I saw this Easy 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuit recipe on a page called Southern Plate the other day. They looked really quick and easy to make and so I was keen to try the recipe out. Is there such a thing as having too many biscuit recipes? I think not!
Now, just to clarify here, these are North American Style biscuits, not British. In Great Britain cookies are called biscuits. These are NOT cookies. These are a type of bread, similar to, but not quite the same as a British Scone. Not as sweet as a scone and considerably flakier. I find scones to be drier and crumblier in texture.
These biscuits are also meant to be served warm, with lashings of cold butter. They are usually (but not always) served with soups, stews, on the side of dinner, etc. Scones are usually enjoyed with cream, jam and a hot cup of tea.
In any case, these are quite lovely. I hope you will give them a go. They will freeze well. (The recipe makes quite a few.) Simply pack into an airtight container and pop into the freezer where they will keep for up to three months!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY 3-INGREDIENT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
Just three very simple basic ingredients.
- 1/2 cup (115g) cold butter, cut into bits
- 2 1/4 cups (281g) self-rising flour (see notes)
- 1 1/4 cups (295ml) cold buttermilk
- additional butter to rub over top of the baked biscuits (optional)
I used salted butter as that is all I have in the house. To make your own self-rising flour please see the recipe notes.
HOW TO MAKE EASY 3-INGREDIENT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
These are not really all that hard to throw together. Follow the directions exactly for success. I also give some basic hints and tips for biscuit success!
Measure the flour into a bowl. Drop the butter on top. Using a pastry blender, or two round bladed knives, cut the butter in until you have a mix of fine dry crumbs and bits of flour/butter the size of peas. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray or 10-inch round baking pan, or 12-inch iron skillet with some baking parchment paper. Set aside.
At the end of the chill time add the buttermilk to the flour mixture, stirring it in with a fork. Use only as much as needed to give you a soft dough. (I used only 1 cup).
Tip out onto a floured board and knead gently 4 or 5 times, then pat into a rectangle 3/4 of an inch thick. Fold the dough in half over on itself. Repeat two more times.
Using a floured and sharp round metal 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out rounds, taking care not to twist the cutter and using a direct up and down movement.
Gather any scraps, re-pat and cut more rounds until all have been cut. Place either close together in the round skillet/pan or about an inch apart on the baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Brush with butter. Bake for a minute or two longer until golden brown. (Mine were close together in a round pan and took considerably longer.) Serve warm.
Make Your Own Buttermilk
Whisk together equal amount of full fat plain yogurt and full fat milk to the full amount of buttermilk needed. Leave five minutes to clabber.
OR
Whisk together 1 TBS of lemon juice or white vinegar with full fat milk to make the amount of buttermilk required. Leave five minutes to clabber.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR PERFECT BISCUITS
Make sure your butter, cream cheese and buttermilk are ice cold. Even if this means cutting the cheese and butter into cubes and sticking them into the freezer for a few minutes to bring them back to the right chilled temperature.
Use a light touch when handling the dough. This is everything and makes the difference between a good biscuit and a great biscuit. Over-handling the dough creates a biscuit that is tough.
Do NOT twist the cutter when cutting out your biscuits. Your biscuits will be inclined to raise lopsided if you do and the rise will be hampered. You get a much better rise from straight up and down.
Get as many cuts from the first patting out as possible. Your biscuits will be much more attractive. Any scraps re-patted will still be good biscuits but will not be as nice in appearance.
These biscuits rose pretty high with lots of layers, but I have to say that I am not a huge fan of soft sided biscuits. I much prefer them to be crisp sided, so if I made them again, I would spread them out on a baking sheet so that the air could circulate better around them.
I also don't really recommend baking them in a cake tin. I would bake them in a skillet or on a baking sheet. Having said that however, they were still a very good biscuit. Easy to make and delicious.
Are you a fan of North American Style Biscuits (and who isn't!)? You might also enjoy the following!
MILE HIGH GREEK YOGURT BISCUITS - When it comes to flaky, they don't get flakier than these Mile High Greek Yogurt Biscuits! This is a biscuit that is light as a cloud and filled with lots of flaky pockets. Because these biscuits themselves are relatively low in fat, you don't need to feel guilty at loading them up with cold butter when it comes to the eating them either! Fabulous!EVERYTHING BAGEL BISCUITS -Tender on the inside with extra crisp edges, these everything bagel biscuits are not only full of flavor, but texture as well. A mix of cream cheese and butter is used in the dough for richness, along with plenty of everything bagel seasoning. The dough is also laminated for the flakiest layers. These are fabulous with a hot soup or stew.
Yield: 14 - 15 biscuitsAuthor: Marie Rayner
Easy 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 45 MinFlaky and buttery. Quick and easy to make. Place on pan close to each other for soft sides or leave a bit of space for crispy sides. Delicious either way!Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115g) cold butter, cut into bits
- 2 1/4 cups (281g) self-rising flour (see notes)
- 1 1/4 cups (295ml) cold buttermilk
- additional butter to rub over top of the baked biscuits (optional)
Instructions
- Measure the flour into a bowl. Drop the butter on top. Using a pastry blender, or two round bladed knives, cut the butter in until you have a mix of fine dry crumbs and bits of flour/butter the size of peas. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray or 10-inch round baking pan, or 12-inch iron skillet with some baking parchment paper. Set aside.
- At the end of the chill time add the buttermilk to the flour mixture, stirring it in with a fork. Use only as much as needed to give you a soft dough. (I used only 1 cup).
- Tip out onto a floured board and knead gently 4 or 5 times, then pat into a rectangle 3/4 of an inch thick. Fold the dough in half over on itself. Repeat two more times.
- Using a floured and sharp round metal 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out rounds, taking care not to twist the cutter and using a direct up and down movement.
- Gather any scraps, re-pat and cut more rounds until all have been cut.
- Place either close together in the round skillet/pan or about an inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Brush with butter. Bake for a minute or two longer until golden brown. (Mine were close together in a round pan and took considerably longer.)
- Serve warm.
Notes
You can make your own self-rising flour. For every cup needed, whisk together 1 cup of flour and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. I make this 4 or 5 cups at a time. I always end up using it all up in a timely manner. Store in a covered container.
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