TFF - Buttermilk Biscuits

I have to confess something. I've never kneaded anything in my entire life. Shameful but true. Never made parathas or rotis from scratch, never made any kind of bread that required kneading and rolling out. Probably because I had one bad episode when I was a budding young thing. Under my mom's directions I was trying to knead my first dough for rotis, and the results were so awful that I've been traumatized ever since! But the last few months have been about overcoming my hesitancy and fears, one tiny step at a time. So today I thought I'd conquer the big, bad world of Buttermilk Biscuits. Mainly because I had a lot of buttermilk left over from when I made that Luxe Red Velvet Cheesecake.

I must say, I'm on a roll with Tyler Florence's recipes! I've found yet another one to love! It's a big deal when you find someone who you can count on for no-fail numminess everytime. I started this biscuit recipe out with a lot of trepidation, but I'm beyond happy with the results. I think I devoured one straight out of the oven, and I'm not even ashamed of it! Mmmmm tender, flaky, buttery goodness.

My Personal Best Buttermilk Biscuits (courtesy of Tyler Florence, with some minor changes)
Makes 6 biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable shortening/butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions
1. Keep your butter/shortening pieces chilled in the freezer for 10 mins, while you preheat the oven to 400 F. Keeping the butter really cold is key!

2. In the meantime, combine dry ingredients together with a fork or in the food processor. Cut in the shortening/butter (using a pastry blender OR 6-8 pulses of your food processor) until mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbs. I was too scared to over-process the butter in my food processor, so after a couple of pulses I took the mixture out, and used two butter knives to cut the butter in.

3. Add buttermilk. Quickly fold dry ingredients into buttermilk with a spatula, then your hands, until a sticky dough forms. Chill it in the fridge for 5-10 mins.

4. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Gently fold the dough over itself 3 or 4 times to create layers. Roll dough out to 3/4-inch thick. DON'T knead it too much. Cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter OR into squares with a sharp knife. Transfer dough pieces to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Chill again for 5 mins.

5. Make a dimple in the center to help the top rise evenly. Brush with butter (I used milk and it didn't make a difference). Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool for 5 mins on a rack.

Verdict: I'm much more comfortable about kneading and rolling now. These biscuits are perfect for an evening snack or even for breakfast. Just cut them in half and schmear them with your favorite jam. I had fresh blackberries on hand, so made a quick compote and used that. But these are great just plain as well. You'll think to yourself "I'll only take a tiny bite, to taste", and the next thing you know, the whole thing will be gone and you'll be licking the crumbs off your fingers with glee! And if you're anything like me, you'll be scheming to find another excuse to eat two more before DH shows up.

I'm submitting this right away to Tyler Florence Fridays for their weekly roundup.