Y’all…you’ll never taste a better biscuit than this. And only fractionally more complicated than buttermilk biscuits from scratch…which is only fractionally more complicated than dealing with that HORRIBLE refrigerated cylinder of crap from the grocery store.
PRINT LINK AT THE BOTTOM!
TOYS IN THIS VIDEO:
Perfect Pie Blender (The ONLY pastry blender I’ve ever loved)
Gravy Whisk (Great for incorporating stiff starter into a liquid, and also great for eggs and custards)
Pre-cut Parchment Sheets (This size fits standard 1/2 size sheet pans, but if you don’t get your sheet pans at restaurant supply, measure yours first. These sheets come in all sizes.)
My Favorite Scale (Restaurant grade, takes AA batteries or plugs in.)
Note: Obviously, I’m an Amazon associate. If you buy something from one of my links, I’ll get a few cents. Thanks! 🙂
RECIPE:
Preheat oven to 425F / 220C and put the rack 1-2 levels down from the center, to get a good bottom crust on the biscuits.
In a bowl, combine:
4oz / 113g sourdough starter (at 100% hydration…cold, unfed, straight from the fridge)
4oz / 113g buttermilk (or kefir)
Whisk until completely smooth. In another bowl, combine:
7oz / 198g all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder (NOT baking soda!)
1 tsp coarse salt (or 1/2 tsp fine salt, or 0.3oz / 8g ANY salt by weight)
Mix well, then add:
4oz / 113g unsalted butter, very cold, cut into slices
Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers, until the mixture resembles small pebbles and coarse crumbs. (Or, alternately, grate the stick of butter into the flour on a box grater, and stir to combine.)
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, and using a fork, gently drag the dry into the wet to combine. Work as gently as possible to minimize gluten development.
Once it becomes too stiff to use the fork, use the back of your fingers to gently press the ingredients into a flat mass on the bottom of the bowl. Fold 1/3 of the mass over on top of itself, scooping up any dry ingredients underneath and moving them to the top. Then fold the remaining 1/3 of the mass on top of the previous fold, also scooping up any dry ingredients and moving them to the top. Gently press back down into a flat mass.
Repeat this folding process again, continuing to scoop up dry ingredients and incorporating them, and press down flat once more.
Remove the dough to a floured surface, placing any remaining dry ingredients on top, and gently pat flat. Do one final folding process, and then pat the dough out to 1″ / 2.5cm thick. (Do NOT use a rolling pin.)
Optimize the shape of your dough to minimize the amount of dough left over after the first cut-out sequence.
Gently mash together any remaining scraps, and do a second cut-out. (A third cut-out will result in hard, tough biscuits.) Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 14 minutes, or until crusty and brown on both the bottoms and the tops. Devour IMMEDIATELY!
