Читать книгу Sugar High - Nicole Hampton - Страница 22

20

BISCUITS, SCONES, MUFFINS & QUICK BREADS

CLASSIC BISCUITS

These biscuits are everything. Make them as a side for dinner, make them to pair with gravy, and make them just to munch on. Biscuits are so much easier to make than I thought they were, and they are so worth every minute of effort!

MAKES ABOUT 16 BISCUITS

4 cups all-purpose flour2 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons baking powder2 teaspoons salt

1 cup shortening chilled and cubed11⁄2 cups chilled buttermilk4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut in the shortening until the mixture has small, pea-sized chunks of shortening throughout. Stir in the buttermilk until a dough begins to form.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently until the dough comes together completely, being careful not to overwork it. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a long rectangle, and then fold it into thirds. Roll it out into a rectangle again, about 3⁄4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can. You can re-knead, fold, and cut the dough scraps once, but any more than that will compromise the texture of your biscuits. Place the biscuits onto your baking sheets, spacing them evenly.

Chill the biscuits in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Don’t skip this step! Try as we might, most people (myself included) overwork biscuit dough. A rest period in the refrigerator helps everything go back to the right temperature for baking. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Brush the tops of the biscuits generously with the melted butter, and bake until risen and just golden on top, 13 to 15 minutes. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.