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Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Prep: 20 min Bake: 15 min Makes: 8-12 biscuits, depending on thickness
A fluffy Southern-style buttermilk biscuit is a sight to behold! They are delicious, and so versatile. They can be eaten with something sweet - like jam, honey or molasses. Or enjoy a savory version - with egg, cheese, ham or gravy.

Making them work as well gluten free took some experimentation, but I'm here to pass on my lessons learned so you can jump straight to fluffy perfection! There are a few simple rules to follow: make sure the butter and buttermilk stay as cold as possible, and be gentle and loving with your dough.

Ingredients

  • 2 cup high quality GF flour blend
  • 1 Tbs baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled in freezer
  • 1 cup cold buttermilk,
    plus a few more Tbs, as needed
  • 2 Tbs melted butter, for brushing

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. Cut cold butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs[1], [2].
  4. Make a well in the flour mix and pour in a cup of buttermilk, stirring just until combined. Depending on flour used, you may need more buttermilk to get the dough to hold together. Add 1-2 Tbs at a time until it sticks.
  5. Turn dough onto floured surface, and dust with flour.
  6. With floured hands, form dough into a rectangle. Use just enough flour to prevent sticking without trying to work it into the dough.
  7. Fold the rectangle into thirds like a letter, turn dough a half turn and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat this step twice more, folding and pressing dough a total of three times[3].
  8. Gently pat dough into 8-9" round, about ¾" thick. No need to roll it, but you can gently use a rolling pin to even out the surface.
  9. Cut out biscuits with a 2 ½" biscuit cutter[4].
  10. Reform scraps into another round and cut out more biscuits.
  11. Transfer biscuits to baking sheet, making sure the sides are touching. This helps with rising.
  12. Brush tops of the biscuits with melted butter or buttermilk[5]
  13. Bake 15 minutes at 425°F until lightly browned.

Gluten Free Pro Tips

  1. Work with very cold butter. Leave some pea-sized butter chunks, and do not over work. You can also grate frozen butter into flour.
  2. You can "rest" your flour/butter mix in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, especially if butter has had any time to soften.
  3. This folding process helps incorporate flaky layers into your biscuits. The key is to do everything gently and not overhandle the dough.
  4. Do not twist as this will crimp the edges of the biscuit, causing it to not rise as well.
  5. Some people prefer to brush tops with buttermilk. Others brush butter on after baking. Try both methods and see which you prefer!