February 2013
The morning was quiet.
Inside the cabin, the guests were in various stages of slumber. Outside the cabin, the frozen edges of the creek added another level of solitude to the scene. It was the last morning of the cabin weekend, the type of quiet morning that calls for the scent of bacon to ease inhabitants into packing, cleaning and enjoying a few more moments of the magic.
As the bacon sizzled in the skillet and its scent stirred the slumberers, batter became biscuits because the comforting warmth of a biscuit also goes a long way in starting the day!
Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
Yield: 10 biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, plus more for dusting the board 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder (use one without aluminum)
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
1 cup buttermilk
Directions
Preheat your oven to 450°F.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles coarse meal.
Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
Gently, gently pat the dough out until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
Use a round cutter to cut into rounds, or use a knife to cut into 10 even squares.
Place the biscuits on a skillet. For softer sides, put them touching each other. For crustier sides, put them about 1 inch apart (these will not rise as high).
Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.
Do not over bake, but do go outside and play!