Extra-Flaky Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

"These biscuits are folded, creating a layered effect. These biscuits are well worth the effort--tender and very flaky. For best results, use White Lily all-purpose flour. It is ground from a special low-gluten soft wheat and is perfect for making biscuits."
 
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photo by Nimz_ photo by Nimz_
photo by Nimz_
photo by Baby Kato photo by Baby Kato
photo by Laurie R. photo by Laurie R.
photo by Baby Kato photo by Baby Kato
photo by DBGoolsby photo by DBGoolsby
Ready In:
35mins
Ingredients:
9
Serves:
15
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ingredients

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directions

  • Preheat oven to 450° (500° if using a convection oven).
  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
  • Cut cold butter or shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
  • (Mixture will resemble coarse crumbs, with no large chunks of butter.) If butter gets very soft at this point, refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
  • Add 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, stirring just to moisten all ingredients.
  • Dough should be soft and moist; add remaining 1/4 cup as needed.
  • Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead gently about 10 times, or just untl dough holds together.
  • Roll or pat dough into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle.
  • With short side nearest you, spread top two-thirds of dough with 3 tablespoons soft butter, leaving bottom third, closest to you, unbuttered.
  • Fold dough into thirds (like you would fold a letter) by pulling bottom third up over center and then pulling top third over middle.
  • Turn dough so short side faces you.
  • Pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle.
  • In same manner, spread again with 3 tablespoons soft butter and fold letter style.
  • Turn once more in the same manner.
  • Pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle; spread with remaining 3 tablespoons soft butter and fold up.
  • Work quickly and gently so as not to overwork dough.
  • Pat dough into rectangle 3/4-inch thick on floured surface.
  • Cut into squares with a sharp chef's knife.
  • Place on pan, 1 inch apart.
  • Lightly brush tops with melted butter.
  • Bake in center of hot oven about 20 minutes (about 12 minutes in convection), until golden brown and firm.
  • Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Questions & Replies

  1. I don't understand this direction: "1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened to room temperature,cut into 1 tablespoon portions"
     
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Reviews

  1. To Lily Gibson, There could be several reasons your biscuits didn't rise. 1. Your oven is not properly calibrated. Check the temperature with a thermometer to see if the temps are true. 2. You did not carefully measure the ingredients. For the most part baking is exact. I am a long time avid baker and the directions for these biscuits were excellent. I made them and they rose very high and were flaky and fluffy. They were pretty amazing. 3. You over-worked the dough. Biscuit dough should be handled as little as possible 4. You let the fat (butter and buttermilk) become too warm in the handling. Biscuit dough should be kept cold (like pie dough). The butter should stay very cold and as solid as possible as its distributed through careful handling when flattening it out before you apply the biscuit cutter (or whatever you use to cut the biscuits) 5. Try it again keeping these things in mind. After you cut out the biscuits slide the tray into the freezer for 10 min and then put them in the oven.
     
  2. The perfect biscuit recipe, I use lard to cut into the flour, then in the layers, I use very cold butter that I have sliced with a cheese slicer, nice and thin. I always cook then in the middle of my oven, they turn out perfect every time
     
  3. Wow, wow, wow. Sharlene these are the best biscuits that I have made on food.com since I joined... 10 years ago. These little treats were amazing. Crispy, crunchy, tender and oh so full of flavor. This recipe is definitely worth the extra effort. Don't let it scare you. Once you start they are made before you know it. I baked them in my convection oven at 388 degrees for 12 minutes, worked beautifully, they were absolutely delicious. I served these little gems plain with butter and also with homemade Vanilla Mango Jam. Thank you so much for sharing a recipe that has gone into my best of 2014 cookbook. Kudos to you. Made for Name That Ingredient Tag Game.
     
  4. Mine did not look like the picture, but I uploaded one for you to see. They were the best biscuits I ever made. Fluffy, slightly flakey and melted in my mouth. I didn't have White Lily Flour, so I used regular flour and added 8 tsp of baking powder and it turned out great. I had to use more butter than the recipe called for (I eye balled it) and I used my hands to blend butter. I just put flour and butter crumbs in fridge while I soured milk, as I also did not have any buttermilk. I used 1 tbsp of vinergar per cup of milk and let sit until slightly curdled. Also, I used a glass to cut the biscuits, making sure to not twist the cup, Delicious!
     
  5. Prepared these biscuits as recipe directed and they were by far one of the best biscuit batches I’ve made. My husband said that they were the best biscuits he has eaten in a long time. I will definitely save this recipe and make them again.
     
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Tweaks

  1. I half the recipe for 8 biscuits. Instead of baking soda and cream of tarter, I used 1 tablespoon of baking powder and I used a 3 inch biscuit cutter, Very pleased how biscuits came out.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I live in the San Francisco area and love it here. I discovered Recipezaar (then Food.com..Genius Kitchen) in 2001 and have been so happy to have my favorite recipes stored safely here. I am mother to 7 and grandmother to 7. I love to knit, smock, sew, etc., but my favorite hobby of the moment is traditional rug hooking. This is a sample of what I do.? It's called "November".? I dyed most of the wool myself. It is made from wool flannel, cut into strips a little less than 1/4" and then worked into a linen backing. This is my 3rd rug.
 
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