4 c Flour
2 tb Baking powder
1 ts Baking soda
1 ts Salt
2 ts Sugar
2/3 c Butter; softened
1 1/2 c Buttermilk; see note
1/4 c Butter; melted
Sift flour with baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar. Cut
in 2/3 cup of butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add buttermilk, stirring until dry ingredients are
moistened.
NOTE regarding buttermilk: If you are using commercial,
cultured buttermilk, use the ingredients as specified.
Commercial buttermilk is a "sour milk" product and has
enough acid to activate the baking soda. If you're using
the buttermilk left over after you make your own sweet
cream butter you MUST sour it first by adding a tbs of
white or cider vinegar to the measured buttermilk and
allowing it to stand for a few minutes. If you don't do
this, the biscuits will not rise as well or as lightly
because there will not be enough acid in the dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead
lightly 4 or 5 times. [When you turn the dough out onto
the board it will be slightly elastic and somewhat
layered. Knead it simply and quickly by merely folding
the dough in half and pressing it out with the hands.
Keep your hands cool as you work with the dough and don't
fold more than the number of times called for in the
recipe. Overworking the biscuits will make them tough.]
Roll dough to 1/2" thickness; cut with a 2 1/2" biscuit
cutter. Place biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet
[or on a sheet lined with baking parchment (preferred)].
Brush tops with the melted butter and bake at 450ºF/230ºC
for 8 minutes or until golden brown.
When cutting biscuits, never twist the cutter; that will
seal the edges and prevent proper rising. If the cutter
is not cutting all the way, consider a new cutter. [Use
a sharp cutter, not a glass tumbler. The rounded edges
of a tumbler also press the biscuit's edges closed and
won't allow proper rising. No biscuit cutter? Try cookie
cutters for interesting shapes. My daughter *loves*
heart-shaped biscuits.]
From "Traditions" by Houston A&M University Mother's
Club.
Shared by Wesley Pitts 11/7/93 [Revisions by Dave
Sacerdote, 02/97, set off in brackets.]
Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
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* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (1:18/200)
