this is a stock image, my biskies are square cut because mama don’t waste no dough

this is a stock image, my biskies are square cut because mama don’t waste no dough

 

BISKIES

This recipe for biskies is a tweaked version of Alison Roman’s “Luckiest Biscuits in America” mashed with the rolling, padding, stacking technique of Claire Saffitz’s buttermilk biscuit recipe. LET’S GO!

Yield: 12
Time: 30 minute prep, 20-25 minute bake

Recommended tools: rolling pin, parchment paper, baking sheet

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (I like King Arthur’s best)

    • You’ll want to keep a 1/2 cup extra handy for flouring your surface.

  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk (plus a little more for basting before baking)

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup (half a stick) salted butter

    • BUY HIGH FAT % BUTTER. NONE OF THAT CHEAP SHIT. KERRYGOLD/EURO STANDARD BUTTER OR BUST.

  • 1 tbsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp white sugar

  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt (eyeball this one)

  • maldon salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

To begin, combine: flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda in a large mixing bowl and stir together until combined. Take salted & unsalted butter out of the fridge and cut into inch-wide slices (should look like a thicker version of the slice of butter you’d see on top of a pancake in an advertisement) and toss into bowl so that each slice of butter’s surface is coated with dry ingredients.

Next, the mild a workout. The key to these biscuits is doing everything by hand. None of that food processor bullshit. Using your thumb, index finger and middle finger, pinch the slices of butter as if you were trying to flatten them. It’s almost the same motion you’d make if you were snapping your fingers. What you’re trying to do is flatten the butter into pieces that will make the crispy layers later. Ideally, each square will separate into about 4 pulled/pinched out tabs.

Once that’s done (usually takes a few minutes), make sure that the butter and dry ingredients are evenly mixed in the bowl. Begin pouring in the buttermilk little by little. You’ll want to mix, pour, mix, pour, etc. I’ve found that the best utensil to do this with is a fork.

*DO. NOT. USE. A. WHISK. I know it looks handy, but it’s more trouble later.

Once you’ve got everything combined into a sorta shaggy mixture, pour it all out onto a clean working surface and lightly knead & combine the dough so that it holds together. You’ll want to gather it so that it forms an 6 x 10” rectangle. Using your rolling pin (flour the rolling pin first to make it non-stick) to make sure everything’s flat and looking like it’s all put together. It’s ok if there are shaggy bits of dough hanging off the edges, they’ll get sorted out later.

Take your rectangle and cut it into 4 small rectangles. Stack them one on top of each other and using your rolling pin, flatten and roll out into a new rectangle. This is the lamination part of the process where we create layers!! For visual key, watch this part of the Claire Saffitz recipe.

*By now, the butter in your dough has probably caught up to room temp and is melting and sticking to the work surface. Take that extra 1/2 cup of flour you have handy and sprinkle/spread it where needed to keep things tight.

After your last lamination, cut the rectangle into squares and place onto parchment-lined baking sheet. If the butter is super melty, you can let the squares chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Before baking, brush tops of biscuits with buttermilk and sprinkle with Maldon salt.

Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating midway until golden brown. Your house is going to smell like heaven so be prepared. And then, because there wasn’t enough in the recipe, smear butter in warm biscuit with jam of choice. Or throw in some fried chicken. Fresh trash, whatever you like really. Anything will taste instantly better in these biscuits.