Serves 8
50 min
Buttery or Dairy-Free Biscuits
Recipe GLPR1fa66a61e9fdce
Tender, flaky biscuits that rise tall and golden, adaptable for traditional dairy or dairy-free diets. These Southern-style biscuits feature a simple technique of folding cold fat into flour, then gently layering the dough to create fluffy layers. Choose between butter and milk for classic biscuits, or swap to margarine and non-dairy milk for a vegan version. Best enjoyed warm straight from the oven.
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Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons frozen salted butter, margarine, or buttery shortening
1 cup unsweetened milk or non-dairy milk (almond, cashew, or soy milk)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons salted butter or margarine, melted for brushing
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. For best results, chill the dry ingredients in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, though this step is optional. Cold ingredients help create flakier biscuits.
Add the 6 tablespoons of frozen butter, margarine, or shortening to the bowl, cutting it into small pieces. Using a pastry cutter or fork, work the cold fat into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand with small pea-sized pieces of fat remaining throughout.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk (dairy or non-dairy) and lemon juice. Let sit for 1 minute to slightly curdle and thicken. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gently pour in the milk mixture about 1/3 cup at a time, stirring softly with a fork until the dough just comes together. You may not need all of the liquid—the dough should be slightly sticky but not wet. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and dust the top with a little flour. Fold the dough over itself 4 to 5 times, being gentle and avoiding any kneading motion, which will result in dense biscuits. Form the dough into a 1-inch-thick disc, handling it as little as possible.
Using a 2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, push straight down through the dough and twist slightly to cut out biscuits. Place them on a greased baking sheet in two rows, positioning them so they just touch at the edges—this helps them rise uniformly. Gently press a small divot in the center of each biscuit with your thumb. Gently reroll and reform any scraps to cut out a few more biscuits; you should have 7 to 8 biscuits total.
Brush the tops of each biscuit with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter or margarine.
Bake in the preheated 450°F oven for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the biscuits are fluffy and golden brown. Serve warm and fresh from the oven for the best texture and flavor.
