Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits With Soul

My soul food is buttermilk biscuits.  I’ve heard people say, 

“that a good buttermilk biscuit is light as a Georgia “r” and as flaky as the paint on the west side of my house.” 

A good biscuit sops gravy without crumbling and holds molasses like a teaspoon.  My biscuits aren’t quite that perfect, yet.  But, like all biscuit snobs, I would rather do without rather than eat an inferior biscuit.  

My Granny was a petite lady of Jamaican descent who made the lightest, moistest, most delicious bites of heaven that have ever crossed my lips.  I cannot recall ever being able to eat just one biscuit.  She didn’t have the fancy kitchen gadgets from Sur La Table that I have at my fingertips.  My Granny made everything by hand.  In fact, she was left-handed, and back then most appliances and gadgets weren’t made to accommodate lefties.  

My Granny’s five-foot stature was a pure powerful force wrapped in love.  She had a tiny frame with large breasts.  I was so envious because I was tall and skinny with tiny everything except feet.  Her hair was thick and jet black which complimented her most beautiful silky milk chocolate completion.  Everything that I wasn’t and didn’t have.  I had oily skin, curly light brown hair, and no physical grace.  She was easy going and soft-spoken.  I cannot remember her ever raising her voice.  

Granny was a devout member of the Baptist Church where she attended all her life.  She was raised in the culture that worshiped voodoo in Jamaica, but she despised and denounced voodoo.   She was an excellent seamstress, respected nurse, dutiful wife, and loving mother.  Although she was never recognized as such, she was an extraordinary cook.  

I thought everything about my Granny was boring until my grandfather died.  She somehow came alive.  Granny began to travel with her friends and spent so much time away from the farm that I couldn’t imagine what she could be up to.   I started spending more time getting to know her as a person and not as the just the best-fried chicken and biscuit maker in the world.  I discovered that she was fun and smart and brave.  My Granny was someone that all women could look up to.

Since the quarantine, I have upped my biscuit game to an epic level.  I've enjoyed buttermilk biscuits plain, on their own, just peeling away layer after layer as the moist buttery texture melts away in my mouth.  On occasion, a made from scratch biscuit should be the main character of the breakfast sandwich.  A tall, flaky, fluffy buttermilk biscuit with a smear of softened butter and strawberry jam is what my Sunday morning dreams are made.

Buttermilk Biscuits

INGREDIENTS:

 2½ cups all-purpose flour

 2 tablespoons baking powder

 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

 1 teaspoon salt

 ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes

 1 cup cold buttermilk

 ¼ cup unsalted butter(melted, for brushing)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Using a pastry blender (or two knives or your fingertips), quickly cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.

Using a rubber spatula or fork, stir in the buttermilk until the mixture forms a soft, slightly sticky ball.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and quickly form into a rough square. Be careful not to overmix. Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough letter-style into thirds, then lightly pat the dough back out into another 1-inch rectangle. Try to handle the dough as quickly and lightly as possible. Repeat the folding 2 more times; after the final fold, press or lightly roll the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle.

Using a 2½-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out the dough rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. Pat and roll the remaining scraps to cut out more rounds. Brush with the melted butter and bake until the biscuit tops are light golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Brush with additional butter immediately, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. The biscuits are best served the day they are made, however leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes.