Go Back

Basic Biscuits

Two rules that I always follow. One, WHITE LILY flour, or a similar soft winter wheat, self-rising flour. Accept no substitutes, if you want tender, gorgeous little things. Two, I never roll the dough out: I pat it out gently and with love
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 29 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups White Lily self-rising flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter, in chunks
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Method
 

  1. Set the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or use a silicone mat.
  2. Mix White Lily and salt in a big bowl to combine. Toss in the butter, then cut them in with forks or a pastry cutter. We're looking for pea-sized butter bits.
  3. Now add the cold, cold buttermilk to the bowl. You can use regular milk, or cream, or try it with a non-dairy replacement (not sure how they will react, so AYOR!). stir together til you have a ragged dough starting to come together.
  4. Turn that out onto a very lightly floured surface, and gently bring everything together. The second it is all together in a soft dough, pat it out gently to the desired thickness (I like about a half-inch), and then I fold it over and pat it again, and if I am feeling sprightly, I will fold it again.
  5. Let this rest for a minute while you melt two tablespoons of butter. Once it is melted, take it off heat and reserve.
  6. Flour your cutter (whatever size you like) and cut out the biscuits, using as much of the dough as you can. I cut them really close together. I turn the cut biscuits upside down on the baking sheet, and inch or so apart. Then I pat out the leftovers and cut that too, until I have used it all up, or nearly so. I usually have little scraps I mush together into a tiny Frankenstein biscuit that I eat straight out of the oven as my tester, and as my prize for making these biscuits. If the biscuits are biggish, you will get about eight, but the number depends totally on your thickness and the size of your cutter. You can also skip the cutter and use a big knife to cut the dough into nice pretty squares u002du002d you use up all the dough in one go with this method.
  7. Brush the biscuit tops with half your melted butter, and shove the baking sheet in the oven, cooking for 13-18 minutes you know how your oven runs, adjust based on how yours cooks.
  8. When they are golden brown on top, take them out, brush again with the rest of your melted butter, and serve. Dealer's choice there u002du002d I like mine with country ham, spouse swears by honey and maybe a touch of butter.