Butter Biscuits

These Butter Biscuits are a classic Southern staple, beloved for their flaky texture and rich, buttery flavor. Whether served alongside a hearty meal or enjoyed as a standalone treat, these biscuits are sure to delight your taste buds. Follow these simple steps to create homemade biscuits that will impress your family and friends.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (packed)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup salted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup milk (regular or buttermilk)

Instructions:

1. Preheat Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). This ensures that your oven is ready to bake the biscuits to golden perfection.
2. Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. If using self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and salt.
3. Incorporate Butter: Add the small pieces of salted butter to the dry ingredients. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. The butter should be pea-sized, evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
4. Add Milk: Pour the milk into the flour and butter mixture. Use a wooden spoon to gently incorporate the milk until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix, as this can result in tough biscuits. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.
5. Roll Out Dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a thickness of about ¾ inch. This thickness ensures that the biscuits will rise beautifully in the oven.
6. Cut Out Biscuits: Use a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut out individual biscuits from the rolled-out dough. Place each biscuit onto an ungreased cookie sheet or iron skillet, ensuring that the biscuits are touching each other. This helps them rise higher during baking.
7. Bake: Transfer the prepared biscuits to the preheated oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them to prevent overbrowning.
8. Serve: Once baked to perfection, remove the biscuits from the oven and serve them warm. Enjoy them with butter, jam, gravy, or any toppings of your choice.

Tips:

• Use Cold Butter: For flaky biscuits, ensure that the butter is cold before incorporating it into the flour mixture. This helps create layers in the biscuits as the butter melts during baking.
• Avoid Overmixing: Be careful not to overmix the dough, as this can result in tough biscuits. Mix the ingredients just until they come together to form a cohesive dough.
• Uniform Thickness: Roll the dough out to a uniform thickness to ensure that the biscuits bake evenly. This also helps them rise properly in the oven.
• Handle the Dough Gently: Handle the dough with care to prevent it from becoming tough. Avoid pressing down too firmly when cutting out the biscuits.
• Serve Warm: Butter biscuits are best enjoyed fresh from the oven while still warm and flaky. If serving later, reheat them briefly in the oven for that freshly baked taste.