Ingredients
8 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, frozen or very cold
1 quart (4 cups) buttermilk
Preparation
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the bowl. Tip: to prevent the butter from sticking to your hands when grating, periodically dredge the butter into the flour mixture before resuming the grating. Once the butter has all been grated into the bowl, toss to incorporate into the flour mixture.
Stir in the buttermilk until a moist dough forms (if dough is too dry, add a splash more buttermilk or milk). The dough should be tacky but be careful not to overmix. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and pat it down gently to form a 16-inch rectangle. Fold the dough in on itself like a letter (one third followed by the other end). Pat the dough down to a 1-inch rectangle. Repeat the folding process one more time. Pat dough back down to a 1-inch rectangle. Make sure that during this process that you do not overwork the dough; mix and pat it just enough to get it where you need it to go.
Cut out 3.5-inch circles using a floured biscuit cutter or a drinking glass. Push the scraps together (don’t roll them) and cut again. Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. At this point you can either freeze the biscuits for later use or bake them. If freezing, ensure they freeze flat and then transfer to a gallon Ziploc bag once frozen. To bake: preheat the oven to 400°F and bake the biscuits for 25-30 minutes until they are golden brown and cooked through.
**Makes about 15-20 large biscuits
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