Extra-flaky Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 15
• 4 1/2 cups lily all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter or 1/2 cup margarine or 1/2 cup shortening, cut into pieces
• 1 3/4-2 cups cold buttermilk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened to room temperature,cut into 1 tablespoon portions
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or 1 tablespoon margarine, melted,for brushing tops

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 450° (500° if using a convection oven).
• 2 line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 3 in bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
• 4 cut cold butter or shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
• 5 (mixture will resemble coarse crumbs, with no large chunks of butter.) if butter gets very soft at this point, refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
• 6 add 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, stirring just to moisten all ingredients.
• 7 dough should be soft and moist; add remaining 1/4 cup as needed.
• 8 turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead gently about 10 times, or just untl dough holds together.
• 9 roll or pat dough into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle.
• 10 with short side nearest you, spread top two-thirds of dough with 3 tablespoons soft butter, leaving bottom third, closest to you, unbuttered.
• 11 fold dough into thirds (like you would fold a letter) by pulling bottom third up over center and then pulling top third over middle.
• 12 turn dough so short side faces you.
• 13 pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle.
• 14 in same manner, spread again with 3 tablespoons soft butter and fold letter style.
• 15 turn once more in the same manner.
• 16 pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle; spread with remaining 3 tablespoons soft butter and fold up.
• 17 work quickly and gently so as not to overwork dough.
• 18 pat dough into rectangle 3/4-inch thick on floured surface.
• 19 cut into squares with a sharp chef's knife.
• 20 place on pan, 1 inch apart.
• 21 lightly brush tops with melted butter.
• 22 bake in center of hot oven about 20 minutes (about 12 minutes in convection), until golden brown and firm.
• 23 serve hot, warm or room temperature.