Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 450°F.

Step 2

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.

Step 3

Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.

Step 4

If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.

Step 5

Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.

Step 6

If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.

Step 7

Turn the dough out onto a floured board.

Step 8

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.

Step 9

Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.

Step 10

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.

Step 11

Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.

Step 12

If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.

Step 13

Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.

Step 14

Do not overbake.

Step 15

Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.

Step 16

The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.

Step 17

I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of overmixing.

Step 18

You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.

Step 19

Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.

Step 20

Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.

Step 21

When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.