Making Biscuits, non-Kitten Edition
Aug. 2nd, 2020 09:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Yogurt/Butter Biscuits.
12 Tbsp / 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, frozen
2 cups white flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt (I used 3/4 tsp)
3/4 cup whole-milk yogurt (I used house-made)
milk or beaten egg for brushing, optional
Freeze butter at least 1 hour. (I keep unused butter in the freezer anyway, so I just used that.) While butter is freezing, combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Heat oven to 450.
Shred butter using a large-holed grater. Add butter to flour mixture, tossing with your fingers to distribute evenly. (Try to do so swiftly to keep butter as cold as possible.) Slowly add yogurt a little bit at a time, folding dough onto itself using a rubber spatula. The dough will appear very dry with excess flour, but don't worry. (Thanks! That was totally true and I might have added more liquid, so I appreciate the warning.)
Transfer dough onto a clean work surface and form a pile. Press down on dough to flatten to 1/2" thick. Scoop up any unincorporated flour and place on top of dough. Fold dough in half, flattening again to 1/2" thickness. Repeat 6-8 more times until the dough seems hydrated enough to maintain its shape without coming apart.
Shape dough into a 1/2" thick square. Cut into nine equal squares with a bench scraper, trimming sides if desired to make a neat set. (I did not so desire.) Use a spatula to transfer biscuits to a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing them evenly. At this point the dough can be frozen for up to a month. Bake 15-20 minutes until the biscuits are puffed, golden-brown, and visibly layered.
What worked: These are quite possibly the best biscuits I've ever made. The rough-puff method produced flaky, layered, tender, and decadently rich biscuits. They didn't need any butter or jam - we ate them straight.
What didn't: A bit fussier to make than I usually like. They were rustic because I didn't bother trimming. They were a bit too close together on the rimmed tray and the toaster oven was on convection, so they were getting a bit browned after 16 minutes and I took them out. Some of them were a little soft in the middle.
They were better warm fresh out of the oven than at room temperature. (Still good, just not as.)
Will I make it again? Yes, although only when I want to show off or for a special occasion. Although the wife suggested using them as a base for strawberry shortcake, which is a fabulous idea and might well happen next homeowners' meeting.
12 Tbsp / 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, frozen
2 cups white flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt (I used 3/4 tsp)
3/4 cup whole-milk yogurt (I used house-made)
milk or beaten egg for brushing, optional
Freeze butter at least 1 hour. (I keep unused butter in the freezer anyway, so I just used that.) While butter is freezing, combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Heat oven to 450.
Shred butter using a large-holed grater. Add butter to flour mixture, tossing with your fingers to distribute evenly. (Try to do so swiftly to keep butter as cold as possible.) Slowly add yogurt a little bit at a time, folding dough onto itself using a rubber spatula. The dough will appear very dry with excess flour, but don't worry. (Thanks! That was totally true and I might have added more liquid, so I appreciate the warning.)
Transfer dough onto a clean work surface and form a pile. Press down on dough to flatten to 1/2" thick. Scoop up any unincorporated flour and place on top of dough. Fold dough in half, flattening again to 1/2" thickness. Repeat 6-8 more times until the dough seems hydrated enough to maintain its shape without coming apart.
Shape dough into a 1/2" thick square. Cut into nine equal squares with a bench scraper, trimming sides if desired to make a neat set. (I did not so desire.) Use a spatula to transfer biscuits to a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing them evenly. At this point the dough can be frozen for up to a month. Bake 15-20 minutes until the biscuits are puffed, golden-brown, and visibly layered.
What worked: These are quite possibly the best biscuits I've ever made. The rough-puff method produced flaky, layered, tender, and decadently rich biscuits. They didn't need any butter or jam - we ate them straight.
What didn't: A bit fussier to make than I usually like. They were rustic because I didn't bother trimming. They were a bit too close together on the rimmed tray and the toaster oven was on convection, so they were getting a bit browned after 16 minutes and I took them out. Some of them were a little soft in the middle.
They were better warm fresh out of the oven than at room temperature. (Still good, just not as.)
Will I make it again? Yes, although only when I want to show off or for a special occasion. Although the wife suggested using them as a base for strawberry shortcake, which is a fabulous idea and might well happen next homeowners' meeting.
