Buttermilk Biscuits

Prep Time: 10 mins Total Time: 22 mins Yield: About 10

Ingredients
2 Cups AP flour, plus for dusting
1 Tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, very cold
1 Cup buttermilk (approx.)



Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
2. Cut the butter into pea-sized chunks & put into freezer.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
4. Cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
5. Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.
6. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
7. Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
8. Gently, gently PAT, with floured hands, the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick.
Fold the dough in ½ with a bench knife & turn 90°.
9. Repeat about 5 times; gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick after each fold.
10. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
11. You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
12. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet - if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
13. Put biscuits almost touching for fluffier biscuits – ½ inch apart for crustier biscuits.
14. Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.
15. Do not over-bake.

Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
You also must pat the dough out LIGHTLY with your hands.
Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.