Print

Buttermilk or Yogurt Biscuits

Prevent your screen from going dark

Makes 10 or more biscuits, depending on size 1x

Time 20 to 30 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose or cake flour, plus more for kneading
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk or whole milk yogurt

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture, breaking it into tiny pieces with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
  2. Add the buttermilk and stir just until the mixture comes together and forms a ball. Spread some flour (about 1/4 cup) on a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto the flour. Knead the dough a few times, adding a little more flour to your hands only if the dough is very sticky.
  3. Press the dough out 3/4 inch thick and cut out 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or a sturdy glass. Put the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Press together the scraps, pat them out 3/4 inch thick, and cut out more biscuits. Repeat once more if possible.
  4. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on size, until the biscuits are golden brown. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack and serve within 15 minutes. Or wrap in foil and keep in a 200°F oven for up to an hour.

10 Additions to Virtually Any Quick Bread, Muffin, Biscuit, or Scone
You can change up the recipes in this section simply by adding an ingredient—or two or three. Just use a little common sense so flavors and textures don’t clash. I’ve given some guidance for the quantities, but again you’ve got to go by your taste and good judgment.

  1. Spice mixtures like chili or curry powder or single spices like cumin, saffron, cardamom, or caraway seeds. Generally no more than 1 tablespoon, whole or ground as you like. Add to the dry ingredients.
  2. Traditional Pesto or any other herb purée 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Drizzle it onto the batter once it’s in the pan and use a knife to swirl it in like marble cake.
  3. Minced or sliced pickled jalapeños, from 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup. Add with the liquid ingredients.
  4. Grated cheese, either soft, melting, or hard types; from 1/2 to 1 cup. Add to the dry ingredients.
  5. Molasses or honey, in place of some or all of the sugar (if there is any); use about half the volume. Add with the liquid ingredients.
  6. Minced herbs, up to 1/4 cup mild ones like mint, parsley, or cilantro; up to 2 tablespoons of strongly flavored ones like rosemary, oregano, or thyme. Add to the dry ingredients.
  7. Sautéed onions, shallots, or leeks, about 1/2 cup. Add with the liquid ingredients. (If there is milk or other liquid, with this and other very savory additions, using stock for half the volume enhances the umami flavors.)
  8. Chopped nuts or seeds, like almonds, pecans, or pumpkin, poppy, or sesame seeds, up to 1/2 cup. Add to the dry ingredients.
  9. Dried cherries, blueberries, or cranberries or raisins; soak in a little warm water first and drain well. Up to 1 cup. Add to the finished batter or dough.
  10. Grated citrus zest; about 1 tablespoon. Add to the dry ingredients.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition 

 

Recipe variations

Baking Powder Biscuits
Slightly different flavor, but with good texture: Increase the baking powder to 4 teaspoons and omit the soda. Use milk in place of buttermilk or yogurt.