It's pretty hilarious that in my last post, I objected to homemade biscuits for an heirloom tomato benedict recipe. Then, I naturally decided yesterday to whip them up. Perhaps it was the slower, rainy Sunday morning that pushed me toward the baking cabinet? Of all I experienced upon preparing the Southern classic, I was dumbfounded that the entire process--from prep to clean-up--took less than an hour.
King Arthur Flour's unbleached self-rising flour did the trick. Their line, "our passion is your essential ingredient" resonated authentically and reliably. When asked to join their #betterbiscuits campaign, I immediately accepted with an eagerness to learn tips for beautiful (and simple) self-rising biscuits. Follow these four commandments, and you'll be golden for a breakfast benedict or buttered dessert.
- BE GENTLE: Avoid overworking the dough after adding the liquid.
- CHILL OUT: Starting with very cold butter will help create flakier biscuits.
- USE A BISCUIT CUTTER: The cleaner the cut, the higher your biscuits will rise.
- FREEZE BEFORE BAKING: Freeze your shaped biscuits for up to 20 minutes before baking to improve texture and rise.
Will you join me in creating a world of #betterbiscuits? I surely hope so.
UPDATE :: My dear friend Bunny shared a beautiful rendition of her leftover biscuit recipe. I'm dying to try it tomorrow!
The next morning, I split biscuits across (like an English muffin), lightly butter each half, and place a small square of sharp cheddar cheese in the middle. Run a tray of these under the broiler - watching carefully - and toast until biscuit edges are browned and crispy, and the cheese has melted into a lovely puddle. Serve with a tangy red current or tart cherry jam, or your favorite orange marmalade.
My mother, on the other hand, (coming from Columbus Georgia), ate her leftover biscuits crumbled into a coffee cup, soaked with fresh, whole buttermilk, and sprinkled with salt, and pepper.
Makes 12 servings
2 cups King Flour unbleached self-rising flour
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
2/3-3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place flour in a bowl. Work in the butter with your hands just until crumbles are the size of large peas.
2. Add buttermilk and stir until the mixture holds together and leaves sides of the bowl, adding more buttermilk if needed.
3. Scoop dough onto a well-floured surface, and fold it over on itself several times. Cut biscuits with a sharp, round 2" cutter, dipping the cutter into flour between cuts to reduce sticking.
4. Place biscuits 1" apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Arrange biscuits so they're barely touching for soft side biscuits. For higher-rising biscuits, place biscuits in an 8" round pan.
5. Bake for 10-14 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Cool leftovers completely and wrap airtight. To reheat, tent baking sheet lightly with foil and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10-13 minutes.
Though the high today is 88, I walked out of yoga early this morning feeling a refreshing gust of cool air on South Main. Fall is, at last, approaching.
