Vern's Southern Style Buttermilk Biscuits
There's nothing like warm, homemade biscuits right out of the oven. It takes longer for the oven to heat up than it does to put this simple, healthy recipe together. My biscuits are lower in fat than any you can buy. I use the same biscuits for strawberry shortcake by adding a tablespoon of sugar to the dry ingredients. Biscuits really should be served immediately; otherwise, they get hard.
There's nothing like warm, homemade biscuits right out of the oven. It takes longer for the oven to heat up than it does to put this simple, healthy recipe together. My biscuits are lower in fat than any you can buy. I use the same biscuits for strawberry shortcake by adding a tablespoon of sugar to the dry ingredients. Biscuits really should be served immediately; otherwise, they get hard.
- Carbohydrate 23.1721083521559 g
- Cholesterol 8.37888887342461 mg
- Fat 14.068577750409 g
- Fiber 0.810000014989849 g
- Protein 3.59314166917482 g
- Saturated Fat 5.63514110002141 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (63g)
- Sodium 400.862583655412 mg
- Sugar 22.3621083371661 g
- Trans Fat 0.703401387754993 g
- Calories 236 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Cut butter into flour mixture using a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles cornmeal. (it takes about a minute)
- Add buttermilk, stirring briefly with a fork until combined.
- Place dough on a floured surface and knead 8-10 times. (it’s easy with a scraper)
- Roll or pat dough about 3/4 to 1-inch thick.
- Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut biscuits – do not twist – cutting straight down, dipping cutter into flour each time.
- press down in center of each biscuit , creating a divot. This help the biscuit to rise level.
- Re-roll remaining dough for extra biscuits.
- Place biscuits on baking sheet, well spaced, and brush tops with milk or buttermilk.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until tops are golden. Serve right away.
The Mechanics of Cutting and Kneading
Achieving proper flakiness requires precise physical handling of the dough rather than intuition alone. When incorporating the fat into the dry ingredients, work quickly to keep the butter solid before the dairy moisture introduces hydration. Kneading the dough strictly eight to ten times develops enough gluten structure for height without toughening the crumb. Pressing straight down with a two-inch round cutter instead of twisting seals the edges of the pastry, allowing the layers to expand vertically in the extreme heat of a 450 degree Fahrenheit oven. Dipping the cutter into flour between presses prevents the dough from dragging and sealing the perimeter.
Thermal Behavior and Storage Realities
Biscuits undergo rapid starch retrogradation once removed from the thermal environment, turning dense within hours if left unprotected. Serving them immediately is standard, but leftover baked biscuits can be frozen for up to one month if wrapped tightly in foil and placed inside a freezer-safe bag. Reheat frozen biscuits directly in a 350 degree oven for ten minutes to restore the exterior crust without drying out the interior crumb.
