momma

  Buttermilk Biscuits

I have been working on different biscuit recipes for 30 years. This is the best I have every tasted.
Adapted from Once Upon A Chef

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 3/4 cup buttermilk add more as needed. I use 1 cup.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Pulse a few times to mix.
3. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the cream cheese and pulse a few times until incorporated with a few pea-sized pieces of cream cheese intact. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.
4. Add the buttermilk and stir with a spoon until dough comes together into a craggy mass. Do not over-mix.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with a bit more flour and bring together gently into a loose ball. Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle.
6. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into thirds. Stack the pieces on top of one another and pat out into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle again, flouring the surface lightly as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
7. Cut the dough into thirds again. Stack the pieces on top of one another and pat into a rectangle with a final thickness of about 1/2-inch.
8. Dust the blade of a sharp knife with flour and cut the dough into twelve even squares. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly golden on top and a deeper brown on the bottoms. The biscuits are best served warm out of the oven, though a few minutes in the oven will revive slightly older biscuits.
9. Or use a round cutter and put biscuits in a 10" cast iron skilled that has been put in the oven with a little bacon grease for 5 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 12 - 15 minutes.