Honey Buttermilk Biscuits

By: Mike Johnson, excerpted from Simple Small-Batch Baking

By: Mike Johnson, excerpted from Simple Small-Batch Baking

I have become a total biscuit snob. They have to be just rightcrisp on the outside, and fluffy and flaky on the inside. The baking powder flavor cant be overpowering, and they have to be buttery and melt-in-your-mouth tender. These Honey Buttermilk Biscuits are both delicious and versatile. You can serve them alongside dinner, make them into breakfast sandwiches, or turn them into strawberry shortcakes.

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Makes6 Biscuits

Cooking Time45 min

Ingredients

For the Biscuits
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoon (22 g) baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2/3 cup + 2 tbsp (190 ml) buttermilk, cold and divided
1/2 tablespoon (10 g) honey
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
For the Honey Butter Glaze
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tablespoon (10 g) honey
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside the pan.
To make the biscuits, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add the butter, tossing the cubes through the flour until each individual piece is well coated. Working quickly, using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of walnut halves.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add ⅔ cup + 1 tablespoon (175 ml) of the buttermilk and the honey. Using a silicone spatula, fold everything to combine the ingredients, until the dough begins to come together. Be careful not to overwork the dough! It will be shaggy and crumbly with some wet spots.
Pour the dough and any dry crumbles onto a floured work surface, and gently bring them together, using generously floured hands. The dough will become sticky as you bring it together. Have extra flour nearby, and use it often to flour your hands and your work surface, so that nothing sticks.
Using a rolling pin or floured hands, roll out/flatten the dough into a ¾-inch (2-cm)-thick rectangle (the exact size doesn’t matter, just the thickness). Brush off any excess flour with a dry pastry brush, then fold the dough into thirds like a letter. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, and gently roll out/flatten it into a ¾-inch (2-cm)-thick rectangle and repeat the folding. Repeat the rotating, rolling, and folding process one more time.
Flatten the dough into a ¾-inch (2-cm)-thick rectangle approximately 9 x 5–inches (23 x 13–cm), and trim a thin border around the sides of the dough to create clean edges. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into a 3 x 2 grid to make six biscuits. Place the biscuits close together, about ½ inch (1.3 cm) apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of buttermilk, and sprinkle the tops with the turbinado sugar. Bake the biscuits for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
While the biscuits are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, stir together the butter, honey, and salt until combined. Once you remove the biscuits from the oven, carefully brush the tops with the honey butter, and serve them warm. Cover leftovers tightly, and store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.