There’s something about a warm homemade biscuit that’s really comforting.  Maybe it’s the Southerner in me or it’s the soft flaky pillow that can be the vehicle for so many delicious things.  I’v heard a lot of people say they have a hard time making good biscuits.  While these weren’t my best effort, they were pretty good.  The recipe is solid, but the handling of the dough and cutting make all the difference in the world.  Give them a try and let me know your experience – I’d love to hear what went well and didn’t.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Ingredients

• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tbs Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 6 Tbs Cold Butter
• 1 Cup Buttermilk

Directions

**I find this easier in a food processor, but you can definitely make these by hand

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a food processor, combine the first four ingredients.  Pulse a few times to mix thoroughly.
• Making sure your butter is very cold, cut into 12 small pieces and place in food processor.  Pulse until mixture is crumbly and looks like lumpy sand.  You should have small chunks of butter evenly throughout the mixture.
• Add one cup of buttermilk and pulse just until mixture comes together.  It should be fairly wet and you may need to add a bit more buttermilk.
• On a floured surface, turn out biscuit dough and form into a flat 1-inch piece.  Fold onto itself 5-6 times and flatten again.  DO NOT overwork dough as this can develop the gluten and make for tough biscuits.  DO NOT use a roller, but pat with your hands only.
• Using a biscuit cutter or other round implement of choice, cut out biscuits and place on a cookie sheet.  If you want your biscuits to rise more while baking, make sure they are touching on the cookie sheet.  Some people like to bake them in a 9-inch round pan as well.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 8-12 minutes until golden brown.  You can brush the tops with melted butter when they come out of the oven.

This is a very basic recipe, but it can be changed in numerous ways.  Think about adding rosemary and cracked black pepper and topping with sea salt.  What about cheddar cheese and jalapeño?  The possibilities are endless, but I’d love to hear what you try!  Eat these with a thick pat of butter and honey or do something inventive.  This time I made breakfast sandwiches with country ham, sharp cheddar and over-easy eggs.  I also used it as the base for a country-style strawberry shortcake.  Any way to like them, it’s easy to make them homemade and your family and friends will love you for it.