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Better Buttermilk Biscuits

Flaky and buttery, a biscuit will lend itself to both sweet and savory applications. These tried-and-true tips will turn flat, dry biscuits into the best biscuits ever.

Quality

Because biscuit recipes call for so few ingredients, it is important to use high-quality ingredients. Use high-quality butter, dairy, and flour because you can taste the difference.

Buttermilk adds tangy flavor as well as tenderness. A buttermilk substitute of milk mixed with lemon juice or vinegar can be used in a pinch. However, I advise against it. A better alternative is powdered buttermilk. The flavor has the closest match to true buttermilk.

Flour

Flours vary in protein levels, affecting the texture of baked goods. Southern all-purpose flour is milled from soft winter wheat with less gluten-forming protein. To get soft, tender biscuits, use an all-purpose flour with a low percentage of protein. Look for flour with nine grams of protein per cup. Another option is to make a lower protein flour biscuit dough with a mixture of half cake flour and half all-purpose flour with 11-12 grams of protein per cup.

Baking Powder

Baking powder acts as the leavening agent, most often in the recipe. Over time, it will lose its efficacy, so checking if the baking powder is fresh is crucial. Check the expiration date.

Measure and Mix

Measure and mix the dry ingredients thoroughly. If you don’t mix the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients, you’ll have excess pockets of leavening or salt in one area and not enough in another. The secret to better baking is weighing the ingredients – especially flour. One cup of flour is 125 grams.

Chill Bowl and Dry Ingredients

Place the mixing bowl and dry ingredients in the freezer until they are cold. Cold biscuit dough produces puffy, flaky biscuits.

Grate Frozen Butter

For flaky layers, use cold butter. Grate frozen butter instead of cubing it, this will  cut into the biscuit dough more quickly than cubed butter. Fats that are too warm will create lumps and melt forming a homogeneous dough, resulting in dense, leaden biscuits.

Use a Food Processor

One way to prevent butter from melting is to mix it with a food processor to avoid touching it with your hands. Add the dry ingredients and butter to the food processor. Pulse a few times until the mix resembles coarse sand, then transfer in a mixing bowl to add the wet ingredients. Do not add the liquid to the food processor, and never mix the dough with your hands; use a spatula or spoon.

Gently Mix

The biscuit method involves first cutting the fat in the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Then, the liquid ingredients are added. Mix until barely combined and shape until the dough until it just starts to comes together. It’ll look crumbly but come together as you knead it. Overworking and over-handling biscuit dough will result in tough, hard, and flat biscuits.

Cold Work Surface

Work on a cold wood or metal surface, if possible.

Roll It or Pat It Right

Roll out the biscuit dough; however, for extra flakiness, pat out the dough into a rectangle and fold it over on itself twice, like a letter. This will give the biscuits a head start on forming layers.

Cutting Biscuits

When you use a cutter, flour it and press down through the dough, no twisting! Twisting the cutter “seals” the edges, which keeps the biscuits from rising high. Cut the biscuits as close together as possible.

Re‑roll Once!

Only re-roll the dough once. This will keep the tender dough and the flaky biscuits. Be sure not to overwork the dough by re-rolling it many times. Constantly working with the dough melts the butter and develops gluten, which can cause tough, chewy biscuits.

Biscuits Should Touch

To get the best rise or height, allow biscuits to touch each other on the sheet pan or skillet when baking. As they bake, they will cling to each other, rising bigger and taller.

Crunchy Tops

For a crunchy top crust, brush the tops of the biscuits with evaporated milk before baking.

Bake in Hot Oven

Bake biscuits in a fully preheated oven for best results. Bake the biscuits until they are golden brown and have risen. Compared to other biscuits, drop biscuits will not rise as high. Follow the recipe directions.

Storage

Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature. They should be stored in the refrigerator if made with cheese, cream cheese, meat, or other perishable foods.

Freezing

Whether baked or unbaked, biscuits can be frozen.

Baked biscuits must be completely cool. Then, wrap each baked biscuit tightly in heavy‑duty foil or freezer wrap and store in a gallon‑sized freezer bag or airtight container. Store baked biscuits in the freezer for 3 months.

After cutting out the unbaked biscuits, arrange them on a parchment‑lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and transfer it to the freezer. Once the biscuits are frozen, place them in a gallon‑sized freezer bag or airtight container. Store the frozen biscuit dough for up to 3 months.

Reheat Biscuits

To reheat frozen baked biscuits, transfer them to a parchment‑lined baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes. To prevent the biscuits from over‑browning, lay a sheet of foil over the frozen biscuits.

To bake frozen unbaked biscuits, place them on a parchment‑lined baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to a preheated 425°F oven and bake for 20–25 minutes.

Homemade buttermilk biscuits are buttery and soft with many flaky layers. Make your go-to recipe even better with these biscuit tips, or if you don’t have a go-to, try this easy drop biscuit recipe.

Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Nutrition and Food Safety Educator

Sources:

  • uwyoextension.org/uwnutrition/publications
  • www.bostongirlbakes.com
  • www.southernliving.com

 

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Servings: 6 biscuits

½ cup (114 g) buttermilk, cold

¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup + 2 tablespoons (135 g) flour (spoon and level to measure)

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Optional: additional soft or melted butter to top biscuits

Parchment paper, baking mat, or nonstick spray

 

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat, or spray with nonstick spray.

In a small bowl, measure buttermilk and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt; set aside in the freezer.

Add ¼ cup melted butter to the buttermilk, stirring until butter forms small clumps. The mixture will look curdled.

Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula until just incorporated and the batter pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Lightly oil or spray a ¼-cup dry measure cup with nonstick spray. Scoop a scant amount of dough and drop it onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing biscuits at least 1 inch apart.

Bake biscuits for 12–16 minutes, and the tops are golden brown. Remove biscuits from the oven.

If desired, brush the biscuit tops with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container.

Freeze for longer storage.

Note: This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled.

 

Contact Our Expert!

Email: nfs@uwyo.edu

Extension Educator:
Vicki Hayman – (307) 746-3531

University of Wyoming Extension

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Issued in furtherance of extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Kelly Crane, Director, University of Wyoming Extension, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming Extension, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071.

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