Name: Pat-in-the-Pan Buttermilk Biscuits
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 12 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided; 4 cups (16 ounces/454 grams) cake flour , plus extra for sprinkling; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 2 teaspoons table salt; 2 cups buttermilk , chilled

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted fluffy, rich biscuits with tangy buttermilk flavor, ingredients and steps that were easy to remember, and no messy counter to clean or dough scraps left over. For an extra-fluffy, superlight interior, we used low-protein cake flour along with baking powder and baking soda. We then pinched in bits of cold butter that melted in the dough during baking, producing steam that created a fluffy interior crumb. Adding 2 cups of buttermilk to the flour-butter mixture gave these biscuits their signature tangy flavor. Instead of rolling out the dough on a floured counter and stamping out the biscuits, we bucked tradition and tipped the dough directly into a buttered 8-inch square baking pan, skipping the counter (and mess) for a much faster method. We patted the dough with our floured hands to fill the pan, eliminating the dough waste created with stamped biscuits, and then cut the biscuit dough into squares in the pan with a greased bench scraper. A hot 450-degree oven ensured that the biscuits baked up tall, and a final brush with softened butter added more delicious buttery flavor for the crusty exterior to soak up.

Before You Begin

If you have leftover buttermilk, it can be frozen in ice cube trays, transferred to zipper-lock freezer bags, and frozen for up to a month. Upon thawing, the whey and the milk solids will separate; simply whisk the buttermilk back together before using it. We developed this recipe using Softasilk cake flour. This recipe can easily be doubled to yield 15 biscuits: Use a 13 by 9-inch baking pan and extend the baking time by about 15 minutes. We developed this recipe using a metal baking pan.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 8-inch square baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Cut 10 tablespoons butter into ½-inch pieces and freeze until chilled, about 15 minutes. Let remaining 1 tablespoon butter sit at room temperature to soften.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Add chilled butter to flour mixture and smash butter between your fingertips into pea-size pieces. Gently stir in buttermilk until no dry pockets of flour remain. Using rubber spatula, transfer dough to prepared pan.

Lightly sprinkle extra flour evenly over dough to prevent sticking. Using your floured hands, pat dough into even layer and into corners of pan. Using bench scraper sprayed with vegetable oil spray, cut dough into 9 equal squares (2 cuts by 2 cuts), but do not separate. Bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Let biscuits cool in pan for 5 minutes. Using thin metal spatula, slide biscuits onto wire rack. Brush tops with softened butter. Let cool for 10 minutes. Pull biscuits apart at cuts and serve warm.