Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

I made these a while ago during my biscuit/scone phase. Well the biscuit/scone phase never really passes, I just figure I should eat healthier baked goods sometimes! These are basic buttermilk biscuits - though perhaps the instructions make them more complicated than they should be? But I guess this is to try and ensure flakey biscuits. I thought mine could have been flakier though, but that could be my own fault not the recipe's. They are however super buttery, and definitely tasty and comforting fresh out of the oven. Sadly, as with most biscuits, once they cool down they lose some of their magic. I like this recipe, but it's the first buttermilk biscuit I've tried so I'm going to try a few more before deciding which one's best!

Next week I start my summer job (which will hopefully be my part time during school job as well) so I will have less time for food blogging, but more time for making money! Money to buy delicious food and ingredients and I guess pay for important things too like school and our mortgage.

We got this basket full of goodies from a fancy grocery store (that my boyfriend's mom had won). As you can see, Abby has claimed it as her own. She likes chewing on it and sitting in it, but mostly she likes chewing on it.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Baking Powder Biscuits
Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
Apricot Orange Scones
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits
Adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More

Makes 12 small biscuits.

3 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned in and leveled, plus additional for kneading and dusting (I used 472 g flour.)
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, plus 2 tbsp melted
1 2/3 cups buttermilk

1. Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 400F. Have ready a large, ungreased cookie sheet.

2. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Shave the chilled butter into 1/8 inch slices using a dough scraper or a sharp knife. Add the butter to the dry ingredients, one third at a time, rubbing it between your fingertips to form flake like pieces. Work gently and quickly so the butter doe snot become too warm. You should have both large and small pieces.

4. Add the buttermilk, pouring it around the edges of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, push the mixture toward the center, working your way around the bowl to blend the buttermilk with the flakes. The mixture will be soft and resemble large curds of cottage cheese. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes while you prepare the rolling surface.

5. Sprinkle a pastry board or other flat surface generously with flour, about 2 tablespoons. Empty the dough onto the board. The dough will be sticky. With the help of a dough scraper, lift the dough four or five times to coat it with flour. With floured hands, gently knead the dough six or eight times, or just until it forms a "skin" (thin layer of flour on the surface). It's okay if larger particles of butter are visible. Do not overwork the dough or your biscuits will not be tender. When the dough is ready, slide aside and clean the work surface.

6. Place the dough on the flat surface and pat it lightly with floured hands, shaping it into a rectangle. Roll the dough into a 10 x 14 inch rectangle, with the 10 inch side parallel to the edge of the counter. Fold the dough into thirds, like a business letter. To do this, lift the far side of the pastry cloth up and fold the top third of the dough over on itself. Press the dough to align the edges as best you can. Lift the lower edge of the dough and flip the bottom third of the dough over on itself, keeping the edges as best you can. You will now have there layers of dough. Press the top gently with your hands, then roll the dough into a 5 x 15 inch strip, with a thickness of a generous 1/2 inch.

7. Cut the dough into 12 rectangles and place on the cookie sheet inverted, about 1 1/2 inches apart. (This is my easy way of cutting biscuits. I hate rerolling dough.)

8. Brush the tops with the melted butter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the biscuits from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before loosening with a thin metal spatula. Serve the biscuits warm. If baking ahead, warm the biscuits for a few minutes in a 300F oven.