The word biscuit originates from the medieval Latin word biscoctus meaning "twice-cooked." Though only baked once, in the United States a biscuit is generally an individual-size leavened quick-bread with a firm, browned crust and a soft interior. The recipe was likely adapted from ones using yeast that were brought to the New World by early European settlers. British biscuits are more hard, dry, and crunchy like a cracker. Biscuits as we know them in America today became a distinct type of bread in the early 19th century before the Civil War. An advantage of the biscuit over traditional bread is its hard exterior that keeps its shape when dipped in gravy. Cooks embraced the biscuit because it didn't require yeast or laborious beating like the beaten biscuit. The key to making tasty biscuits is not so much in the ingredients as in the preparation. A cook must be careful not to over-mix or over-knead, as both of these things will make the biscuits hard. Next to cornbread, one could say buttermilk biscuits are the staple bread of the American South. Authentic Southern biscuits never contain sugar, but they can be served with honey when sweetness is desired.
Recipe Servings: 8
+ 10 minutes resting
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt, fine
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup buttermilk, cold
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and place rack on middle setting.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix to incorporate.
- Add pieces of butter and toss just to coat them in flour mixture. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes.
- Working quickly so as not to soften butter, use a pastry blender or two knives to cut butter into dry ingredients until it's in pea-sized pieces.
- Drizzle in buttermilk and stir just enough for moist dough to form.
- Scrape out dough onto a generously floured surface and dust top of dough with more flour. Using floured hands, gently pat dough into 1-inch thick circle.
- Using a 2½-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut out as many biscuits as possible. Press straight down through dough and do not twist, as biscuits will not rise properly.
- Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet and space them at least 1 inch apart.
- Gather dough scraps into a ball, pat again into a 1-inch thick circle and cut out more biscuits. Repeat as needed until you have 8 total. Discard any remaining dough.
- Bake for about 15–16 minutes, until biscuits have risen and are golden brown on top.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, and serve warm.
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