These mile-high buttermilk biscuits are one of my most recent favorites. They’re basically a drop biscuit (albeit a slightly more involved version, but it’s a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, what do you expect?), which I love as I find them easier than rolled/cut biscuits. They baked up wonderfully light and tender, with a rich buttery flavor. I made the biscuits for the first time on a lazy Sunday afternoon, intending to serve them with dinner, but I don’t think too many of them lasted that long! There’s a whole-wheat version of this recipe that’s on my to-do list next. Whole wheat = less guilt when we eat way too many...
By Tracey
Mile-High Buttermilk Biscuits
from Cook’s Illustrated
Ingredients:
Dough
- 2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups cold low-fat buttermilk
For Shaping and Finishing
- 1 cup (5 oz) all-purpose flour, distributed on a rimmed baking sheet
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Also, spray the inside and outside of a 1/4-cup measure with nonstick cooking spray.
To make the dough: Add the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the butter evenly over the dry ingredients then pulse 8-10 times, or until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Dump the contents of the food processor into a large bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir with a rubber spatula just until everything is incorporated (the dough will be quite wet and sticky and somewhat lumpy).
To form the biscuits: Using the 1/4 cup measure you sprayed earlier and working quickly, scoop level 1/4 cup mounds of dough and drop them into the flour on the baking sheet. Continue until you’ve scooped all of the dough – you should have 12 mounds of dough. Use some of the flour from the baking sheet to dust the top of each mound. Flour your hands, then, one at a time, pick up each piece of dough (coating with extra flour if necessary so you can work with it) and gently shape it into a rough ball. Shake off the excess flour and place in the prepared cake pan. Repeat with the remaining mounds of dough, fitting 9 biscuits around the outer edge of the pan and 3 in the middle.
Gently brush the top of each biscuit with some of the melted butter (don’t press down and flatten them). Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 450 F and continue baking for another 13-15 minutes, or until the biscuits are deep golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let the biscuits cool for 2 minutes, then invert them onto a clean kitchen towel. Flip the biscuits over and break them apart. Allow to cool 5 minutes longer before serving.
(Note: Store leftovers in a resealable plastic bag and reheat at 475 F for 5-7 minutes.)
Makes 12 biscuits.
