After a little bit of a long absence, I am back at my writing desk, or at least what I call my writing desk. In reality, it has been used more as a kitchen table, ironically enough, than anything else. This large square of solid oak actually belonged to my great grandmother. It's here where my young grandfather was nourished by heaps of fresh butter beans and bits of crumbly cornbread, and it's the same table where my young mother's belly was warmed with bowels of cheesy grits and homemade buttermilk biscuits. While many of my peers have acquired a virtual mountain of things over their 30 years thus far, this table is the largest, heaviest, most substantial thing I own- most everything else, which still wasn't much, was purged from my life two years ago in order to travel.
I'd like to say minimalism only comes with feelings of ecstasy and unabashed freedom, but surprisingly enough I have also struggled with a great sense of insecurity for the lack of "things" in my life. As time has gone by however, the anxiety has eased and I've moved into a deep sense of gratitude for simplicity. Being inspired, and thankful, this morning by one kitchen table and the hands and heart of a great grandmother that nourished my family long ago, I decided to tackle the simplest culinary tradition of my southern heritage, a buttermilk biscuit receipt from The New Best Recipe Cookbook.
While I have your attention though, let me first take a moment to YELLLL from the roof tops that I'm lov'en this cookbook! (And I receive no kickbacks from this head nod to Cook's Illustrated! It's pure and honest.) They have chosen to divide the bread category into quick breads that use leaveners, like baking soda, and yeast breads. A short explanation on the physical difference between the structure of these two different types of bread is then included for those of you who care. And then you're off and baking (quick bread) buttermilk biscuits before you know it! For those aspiring cooks, closet food science buffs, and shortcut Sally's alike, this book is a wealth of information that is assured to turn any piece of lead into gold if followed. My friends and family salute you Cook's Illustrated, as does great grandmother, I'm sure.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Mixing the butter and dry ingredients quickly so the butter remains cold and firm is crucial to producing light, tender biscuits. The easiest and most reliable approach is to use a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Expect a soft and slightly sticky dough. The wet dough creates steam when the biscuits bake and promote the light, airy texture. If the dough is too wet for you to shape the biscuits by hand, lightly flour your hands and then shape the biscuits.
Factoid: Cake flour gives these biscuits their light, flaky crumb because it does not contain as much gluten as regular flour. If you don't have cake flour on hand though, substitute an extra cup of all-purpose flour and increase the buttermilk or yogurt by 2 tablespoons.
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (4 ounces) plain cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3/4 cup cold buttermilk, or 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Whisk together or process with six-1 second pulses.
3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender, or your finger tips to quickly cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. If using a food processor, remove the cover and distribute the butter evenly over the dry ingredients. Cover and process with twelve 1-second pulses.
4. If making by hand, stir in the buttermilk with a rubber spatula or fork until the mixture forms a soft, slightly sticky ball. If using a food processor, remove cover and pour the buttermilk evenly over the dough. Process until the dough gathers into moist clumps, about eight 1-second pulses.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and quickly form into a rough ball. Be careful not to overmix. Using a sharp knife or dough cutter, divide the dough into quarters and then cut each quarter into thirds. Quickly and gently shape each piece into a rough ball and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (The baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)
6. Bake until the biscuit tops are light brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately
Opinon: Like french fries, I believe these to be at their prime straight out of the oven, but some form of heating is definitely advised for any leftovers! Also, the recommend serving size is NOT Pillsbury Grand size or even comparable to their regular biscuit size. If you would enjoy a biscuit of a slightly larger size, I recommend dividing the ball of dough into quarters and then each quarter into half.
Enjoy!
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