Buttermilk Biscuits

Martha Stewart Living

Makes 15

    4 cups flour +M4 dusting                                       
    4 teaspoons baking powder                                      
    1 teaspoon baking soda                                         
    1 1/2 teaspoons salt                                           
    1 teaspoon sugar                                               
    1 cup unsalt butter cut into pieces                            
    2 cups buttermilk                                              

Preheat oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add butter; using a pastry blender or two knives, cut mixture in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the buttermilk; stir just until mixture comes together; batter will be sticky. Transfer to lightly floured work surface; use floured fingers to pat dough to 1-inch thickness. Use a 2 x 2-inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut biscuits as close together as possible to minimize scraps.

Transfer to baking sheet; bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

CHEDDAR MIX-IN
Add 3 cups (9 ounces) grated cheddar cheese to the butter-and-flour mixture after butter has been cut in. Proceed with the remainder of the recipe.

My Notes: These taste great and are really simple. I've made these three times now and they're still not perfect. Cutting the butter with a food processor is definitely the simplest, but the biscuits were still flat. Perhaps I'm rolling the dough out too thinly? Also make sure butter is very cold--leave in fridge until ready to add. Don't forget to flour the board, your hands, and the top of the dough before pressing out. It really matters!

MXF