Buttermilk Biscuits - the perfect accompaniment to any meal. Chef Sarah Simmons of Columbia has spent years perfecting the recipe for buttermilk biscuits. From the precise folding of the dough to the perfectly squeezed cubes of butter, the making of biscuits is an art in and of itself.
Whether it's slathered in butter or topped with your favorite jam or jelly, there's something unmistakably and quintessentially Southern about a good old fashioned biscuit made from scratch. So try your hand at Chef Simmons' recipe, and discover how to make a biscuit the South Carolina way.
Method
Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Cut butter into small cubes (1/4-inch) and chill for 10-15 minutes in freezer.
Using your fingers, squeeze and roll the butter cubes into the flour. Mixture should look like wet sand.
Add buttermilk all at once, mixing gently to combine. Our secret to good biscuits: don't overmix!
Allow mixture to rest slightly, 5-10 minutes, to allow gluten to relax and avoid tough biscuits.
Turn mixture out onto a floured surface.
Sprinkle a little bit of flour on the top to avoid sticking.
Gently press dough together, forming a single dough ball.
Using the heel of your palms (or a rolling pin), gently flatten dough until it's
1- to 2-inches thick.
Fold dough over onto itself once and then again (two times total).
Gently reshape into a single mass, and lightly roll out with a floured rolling pin.
Roll to 1-inch thickness and cut, using a floured knife (squares) or a floured round dough cutter (circles).
Immediately freeze biscuits for later, or preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake biscuits for 16-20 minutes, rotating once halfway through.
Remove biscuits from the oven and brush with melted butter.
