Buttermilk Biscuits

These Buttermilk Biscuits made with farm fresh butter & buttermilk are rich, buttery and stacked with flaky layers - the perfect food!

Every time I make biscuits from scratch, they never rise!  They'r flat, tasteless and honestly... a lot like hockey pucks! I'm not sure if it's because I didn't have the right recipe, if I didn't cut the butter into he flour enough or maybe I overworked the dough.

Regardless... I failed each time I made them.  My family still ate it... but in the back of my head, it was a failure.  Until today.

Betsie Morris Gibson, one of my loyal and super sweet readers of JavaCupcake shared with me her Grandma Love's recipe for biscuits!  Betsie said her Grandma Love adapted this recipe from the back of the Clabber Girl Baking Powder container back  in the 1950's.  So... this recipe is tried, true and I could definitely count on it work!

Now... if only I don't screw it up!

I started with farm fresh butter and buttermilk from a local farm here in Germany.  My great friend, Margot, hooked me up with it... she's got an "in" with a farmer.  I have never had such fresh ingredients before.  It's amazing to think that 100 years ago.... 75 years ago... heck even 50 years ago... this is how everyone was baking and cooking.   Fresh, local ingredients.

I also recently bought a pastry cutter and used it to work the butter instead of using my fingers or a fork and knife.  This made a HUGE difference in the amount of time it took to create that "coarse meal" texture you need for this biscuits.

The biggest thing I did, made sure not to overwork the dough.  I really only turned it 4 times out on my floured counter and gently patted it to ¾ inch height.  Before, I rolled it out and I think rolled it too thin.  Not this time!  Pat pat pat and thick thick thick!

Thanks Betsie and Margot for the tools to FINALLY make the most perfect, fluffy and flaky buttermilk biscuits!  This is definitely going to be my go-to recipe!

If you're interested in the recipe for the super delicious jam I topped the biscuits with, you can find that strawberry freezer jam recipe here!

Oh, and my husband (he's in Afghanistan) saw a picture and requested these biscuits with chipped beef and gravy when he returns!  I can so do that!!!

Enjoy!

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Yield: 8 biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

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5.0 Stars (1 Review)

Ingredients

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• 3 cups flour
• 2 ½ tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, COLD
• ¾ cup milk, COLD (I used buttermilk)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3-7/16" biscuit cutter (or any size you want)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour sugar, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar.
3. Add the butter and with a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the egg and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, stir until just combined.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly 4-5 times. STOP! Do not knead anymore than this!
6. GENTLY pat the dough to ¾ inch thickness.
7. Using the biscuit cutter, cut out circles and place them on the baking sheet. Lightly press together the scraps, pat the same thickness, and cut again until you only have a few small scraps of dough left.
8. Bake 13-15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
9. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool.

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