Chef John's Buttermilk Biscuits
Description
These homemade buttermilk biscuits are buttery and tender. Ice-cold butter and some extra dough folding are key to having lots of flaky layers in each golden brown biscuit.
Ingredients
•
2 cups all-purpose flour
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2 teaspoons baking powder
•
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•
1 teaspoon salt
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7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled in freezer and cut into thin slices
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3/4 cup cold buttermilk
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2 tablespoons buttermilk for brushing
Directions
1
Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Add cold butter slices and cut into the flour with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3
Make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour cold buttermilk into the well and stir gently until just combined. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and pat it together into a rectangle.
4
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 the dough a total of three times.
5
Roll dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut biscuits. Reroll any scraps to cut more biscuits; you should get 12 total.
6
Transfer biscuits to the prepared baking sheet. Press an indent into the top of each biscuit with your thumb. Brush buttermilk over the tops.
7
Bake in the preheated oven until biscuits are flaky and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!