Tall and Fluffy Mile-High Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
55 minutes
Yield
Makes 12 biscuits
Ingredients
Dough
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 ½ ounces/213 grams)½ cup whole-wheat flour (2 ½ ounces/71 grams)1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon baking soda 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into ¼-inch cubes1 ½ cups buttermilk cold, preferably low-fatTo Form and Finish Biscuits
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces/142 grams), distributed in rimmed baking sheet2 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedBefore You Begin
We prefer to use low-fat buttermilk in these biscuits, but nonfat buttermilk will work as well (though the biscuits will be a little lighter in texture and flavor). For the highest rise, use a double-acting baking powder, such as Calumet, Clabber Girl, or Davis. Store leftover biscuits in an airtight zipper-lock bag. Reheat by placing them on a baking sheet in a 475-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Generously spray inside and outside of 1/4 cup dry measure with nonstick cooking spray.
- For the dough: In food processor, pulse flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda to combine, about six 1-second pulses. Scatter butter cubes evenly over dry ingredients; pulse until mixture resembles pebbly, coarse cornmeal, eight to ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add buttermilk to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated (dough will be very wet and slightly lumpy).
- To form and bake biscuits:Using 1/4 cup dry measure and working quickly, scoop level amount of dough; drop dough from measuring cup into flour on baking sheet (if dough sticks to cup, use small spoon to pull it free). Repeat with remaining dough, forming 12 evenly sized mounds. Dust tops of each piece of dough with flour from baking sheet. With floured hands, gently pick up piece of dough and coat with flour; gently shape dough into rough ball, shake off excess flour, and place in prepared cake pan. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging 9 rounds around perimeter of cake pan and 3 in center. Brush rounds with hot melted butter, taking care not to flatten them. Bake 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees; continue to bake until biscuits are deep golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert biscuits from pan onto clean kitchen towel; turn biscuits right-side up and break apart. Cool 5 minutes longer and serve.
Time
55 minutesYield
Makes 12 biscuitsIngredients
Dough
To Form and Finish Biscuits
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Dough
To Form and Finish Biscuits
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Dough
To Form and Finish Biscuits
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To create a rustic buttermilk biscuit recipe that would produce extra-fluffy, moist, tender rolls with crisp, golden-brown tops, we tried lard, vegetable shortening, and butter, both separately and in combination. The biscuits made with lard or shortening were bland compared with the richly flavored all-butter biscuits. A few more tests showed that the best way to add the butter to the dough was to combine it—chilled straight from the refrigerator—with the dry ingredients in a food processor. Knowing that steam contributed to the high rise of the biscuits (moisture in the dough converts to steam in the oven, causing the biscuits to swell), we experimented with oven temperature. Five minutes at 500 degrees followed by 15 minutes at 450 degrees maximized the rise from the steam.
Before You Begin
We prefer to use low-fat buttermilk in these biscuits, but nonfat buttermilk will work as well (though the biscuits will be a little lighter in texture and flavor). For the highest rise, use a double-acting baking powder, such as Calumet, Clabber Girl, or Davis. Store leftover biscuits in an airtight zipper-lock bag. Reheat by placing them on a baking sheet in a 475-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Generously spray inside and outside of 1/4 cup dry measure with nonstick cooking spray.
- For the dough: In food processor, pulse flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda to combine, about six 1-second pulses. Scatter butter cubes evenly over dry ingredients; pulse until mixture resembles pebbly, coarse cornmeal, eight to ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add buttermilk to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated (dough will be very wet and slightly lumpy).
- To form and bake biscuits:Using 1/4 cup dry measure and working quickly, scoop level amount of dough; drop dough from measuring cup into flour on baking sheet (if dough sticks to cup, use small spoon to pull it free). Repeat with remaining dough, forming 12 evenly sized mounds. Dust tops of each piece of dough with flour from baking sheet. With floured hands, gently pick up piece of dough and coat with flour; gently shape dough into rough ball, shake off excess flour, and place in prepared cake pan. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging 9 rounds around perimeter of cake pan and 3 in center. Brush rounds with hot melted butter, taking care not to flatten them. Bake 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees; continue to bake until biscuits are deep golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert biscuits from pan onto clean kitchen towel; turn biscuits right-side up and break apart. Cool 5 minutes longer and serve.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
0 Comments