This is the easiest, most ingenious way to make buttermilk biscuits. I never heard of making them like this, but probably one of the best biscuits I have ever made!
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 9 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 cups all purpose flour more for counter
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or omit)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450°F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Measure 1 cup of buttermilk and place in the freezer for 10 minutes (not much longer or it will freeze) while prepping other ingredients.
Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and heat on high for 30 seconds. If not completely melted, return to microwave for 10-second intervals till just melted. Set aside to cool a bit while prepping other ingredients.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar,and salt in large bowl.
After buttermilk has been chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes, combine it with 8 tablespoons of the melted butter. (Reserve the last tablespoon for brushing on the baked biscuits.)
Stir with a fork until butter forms hundreds of tiny clumps or globules.
Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until all flour is incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of the bowl. The dough should be stiff and not super wet. If the dough is wet, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring to combine, until fairly stiff.
Place a large piece of parchment paper on work surface and coat with flour.
Then place a large sheet of plastic wrap on top of the parchment paper.
Turn out dough from bowl onto plastic wrap.
Grasp the plastic wrap on opposite edges and squish dough together until it unifies.
Still using plastic wrap, fold dough over onto itself .
Turn dough and repeat several times. This will create layers.
Turn dough onto the floured parchment paper and place plastic wrap on top of dough and pat into a square, 1-1/2 to 2 inches in height.
Use a bench scraper or a knife and cut 9 square biscuits.
Place biscuits on the prepared sheet pan about 1-1/2 inches apart.
Place in oven and bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 12-15 minutes, until a nice golden brown.
Remove biscuits from oven and brush tops of hot biscuits with melted butter.
Serve and enjoy!
Adapted originally from Cooks Illustrated
