Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Yield: 14 biscuits 

3 cups flour

1½ T baking powder

½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoons salt

1½ T sugar

1½ sticks cold butter

1½ cup plus 3 T full-fat buttermilk

Very soft butter for brushing baked biscuits

Preheat oven to 425⁰

Grease a 9-inch iron skillet with crisco and set aside (using butter here will make the biscuits brown on the bottom too much).

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar to a large bowl. Use a fork or whisk to thoroughly combine the dry ingredients.

Cut the butter into small chunks and transfer them to the bowl of flour. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of peas.

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the buttermilk into the well. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently fold the flour into the buttermilk and mix just slightly until all of the flour is wet. This is a wet dough. Overworking the dough will result in tough biscuits.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Using floured hands, pat the dough into a rectangle, about 10 x 12 inches or so. It doesn’t have to be a specific size, just big enough to fold. Gently fold one side of the dough into the center, then fold the other side into the center. Turn the dough so that it’s horizontally in front of you. Lightly press the dough out into a rectangle again. Turn one side of the dough into the center, then the other. Repeat this process one more time, a total of 3 times.

Using your hands, pat the dough into a rectangle, about 3/4″ in thickness. Using a sharp biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits by cutting down through the dough and straight up. It’s important to not twist the cutter. Cut them as close together as possible. Gather up any scraps and rework the dough as little as possible and cut out with the cutter. Try to use a cutter that is at least 2.25 inches in diameter if you want pretty good sized biscuits, use a 3-inch cutter.

Transfer the biscuit rounds to the greased skillet or pan, making sure they are close together with sides touching. Brush the tops with buttermilk.

Bake for approximately 17-18 minutes until biscuits are golden brown on top.

Brush the tops with very soft or melted butter.

Serve hot with your favorite jam or with gravy.