Meditations on a Life of Organized Chaos: It's the Little Things

Sunday, January 5, 2014

It's the Little Things

It doesn't take much to excite me. Little things will do the job. Tonight I am raving because finally, FINALLY, I have found my perfect biscuit recipe. My biscuits have been okay in the past ... not too hard, not too tasteless. But they've been lacking something, that certain je ne sais quoi. I was piddling around on allrecipes.com the other day, and I decided to try out a new biscuit recipe ... and I am in LOVE. These biscuits are soooooo delicious. They are light and fluffy and flavorful. They are perfect. I don't often spend my dinners getting all fan-girly over something I've made, but I really, really liked this recipe.

So I'm sharing it.

Enjoy.

Chef John's Buttermilk Biscuits

Rated:

Submitted By: Chef John

Photo By: Kahla

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 35 Minutes

Servings: 12

"Flaky, buttery buttermilk biscuits are perfect any time of day."

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled in freezer and cut

into thin slices

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

2 tablespoons buttermilk for brushing

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2.	Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
3.	Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl.
4.	Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 5 minutes.
5.	Make a well in the center of butter and flour mixture. Pour in 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir until just combined.
6.	Turn dough onto a floured work surface, pat together into a rectangle.
7.	Fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn dough a half turn, gather any crumbs, and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat twice more, folding and pressing dough a total of three times.
8.	Roll dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick.
9.	Cut out 12 biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.
10.	Transfer biscuits to the prepared baking sheet. Press an indent into the top of each biscuit with your thumb.
11.	Brush the tops of biscuits with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.
12.	Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.