Hello there!

Southern biscuits have a wonderful soft flakey texture with a buttery taste. Crispy on the outside with an almost cake-like softness on the inside. I am in love with them, as much as you can be in love with food. Eat them sweet, savoury or just plain, for breakfast, dinner or even dessert. Add them to your bread basket next time you have guests over , they’ll add that special, personal touch and people will surely love them.

Southern biscuits are often confused with scones, which are generally dry and crumbly,  because we don’t have REAL southern biscuits here in Montreal. If we do, I don’t know where… and DO NOT even mention Tim Horton’s or Mc Donald’s with those rubbery salt pucks they call biscuits.

Ironically though, the first time I tried anything resembling a real southern biscuit was at Roy Rogers, a sucky fast food restaurant on the I87 – direction NYC! Their biscuits were more than alright despite the rest of their menu. Then I graduated to the more authentic ones when visiting Washington, DC. I think in my past life I was a Southerner because I have a strange affinity for Southern or Lowcountry Cuisine: Corn Bread, Fried Chicken, Fried chicken and waffles, Fried Tomatoes, Grits, Shrimp and Grits, Pulled Pork and I’d love to try more.

Biscuit tips: I’ve read tons of recipes and they all say the same thing – Keep the ingredients cool, do not overwork the dough, pat it into shape – never roll it out so definitely no rolling pins. No self-respectin’ southerner uses a rollin’n pin! 😉 Use the softest, finest white flour you can find such as pastry and cake flour but if you only have all purpose, it works well too. This may not be the old “Lowcountry way” but using a food processor produces better biscuits because the ingredients stay cooler with less risk of overworking – plus, its super easy that way.

These can be served plain with butter for dinner, with butter and jam for breakfast or for dessert with a nice glaze on top. *See maple glaze directions below.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

If you like things a little sweet, check out the maple glaze option after the recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board (if you can get Robin Hood’s Cake and Pastry flour, your biscuits will be even better)
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes, very cold
1 cup buttermilk

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450°F.

Place the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.

“Cut” butter into the flour until it resembles course meal. If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.

Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.

The result should be a little wet and sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Gently pat the dough out by hand until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough over itself about 5 times then gently press the dough down to 1 inch in thickness.

Use a round cutter to cut into rounds. (2.5 inches in diameter approx.)

You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not rise as high as the first ones.

Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, place them on a cookie sheet touching each other. If you like crispy sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom. Allow them to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before removing them to a plate.

Make ahead tip: You can make these biscuits and put them on cookie sheets (uncooked) and freeze them for up to a month. So whenever you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

*Maple Glazed Version 

Combine icing sugar, a few drops of water and add maple syrup 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the right consistency and taste.

I used about 1/2 cup icing sugar, a few drops of water and about 3 teaspoons of pure maple syrup but feel free to adjust to your liking.

 

Pictures/Process

 

Recipe found here: http://southern.food.com/recipe/southern-buttermilk-biscuits-26110?soc=socialsharingpinterest

Enjoy 😀