Buttermilk Biscuits Southern Recipes

SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 450°F.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
• Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.
• If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
• Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.
• If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
• Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
• Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
• You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
• Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
• If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.
• Do not overbake.
• Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
• The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
• I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of overmixing.
• You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.
• Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.
• Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.
• When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

OUR FAVORITE BUTTERMILK BISCUIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F. Grate frozen butter using large holes of a box grater. Toss together grated butter and flour in a medium bowl. Chill 10 minutes.
• Make a well in center of mixture. Add buttermilk, and stir 15 times. Dough will be sticky.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly sprinkle flour over top of dough. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a ¾-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches). Fold dough in half so short ends meet. Repeat rolling and folding process 4 more times.
• Roll dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 ½-inch floured round cutter, reshaping scraps and flouring as needed.
• Place dough rounds on a parchment paper-lined jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475°F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter.

TEENA'S OVERNIGHT SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Sift together the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture has a fine crumb or cornmeal texture. Stir in the buttermilk with a fork until a soft dough forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, pulling off any pieces sticking inside the bowl. Gather dough into a ball and knead about 20 times, until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Working on a floured surface, roll or pat the dough out to 1 inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, or the floured rim of a glass, by pressing straight down and up. Twisting the cutter will prevent the biscuits from rising as high. Place biscuits about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet, and allow to rest a few minutes.
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

EXTRA-FLAKY SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450° (500° if using a convection oven).
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
• Cut cold butter or shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
• (Mixture will resemble coarse crumbs, with no large chunks of butter.) If butter gets very soft at this point, refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
• Add 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, stirring just to moisten all ingredients.
• Dough should be soft and moist; add remaining 1/4 cup as needed.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead gently about 10 times, or just untl dough holds together.
• Roll or pat dough into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle.
• With short side nearest you, spread top two-thirds of dough with 3 tablespoons soft butter, leaving bottom third, closest to you, unbuttered.
• Fold dough into thirds (like you would fold a letter) by pulling bottom third up over center and then pulling top third over middle.
• Turn dough so short side faces you.
• Pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle.
• In same manner, spread again with 3 tablespoons soft butter and fold letter style.
• Turn once more in the same manner.
• Pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle; spread with remaining 3 tablespoons soft butter and fold up.
• Work quickly and gently so as not to overwork dough.
• Pat dough into rectangle 3/4-inch thick on floured surface.
• Cut into squares with a sharp chef's knife.
• Place on pan, 1 inch apart.
• Lightly brush tops with melted butter.
• Bake in center of hot oven about 20 minutes (about 12 minutes in convection), until golden brown and firm.
• Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3-4 times. Pat or lightly roll to 3/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. , Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 425° until golden brown, 11-13 minutes. Brush tops with butter. Serve warm.