Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

I had a big carton of buttermilk left over in my refrigerator from a recipe I tried recently- what it was, I don't even remember now... but with the little chill in the air, thought I'd whip up a hot batch of biscuits. My go-to recipe has always been Fannie Farmer's baking soda biscuits- sometimes with buttermilk, sometimes just with regular milk. They're good, as homemade biscuits are, but I wanted something that brought out the buttermilk flavor even more. I found it in this recipe for Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits from Pinch My Salt. If you've never made homemade biscuits, there's a really good photo tutorial- and it's really easier than it seems (put down the canned biscuits...) Using cake flour, if White Lily is not available, is the key- I could tell just by mixing them that they'd be much more tender. And using butter, instead of the shortening called for in my old recipe, gave these the most wonderful flavor. I also use a pastry blender instead of my fingers- keeps the butter colder. These biscuits are incredible- I've made a big batch a couple of times this week already. Go make some RIGHT NOW!

Buttermilk Biscuits

I love a good biscuit. Tall, golden, crusty, and warm. AudioDad loves them too and can usually polish off a whole batch. He's got some competition now that Munch has discovered them. Her favorite part is that I let her put the jelly on all by herself.


Buttermilk biscuits
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbs. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable shortening (Crisco)
2/3 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in a bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead several times. Pat the dough out until it's about 1/2 inch thick, then cut into rounds using a floured cutter. Place biscuits, with the edges touching, on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.