Nora Allen’s Buttermilk Biscuits

There is something about rolling out fresh biscuits that really amplifies the level of care, time, and whimsy put into a meal for others. When I break these out at work or home, it’s because I want people to feel CARED for!

Biscuits have very few ingredients and are designed to please. From start to finish, you can have these in under an hour, making them the definition of a “quick bread.” Remember, you can always continue to develop your own signature biscuit using flours with character, high-quality butter, and buttermilk too!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

1 pound unsalted butter, cold

4 cups pastry or all purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder, sifted

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 cups buttermilk, cold

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line an 18” x 13” baking sheet with parchment paper. Grate cold butter on box grater. Set in the refrigerator until ready to mix.

Measure all dry ingredients and sift together in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, press and break up cold butter into the sifted dry ingredients. Do not neglect this part! You are aiming for a sandy, dry mixture. Chill for several minutes.

Once the flour/butter mixture has chilled, make a well in the middle of the mixing bowl. Slowly pour the buttermilk in. Gently pat and saturate, do not stir or mix. You should have a shaggy mix that just holds together enough to work with.

On a floured work surface, pat out flat a 1.5” tall slab and fold it like a book. Flatten and repeat four times.

Using a sharp knife, cut 2” x 2” squares. Bake for twelve minutes then lower the temperature to 350° and bake for five more minutes. Share while hot!

Read this story and many more in print by ordering our ninth issue here.