desired. Serve warm.
