Recipe: Light and Fluffy Biscuits

Light and Fluffy Biscuits
rec.food.recipes/Courtney Plater (2001)

This my basic recipe to which I will sometimes add shredded cheese to and maybe some sliced ham for ham & cheese biscuits. Melt the butter and add more buttermilk and they become good dumplings for stews or with a tablespoon of sugar and even more buttermilk the make great buttermilk pancakes.

2 cups all purpose flour (I like White Lily for biscuits)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter - cold
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
about 1 1/4 cups buttermilk - cold

Whisk the dry ingredients together first. Using a fork ( or food processor), cut in the butter until the butter it's about pea sized bits in the flour mixture.

Next start adding the cold buttermilk and mixing until the dough "comes together". It should seem a little dry around the edges. Too much and they'll come out flat. I never actually measure the buttermilk, just adding a little bit at time till the shape holds.

Turn out the dough on a floured board or pastry cloth and pat to an even thickness. The less handling the better.

Cut out and place on an ungreased sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 F for 20-25 minutes or until the tops turn a nice golden brown.