Buttermilk biscuits, served with a rich sausage gravy or topped with eggs, bacon, country ham, jelly or jam are a staple in the South. If you placed any number of Southern cooks together, I would imagine that none of them would make their biscuits exactly the same way. Each cook would have their own favorite techniques and tricks that have been handed down from their Mothers and Grandmothers. Biscuits to me are sort of a heritage bread, bridging the gap between modern day cooks and those who came before us. When I bite into a biscuit, I can be instantly transported to my Mothers and Grandmothers tables, on any day of the week. Biscuits come in many flavors, but this basic buttermilk biscuit is probably the one that people most often make and enjoy.
You'll need:
dry ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
3/4 tsp. salt
wet ingredients:
1/2 cup chilled vegetable shortening/butter [I used butter flavored shortening]
3/4-1 cup cold buttermilk
melted butter or heavy cream to brush the tops
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Cube the shortening then cut it into the dry ingredients. You can do this by hand with a pastry blender or with your food processor, until it becomes crumbly and resembles peas.
Stir in the cold buttermilk, just until the dough is thoroughly moistened. Sometimes I use 3/4 cup and sometimes as much as 1 cup of buttermilk. The dough shouldn't be overly wet, but, slightly sticky.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface about 3/4 inches thick and cut into rounds. Brush off an excess flour. If you overwork your dough, it can make the biscuits dry.
Brush the tops with melted butter or heavy cream and bake at 450 degrees for 13-15 minutes until lightly golden and puffy.
Brush with softened butter or margarine and serve hot. Yield: 7-8 3 inch biscuits or 10 2 inch biscuits
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