Fluffy Southern-Style Biscuits

You can never have enough recipes for biscuits, in my opinion. It’s always worth trying out a new batch of delicious flaky pillows of butter-filled dough. As we enter the holiday season, I’ve also incorporated some roasted sweet potatoes and a compound with warming spices and maple syrup. You can also make this recipe with a gluten-free cup for cup flour blend with minor adjustments.

When it comes to delicate tender biscuits, the type of flour and kneading procedure play a crucial role. Development of gluten comes from presence of protein. Gluten content gives doughs and breads elasticity as well as chewiness, these attributes are typically reserved for pastas, pizza doughs, and certain breads. In items like cakes, scones, and biscuits, you want a light tender crumb and you achieve this with a lower flour protein. Ideally fine pastry flour would be my go-to for a great biscuit, however unbleached all-purpose flour will yield a great product. Avoid bread flour or 00 flour as these have a higher amount of protein.

Kneading and working dough also causes gluten to develop, so when making things like biscuits & scones its best to avoid overworking the dough. The dough is mixed by hand with just enough liquid until it comes together. The light kneading process will prevent the biscuits from being dense or chewy. This recipe is also very moist once baked due to the addition of the sweet potatoes.

First, whisk together the dry ingredients in a wide bowl.

Cut the butter into small pea size cubes. I prefer this method over the grated method because I end up with smaller and larger chunks of butter marbled into the dough. This with provide flakiness. Chill the flour and butter together in the bowl before combining.

Once chilled, cut the butter into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry blender. The butter should be well distributed throughout the flour.

Add the buttermilk and sweet potato into the butter and flour mixture while gently stirring. Only add enough liquid so that the dough just starts to hold together. Chill for 5 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Press or roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickness and tri-fold the dough onto itself. Repeat this step once more, again the goal is to not knead or overwork the dough.

After the second folding, only press or roll the dough out to 1-inch thickness. Shape the mass like a rectangle and cut into 8 squares. I always cut my biscuits into squares to not waste any dough.

Place on a greased baking sheet and brush the tops of the biscuits with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky salt. Chill them once more before baking.

I start them in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. This prevents them from falling and spreading out too much and should result in a tall layered golden-brown biscuit.

For gluten-free flour, repeat the tri folding step 3 to 4 times in total. You don’t have to worry about overworking the dough as there is no gluten to develop.

Whip 1/2 stick room temperature butter with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix for a great compound butter to pair with the sweet potatoes.

Southern-Style Biscuits

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe

Yield: 8 biscuits 

Prep time: 30 minutes

Inactive time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

1 1/2 cup pastry or all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon each white sugar and brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 stick butter cut into small pieces (very cold)

3/4 cup buttermilk (cold)

1/2 cup roasted and diced sweet potato 

1 egg or 1/4 cup cream for egg wash

For the compound butter:

1/2 stick butter

2 tablespoons real maple syrup

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and  baking soda. 
3. Dice butter and add to the dry mix. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by hand and chill everything in the bowl for 5 to 10 minutes. 
4. Mix in the sweet potatoes and buttermilk 1/4 cup at a time until the dough mixture just holds together. Only add as much dairy as needed. 
5. Turn out onto a floured surface and press or roll flat to a 1/2 inch thickness. Tri-fold the dough and roll out again. Repeat the tri-fold but only roll or press out to an inch thick and shape into a rectangle. 
6. Cut into 8 equal squares and chill for 10 minutes on a greased baking sheet before baking. 
7. Brush with egg wash or cream. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes then reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue baking 10 to 15 minutes until biscuits are golden brown on top. 
8. Whip room temp butter, maple, and pumpkin spice for the compound butter and serve with the biscuits. 

If you want to learn more about baking or gluten-free pastries, The Chopping Block has plenty of classes coming up in the new year. And of course, we have plenty of holiday baking classes coming up in December including one designed for the whole family: 

• Hands-On Holiday Treats Workshop Saturday, December 9 10am
• Hands-On Holiday Treats Workshop Saturday, December 16 10am
• Hands-On Festive Family Baking Saturday, December 23 10am