My Favorite Buttermilk BiscuitsAdapted from Dot’s Diner in Boulder

My Favorite Buttermilk BiscuitsAdapted from Dot’s Diner in Boulder
My Favorite Buttermilk BiscuitsAdapted from Dot’s Diner in Boulder
I shared these on the site (SmittenKitchen.com) way back in its youth, 2007, but I’d adapted them as chive biscuits and it was buried in a post without any photos of their deliciousness. They never got the spotlight they deserved. These can be adapted in a lot of ways. You can use (unleavened) cake flour for a more delicate biscuit, add herbs or a little grated cheese for a different flavor profile, and the sugar can be dialed up or down (the original calls for 1 1/2 tablespoons, but I use as little as 2 teaspoons when I want a savory biscuit). You can make your own buttermilk (like so) or whisk together yogurt or sour cream and milk for a similar effect. They can be dropped from a spoon or cut into shapes. The original recipe has a larger yield (12 standard), but for our weekend needs, but I’ve taken to scaling it to 3/4 of its original volume (shown below), which will yield 6 very large breakfast biscuits (think: egg sandwich, and then invite me over, please) or 9 standard ones, the kind you’d serve alongside other things (although they will totally, unapologetically hog the spotlight).
  • Preparing Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Served Person: 9
vegetarian white meat free tree nut free nut free contains gluten red meat free shellfish free contains dairy pescatarian
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons to 1 1/2 tablespoons (10 to 20 grams) sugar (to ta see note above)
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt
  • 9 tablespoons (125 grams) chilled unsalted butter cut into small chunks
  • 3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk
  • Carbohydrate 0.01135 g
  • Cholesterol 40.6708333333333 mg
  • Fat 15.3433083333333 g
  • Fiber 0 g
  • Protein 0.160791666666667 g
  • Saturated Fat 9.71711333333334 g
  • Serving Size 1 1 biscuit (19g)
  • Sodium 108.96 mg
  • Sugar 0.01135 g
  • Trans Fat 1.07408833333333 g
  • Calories 136 calories

Preheat oven to 400 °F and cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large, wide bowl. Using fingertips or a pastry blender, work butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, Add buttermilk and stir until large, craggy clumps form. Reach hands into bowl and knead mixture briefly until it just holds together. To form biscuit rounds: Transfer dough to floured counter and pat out until 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick (err on the thin side if uncertain, as the tall ones will literally rise and then tip over, like mine did the day I photographed these). Using a round cutter (2 inches for regular sized biscuits, 3 inches for the monstrous ones shown above), press straight down — twisting produces less layered sides — and transfer rounds to prepared sheet, spacing two inches apart. To drop biscuits: Drop 1/4-cup spoonfuls onto baking sheet, spacing two inches apart. Both methods:Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then serve warm, with butter/jam/eggs/bacon/sausage and gravy or any combination thereof. Happy weekend! Do ahead: Biscuits are best freshly baked. When I want to plan ahead, I make the biscuit dough and form the individual biscuits, then freeze them until needed. They can be baked directly from the freezer, will just need a couple more minutes baking time.