¾cupsbuttermilkice cold + 2 Tablespoons for brushing on top
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
Using a food processor or a pastry cutter, cut butter into dry mixture until it resembles course pea-sized crumbs.
Pour ¾ cup buttermilk into butter-flour mix and stir just until combines. If too dry, add a little more buttermilk. It should hold together and be slightly sticky.
Turn out onto floured surface and fold over 3 or 4 times then pat into rectangle that is about ½"-¾" thick. Cut out 10-12 biscuits using a glass or biscuit cutter that is about 2-½" in diameter. You can take scraps and knead back together and make several more biscuits. These might not be as flaky but they will still be oh so good.
Place on prepared cookie sheet, either 1" apart for crusty sides or touching for softer sides and higher biscuits.
Brush tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and place in oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve immediately or let cool on wire rack then freeze for future use.
Notes
Tips for making flaky buttermilk biscuits
Cold ingredients! Always use the coldest butter and the coldest buttermilk to make your biscuits. The cold butter will help make flaky layers and a soft, airy biscuit by creating pockets in the dough as it melts. The cold buttermilk will help make them tender.
Prepare the dry ingredients before taking the butter and buttermilk out of the refrigerator. That will ensure that they are as cold as they can be. In fact, cube the butter and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes for the best results.
Do not overmix the dough! Tough, hard biscuits are a result of overworking the dough. All you need to do is press into a rectangle then fold in half or thirds and repeat two more times. That's it!
When cutting the biscuits, cut straight down without twisting the cutter. If you twist, you will be sealing the edges and preventing the biscuits from rising properly.