Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits

[kirra]

Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups + 1/4 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Flour - divided use
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (I do not use iodized salt)
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (chilled and cubed)
2 Tablespoons Lard or Bacon Fat (chilled and cubed)
1 cup Buttermilk (chilled)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 500° F and set oven rack to the center of the oven.

Prepare a baking sheet with silicon mat, parchment or non-stick spray.

Reserving 1/4cup of flour for later use, combine 2 cups of flour and the remaining dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add chilled butter and lard and pulse just until the the mixture looks pebbly - do not overmix.

Pour into a large bowl and using a fork gently stir in the Buttermilk just until incorporated. The dough will be very wet and sticky at this point. If the dough is too much like pancake batter, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour. You may not need to do this.

Turn onto a generously floured board and generously flour the top, and fold over. Flour again, pat out flat, fold again, flour again and keep repeating until the dough is workable but still a little tacky. This should take about 5-10 folds. Try not to add too much flour, as that will toughen the biscuits, and do not knead the dough, which also will toughen the biscuits. Simply fold and pat out flat. The final pat before cutting should leave your biscuit dough about 1/2″ thick.

Cut biscuits using a floured biscuit cutter or the floured rim of a drinking glass and place them on the baking sheet with the sides of the biscuits just kissing each other.

Put the baking sheet in the oven, close the oven door, and turn the temperature down to 450° F. Bake for 14-16 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half way thru the baking time. Remove from oven and serve immediately.