Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe with Cultured Butter
(Tall, flaky, and buttery.)
The ultimate comfort food for a slow Sunday brunch.
Ingredients.
- 360g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 170g cold cultured butter, cubed
- 300ml cold buttermilk
- Melted butter (for brushing)
How to Make This.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed cultured butter. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work it in until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining.
- Add Buttermilk: Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough just forms. Do not over-mix.
- The Folding Technique: Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Gently pat into a rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds (like a letter). Rotate 90 degrees, pat out, and fold again. Repeat this 3-4 times. This is what creates the tall layers!
- Cut: Pat the dough to about 1 inch (3cm) thick. Use a sharp round cutter to press straight down—do not twist the cutter, as this seals the edges and prevents rising.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Place biscuits on a tray so their sides are just touching. Brush the tops with melted butter.
- Finish: Bake for 15-18 minutes until tall and golden brown.
Tips.
- Cold is Everything: Your butter and buttermilk must be ice-cold. If the butter melts before it hits the oven, you won’t get those flaky layers.
- No Twisting: When cutting the biscuits, always press straight down. Twisting the cutter “pinches” the dough layers together, stopping them from expanding upwards.
- Cultured Butter: Cultured butter has a higher fat content and a slight tang that makes these biscuits taste significantly better than regular butter.
Why Make This?
There is nothing quite like a warm, flaky biscuit pulled straight from the oven. This recipe focuses on technique—the folding and the cold ingredients—to turn simple pantry staples into something truly extraordinary. It’s a rewarding process that results in the best biscuits you’ve ever had.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS.
- Serve warm, split open with more butter and a drizzle of honey or jam.
- The perfect base for biscuits and gravy or a breakfast sandwich.
- Pair with fried chicken for a classic Southern-style meal.
- Enjoy alongside a hot cup of coffee or a glass of orange juice.
More Baking Recipes.
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