Ali Bakes: No-Bowl Buttermilk Biscuits

Mmmm!  Biscuits.

Yesterday was an occasion for biscuits.  Not because it was a holiday.  Not because it was Sunday.  But because the last time Brian's brother Dan came over for dinner, I was supposed to make breakfast biscuits.  That didn't happen (pancake shenanigans occupied my time), so yesterday was an occasion for biscuits.

Chicken and biscuits, to be exact.

Of course, Brian was in charge of the chicken.  The 'fried chicken tenders.'  Those were a hit, so props to Brian!

My biscuits were a bit of an experiment (as are most of my kitchen creations).  Yes, I've made biscuits before, but the below recipe was deemed 'No-Bowl' Buttermilk Biscuits.  I take that title seriously, meaning that I even mixed the dry ingredients on my countertop!  I modified the recipe below to state that the dry ingredients should be mixed in a bowl, though my countertop method did work...it was just a little awkward.

The biscuits were pretty good!  I would probably leave them in the oven a tad longer and possibly add more melted butter and salt after they come out of the oven, but they were fun to make on the counter for-sure.

Give it a shot and make any day an occasion for biscuits!

  

No-Bowl Buttermilk Biscuits

*adapted from InspiredTaste.net

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbs very cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup very cold shaken buttermilk, plus more as needed
Extra melted butter and flaky salt

 

Instructions:

Heat oven to 450ºF and grease a baking sheet.  Place the butter in the freezer for five minutes so that it’s thoroughly chilled.  In the meantime, sift or whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and then dump the mixture into a mound on your clean countertop.  (DO NOT CLEAN WITH CLEANING SPRAY.  The biscuits will have chemicals mixed in from the spray.  Soap and water only, please!)

Cut the butter into large, thin pieces and lay them on top of the mound of flour. Flip the butter in the flour so that it’s well coated.

Press the butter slices down and away from you into the flour with the heal of your hands. Then, use a pastry scraper to scrape up the pressed butter and flip it over onto the top of the mound.

Continue to press and scrape until the butter turns into thin flakes pressed into the flour, which should happen after about two minutes.  Once you see more butter flakes than loose flour, use the pastry scraper to cut the flakes up so that you end up with an assortment of small flakes (similar to the look of large rolled oats) and some crumbs.

Make a well in the middle of the mound, then pour in the cold buttermilk.  Using a fork, gently work the buttermilk into the flour mixture until a very loose dough forms.  (If the dough seems too dry, add an extra splash of buttermilk.)

Scrape up the dough with the pastry scraper and fold it over itself a few times until it comes together into a scraggly dough.  Use your fingers (powdered with flour) to gather it into a ball then roll it out.  Use a round biscuit cutter or cup to cut out the biscuits.  Re-roll dough as many

times as necessary.

  

Reduce the oven to 425ºF.  Arrange the biscuits about 1 inch from each other on the baking sheet (two baking sheets may be necessary).  Bake the biscuits until doubled in size and light golden brown on top, about 10 minutes.

Brush the tops of hot biscuits with a little melted butter and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Enjoy warm and fresh from the oven!