To make amazing buttermilk biscuits, you don't have to make them by hand. Using a stand mixer is the way to go when changing up a few ingredients that yield tender, flaky biscuits every time.
This recipe also calls for cake flour which is not the norm for biscuits. However, cake flour has a lower protein content, allowing the dough to withstand more mixing without overworking it and developing gluten, which will ultimately toughen the biscuits.
By pulsing (quickly turning on and off) the shortening and butter into the cake flour with the stand mixer, you prevent the heat from your hands from melting the fats during the typical "cutting in" stage. This also helps keep the flakes large for flakier biscuits.
Tips & Tricks for High-Rise Biscuits
-For bigger rise, place any tools, especially the stand mixer bowl and paddle into the bowl, into the freezer for a few minutes before mixing to ensure the fats won't melt until they are in the oven.
-Patting the dough into a circle compresses it less than rolling it with a rolling pin, giving you a loftier biscuit.
-Use a sharp biscuit cutter to cut your biscuits. The sharp edges don't seal the sides thus promoting rising . Juice glasses and tin cans trap air and compress biscuit dough, sealing the sides and reducing rise.
-Excess flour on the tops and bottoms can make the biscuitsseemdry, brush off any excess flour from both sides before baking.
-You can reroll the dough once (you'll need to) and still yield tender biscuits. To do so, brush any flour from the scraps and gently fold the dough back together before patting into a circle.
Preheat oven to 450o F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl; set aside. Pulse cake flour, shortening and cubed butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until fats are pea-sized flakes. Mix in all-purpose flour mixture just until blended. Add buttermilk to dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. To avoid over-mixing the biscuit dough, stop when the ingredients are just moistened. Even though the dough is wet, don't add more flour, that leads to over-mixing.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead just until dough holds together. Do not overwork it. Flour your hands to keep the dough from sticking before patting dough into a 1" thick circle. Using a 2.25" thick biscuit cutter, cut dough into 10 biscuits.Pull cutter up without twisting, as you remove. Twisting results in jagged edges on the biscuits.
Transfer the biscuits to prepared baking sheet and bake until golden, 15-18 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter during last few minutes of baking.
Warm, flaky, tender...perfection.
Basic Buttermilk Biscuits
From Cuisine at Home
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups cake flour
5 Tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, cubed
4 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 450o F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl; set aside. Pulse cake flour, shortening and cubed butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until fats are pea-sized flakes. Mix in all-purpose flour mixture just until blended. Add buttermilk to dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. To avoid overmixing the biscuit dough, stop when the ingredients are just moistened. Even though the dough is wet, don't add more flour, that leads to overmixing.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead just until dough holds together. Do not overwork it. Flour your hands to keep the dough from sticking before patting dough into a 1" thick circle. Using a 2.25" thick biscuit cutter, cut dough into 10 biscuits.Pull cutter up without twisting, as you remove. Twisting results in jagged edges on the biscuits.
Transfer the biscuits to prepared baking sheet and bake until golden, 15-18 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter during last few minutes of baking.
These look fantastic!
I will have to give the cake flour a try.
Have you ever added cheese or chopped herbs to this recipe?
I haven’t.
I cannot wait to give these a try!
I found the perfect biscuit cutters the other day at World Market and I’ll be making these this evening!
Thank you Noble Pig!
Sincerely,
Patty
Bloom & Grow LLC
http://www.bloom-and-grow.com
I think you have a typo on the 1/4 teaspoon measurement. That’s baking soda, isn’t it?
I don’t have a stand mixer, but I’m guessing a food processor would work. Dh loves biscuits and I’ve only made the cheater (Popeye’s) version. I’m intrigued by your use of cake flour. I’ll pick up a cutter this week and give this recipe a try.
I’m finding a lot of your recipes that appeal to me. I think I need to check out Cuisine at Home.
Fixed!!
Isn’t one of the ingredient supposed to be baking soda? There’s two measurements for baking powder.
I also put my pre-baked biscuits in the fridge for about ten minutes before putting it into the oven for a nice flakey texture.
They look gorgeous. Sometimes my biscuits don’t rise as much as I’d like. Never seen a recipe that used cake flour, but it makes sense. I love that I can use my stand mixer with this. I will definitely try it!
Love the idea of using the stand mixer…sounds way easier. And obviously makes super looking biscuits, YUM!
These look fantastic—quick question, though. In your description you say …”this recipe also calls for cake flour which is not the norm for biscuits” but the recipe calls for all-purpose. Should I substitute cake flour for the all-purpose? Thanks!
It calls for both.
What a cool idea to use cake flour for biscuits! These look so light and fluffy. I’ve never made homemade biscuits before, but these are definitely making me want to give it a try!
oh, I’ll have to try making them in the mixer and your other tips. I see breakfast for dinner in our future this week!
Hmm-that’s what I get for skimming the recipe. I was trying to read and comfort a baby-obviously not my forte.
I just posted a biscuit recipe, too. I have never made biscuits with cake flour nor have nor have I used a mixer. I am trying this recipe out!
I really love the fact that you are taking time to cook through this magazine. I received my copy in the mail and every single recipe I’ve made a notation to make – you have made! Love this magazine and this has felt like the most inspired edition in a while(I don’t know if you subscribe).
Anyway, nice to see you have had successes with the recipes!
They look so flaky and mouth watering!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. My grandmother always put her biscuits onto the baking sheets so they were just touching. They don’t rise out but help each other rise up. Ever heard of that??
Thanks for all the tips!
Ooo, warm out of the oven with some jam. Swoon!
great post, cathy! perfect buttermilk biscuits are nearly impossible to obtain, but anywhere close is enough for me!
Ohhhh….goodness! They look like a little bit of heaven!! Can’t wait to try these with your sausage gravy recipe! They just sound delicious! Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes. I thoroughly enjoy your blog!
I love biscuits! I usually use a food processor when I’m prepping my dough. I think I will give the stand mixer a try in the future.
Comfort food to the max!! Who wouldn’t like to wake up to the smell of freshly baked biscuits?
I am so happy to see this post! I am such a biscuit failure yet I love them so much. Will definitely be trying them now with your recipe and tips! Thank you!
I had such high hopes, but just wasn’t meant to be, lol. I even did a few things that I hoped would edge me closer to “perfection” … chilling the ingredients after mixing, but before adding the buttermilk and then chilling the cut biscuits before baking.
Guess I could blame my 7 cup food processor (no stand mixer), but the sad fact is I just can’t make biscuits.
Thanks for the nudge to try. Guess it’s back to Popeye’s.
Seriously, the last time I made biscuits, they were hockey pucks. I keep saying I need to practice so I can make awesome biscuits. With your recipe and tips, who knows, maybe this will be the recipe that redeems me!
these biscuits are beautiful! I have been searching for the perfect recipe and I think I finally found it! thank you!
Hello there,
Any aubstitute for the buttermilk? Not many shops that sell them here in Singapore.
You can easily make your own:
1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minutes. Then, use as much as the recipe calls for.
I made these the other night and I was thrilled at the result!
I didn’t have a cutter so instead of using a glass (didn’t want to seal the edges) I just cut them into squares with a sharp knife.
They rose beautifully! And really.. it was so easy to make
If you roll these out so they are about half as thick, then cut and press each round into a muffin tin, they make a great little “cup.” Fill with a mixture of cooked bacon, onions, smoked cheddar, and mayonnaise (or whatever else sounds good).
These sound awesome. I have been looking for the perfect biscuits recipe.
I have bookmarked your recipe and plan to try it.
As an old bisquit maker, these sound great. I always use Stephanies idea, shaping them lightly into a square and cutting with a sharp knife, no re-rolling and never tough. thanks for all the fun recipes
always keep powdered buttermilk on hand, no waste and keeps a long time.
You melt while looking at this amazing pics!! Ah amazing
I have a question about cake flour. I have never used/bought it before. When I went to the grocery store, they had two brands of cake flour. Both were in boxes rather than the bags I am used to for flour. And they both were enriched, meaning not just flour. Is that what I should buy for this recipe?
Yes, that’s exactly what you want.
http://www.ehow.com/info_8523064_substitutes-cake-flour.html
If you don’t have cake flour you can make your own..
I have done that but it is never the same silky consistency of the store bought version, which is what you really need for this recipe.
I just made these & they are PERFECT. They look good & are so airy!
Can i use just plain flour rather than cake flour??
If you go back and read the post, you’ll see why cake flour is used and preferred.