Buttermilk Biscuits

I love the crisp exterior and flaky, fluffy interior of classic American biscuits, especially when they’re fresh from the oven. In my opinion biscuits are always in season. And while they are, of course, a summertime barbecue essential, biscuits make any meal better. Whether they’re on the holiday table with the roast and gravy, sandwiching leftover turkey or ham, served at breakfast, or strewn atop a fruit cobbler, I will never argue with a biscuit. Another great thing about them is how easy it is to tweak their flavor to suit the occasion. You can make them a touch sweeter or a touch more savory (or more spicy or more cheddar-y) by simply sprinkling the tops of the biscuits with sugar, sea salt, spices, or grated cheese before popping them into the oven to bake.

By Claudio Miolin
Born in Berlin. Based in Brooklyn. Master pastry chef Claudio Miolin is baker-in-chief at Miolin Bakery.

As a professional baker, it’s safe to say I’ve made hundreds of batches of biscuits over the years. Here are the 5 most helpful tips I’ve gathered along the way:

1 Frozen butter yields a flakier biscuit.

2 Cold, cold, cold is the key to biscuit success. Chill ALL the ingredients after you’ve measured them out. 

3 Chilled biscuit dough is a must. Put it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before baking! 

4 A sharp-edged pastry cutter, pressed straight down into the dough to cut the biscuits, will help your biscuits rise evenly and high. Do not twist the cutter while cutting the biscuits; doing so prevents a good rise.  

5 When cutting the biscuits, dip the cutter in flour between cuts.

Instructions

Step 1
Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Step 3
Using a box grater, grate the frozen butter directly over the flour mixture. Mix the butter in with your hands until you have a coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and mix with your hands or a spatula until just combined. The dough should be very shaggy. 


Step 4
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and pat into a 10-inch square that’s about 1 inch thick. 

Step 5
Fold ⅓  of the square towards the center; fold the other ⅓  over the top, like you’re folding a sheet of paper to fit into an envelope. This is called a single fold.

Step 6 
Using a floured rolling pin, gently roll out the dough into a 10-inch square that is 1½ inch thick. 

Step 7
Using a floured 2- OR 2½-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out biscuits from the dough and place on the pre-greased baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Gently gather the scraps together, pat into a 1 ½ inch thick slab of dough, and cut the remaining biscuits. 

Step 8
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the oven to 425ºF. Place the baking sheet with the cut biscuit dough on it, in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Step 9
Before baking, brush the biscuits with buttermilk and sprinkle with flaky salt and/or if you like them a touch sweeter sprinkle turbinado sugar on top. Bake the biscuits on the upper rack until they’re golden brown and risen, about 22 minutes.

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