Day 2 of the blogging marathon and this time the theme is “cook by alphabets”. B for Buttermilk biscuits today. I had been wanting to make biscuits for quite sometime and finally decided on a recipe. Unfortunately it did not turn out good and added to that I also burnt it. So I decided to give a break of 2 weeks before trying it again with a different recipe. I put the 2 weeks to good use by ordering a biscuit cutter, pasty blender and a dough scraper !!. Was waiting for them to arrive and finally made the biscuits that I had been craving for a long time.
The pastry blender worked like a charm and I was wondering why I didn’t buy it earlier. I just wish we could get the flakiness without using a whole lot of butter, but then it will not taste like a biscuit anymore. So I will make this very sparingly since my kids loved it. As Anamika mentioned, this is a kid approved recipe. Recipe from TasteJunction.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted COLD butter (Cut butter into small pieces and keep in fridge until ready to use).
- 3/4 cup buttermilk plus extra for brushing (No buttermilk? Use the substitute)
Buttermilk Substitute
1 tbsp vinegar + almost 1 cup milk
My Notes
1. Butter has to be COLD and work the butter fast into the flour. If you do not have a pasty blender, use your hands to rub the butter in. I have also read about using two knives to cut the butter in, but I decided to stick with the pastry blender.
2. The dough should ONLY be patted. Do not over work the dough.
Method
For the buttermilk substitute, take 1 tbsp vinegar in a measuring cup. Add milk up to the 1 cup mark. (Almost 1 cup milk). Stir and keep aside for 5 – 10 minutes.
Take the dry ingredients (all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar) in a bowl.
Mix the dry ingredients.
Add cold butter to the flour mixture.
Using a pastry blender or fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add buttermilk or the substitute into the flour and mix using a spatula.
It will be very sticky.
Take the sticky dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather and pat the dough to form a circle. DO NOT overwork the dough.
Dough patted to form a circle.
Using a 2.5 inch biscuit cutter, cut as closely as possible. Gather the remnants together and form a circle. Cut again using a cutter.
Preheat oven to 375F. Place biscuits that have been brushed with buttermilk, on a baking sheet about 1.5 inches apart. Bake for about 17 – 20 minutes. The base should be golden brown.
Out of the oven.
Flaky biscuits for a snack or for breakfast.
Enjoy!
the biscuits look great!
Lovely buttermilk biscuits. Amazing texture.
Lovei t warm with butter..
Shobha
Biscuits have come out perfect.
Great recipe and clicks are absolutely tempting…
The biscuits look soft and perfect
The biscuits look perfect!
lovely and yummy looking biscuits there!! nice step by step pictorial!
Awesome biscuits. Looks so flaky…
The biscuits look perfect..I’m so glad your kids liked it!! But truly after putting the amount of butter, one becomes conscious of the intake itself..but still good for once in a while!
Well made – love biscuits!!
Wow!! Nice flaky perfectly done biscuits and nicely illustrated.
Those biscuits look professionally made, flaky and delicious.
these look great, noticed your pastry cutter…you have some fancy tools to support your skill now
Perfectly baked biscuits…like the stepwise pictorial.
these biscuits looks so tempting and flaky too!
The biscuits look delicious and I like the way you’ve explained each step.. looks like I’m going to be investing in a pastry blender too!
Like your step by step picture steps..very nice Vardhini…and the biscuits really look very flaky!
Very nicely baked Biscuits.
Prefect looking biscuits, feel like having with some butter and nutella spread..
ya they look flaky..and inviting..wonder if they would taste better with herbs?
Perfectly baked biscuits.. They have come out well..
The biscuits have come out really good. Looks so delicious.
buttermilk biscuits sounds yummy
this new space is so wonderful. the way you detail the step by steps in photos and words..this really is a pleasureable space to visit. Clear and easy to navigate and read…and your biscuits came out perfect. My pastry blender is one of my most prized possessions!