Recipe: Cornmeal Biscuits (using buttermilk)

CORNMEAL BISCUITS

1 3/4 cup unbleached white all-purpose white flour (plus a bit to flour the rolling surface)
1/4 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chilled butter
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil, such as corn, canola or peanut
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and make sure it's up to temperature.

Sift the flour, backing powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and scatter over the flour mixture. Drizzle in the oil and quickly cut the fats into the flour with two knives or a pastry cutter.

Add 3/4 cup of the buttermilk and stir just until the mixture forms a ball (if too crumbly, add just a bit more buttermilk), and turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead 4 or 5 times - just enough to firm up the dough. Do not over-knead! The secret of a biscuit, even a reduced-fat one, is to handle it gently.. tenderly lovingly.

With floured hands, oat the dough into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. The top will be sticky. Then, either use a sharp knife to cut straight down through the dough to form squares, or punch straight down through the dough with a biscuit cutter, without twisting. I usually use a knife - less handling, no wastage, no temptation to reroll and reroll the scraps, on into tough-biscuit eternity. Place the biscuits on a nonstick baking sheet or one that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake immediately for 10 to 12 minutes, until light golden.

Makes about 12 good-sized biscuits
Source: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon