Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

I have spent a lot of time working on the perfect buttermilk biscuit recipe. Ya’ll, this is my absolute favorite! It is relatively easy and they have turned out amazing every time I’ve made them, which has been a lot! They are soft, puffy, and yum-tastic! Yes, I think that’s a word! These biscuits can be made using regular milk, but it takes a bit less in measurement than when using buttermilk.

My granny was the absolute best in the kitchen. She was a beast! She could make anything, and her down home cooking was superb! I never paid close attention to her biscuit making because I didn’t know it would be so important in years to come, especially after she was gone. So when I looked back on her recipe, there was not enough info on making the biscuits, like the directions, and I couldn’t get a good biscuit to turn out using her main ingredients.

I kept after it friends! I watched several youtube videos of people making biscuits and then one day it dawned on me! I was trying to put in the ingredients and make it work…that is NOT how you make biscuits…it takes love! It takes feeling the dough and making it “just right” sometimes you need a little more liquid and sometimes a little more flour, it is a delicate balance. And you don’t want to overwork the dough or it may be tough.

So to make these amazing puffy delights, you need:

• all purpose flour 3 cups plus extra
• baking powder 4 teaspoons
• cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon
• sugar 3 Tablespoons
• sea salt 1/2 teaspoon
• cold butter 3/4 cup cold butter cut in 1 TBSP pieces
• egg 1
• buttermilk 1 1/4 cup

Begin by measuring your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Reserve that extra flour for you board work. Mix these dry ingredients well and then dump you super cold sliced butter into the bowl. I start biscuit making by cutting my butter up first and placing it in a bowl in the fridge, cold butter is key to making those perfect biscuits. At this point you can use whatever method is easiest for you to mix the butter into your flour. I prefer to use my hands and squeeze away, crumbling and mixing until the flour and butter resemble crumbly, pea size clumps. Please keep in mind there will be some pieces of butter that are not mixed in. If you don’t like this method you can use a pastry cutter or a food processor. I have used all of these methods.

Once your mixture is crumbly, crack in your egg and add your milk. Use a wooden spoon to mix. At this time, your dough should be sticky and a little bit wet, but don’t worry, you’ll soon have a nice dough. place about 1/4 cup or so of flour onto your chosen work surface, I just use the countertop, and dump you contents of your bowl out onto the floured surface. Take some flour in your hands and sprinkle the top of the dough with the flour. Using your hands begin to work the dough by folding and pressing. This really is a process you need to get a feel for. Add flour as needed until your mixture doesn’t stick to the counter or your hands. Fold and press 5 or 6 times and then use hands to press the dough out into a 1/2 inch thick oval, use the biscuit cutter (or the open end of a glass) to cut out your biscuits. Rework the dough into another oval and continue cutting until all dough is used. You should get 10-14 biscuits out of one batch, depending on the size of the biscuits.

I like to line my baking sheet with parchment paper and place the biscuits right on the paper, it works wonderfully with no sticking. Place your prepared biscuits into a 450 degree preheated oven and bake 10-14 minutes (ovens vary). You want them to be golden brown when done. Remove from oven and serve piping hot. These biscuits will last for several days in a baggie for reheating. They are oh so good!

Happy baking friends! Whip up some delicious, homemade biscuits today, your family will be so grateful!