If you’re looking for clues to a successful homemade buttermilk biscuit recipe, you won’t find them in the ingredient list. This should always be simple. The real secret to making the best cookies—ones that are golden and crispy on top, soft in the middle, and richly buttery and flaky—is technique. This easy cookie recipe from pastry expert Claire Saffitz is all about technique. (Claire is seen making cookies.)
It depends on your preparation time being short and the dairy products being as cold as possible. If your kitchen is hot, place the butter slices in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, then add the chilled butter directly to the food processor. (Don’t have a food processor? A pastry cutter or even a fork will work, but you may also want to chill the flour to avoid overmixing the dough.) Cold buttermilk is also essential; even if you use a substitute, store it in the refrigerator medium until ready to pour. This leaves what Claire calls “little racks” of cold butter trapped in the flour mixture so those coveted layers can be achieved while the cookies bake.
The final step is a low-key form of lamination, in which the cookie dough is cut into four squares, stacked, and rolled again on a lightly floured surface to achieve an even finish more Flaky layer. While you can certainly use a cookie cutter or a regular round cookie cutter to make the cookies, Claire recommends cutting the cookies into neat squares (almost like scones) to minimize scraps.
These tender biscuits taste great with a little salted butter and jam, a slather of honey butter, or a drizzle of Southern tomato gravy (don’t knock all of that). But don’t hesitate to stuff it with poached eggs or fried chicken for the full sandwich vibe.
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