← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tbsp Baking powder
• ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 115 g very cold unsalted butter, diced or grated
• 240 ml cold buttermilk
• 1 tbsp butter, melted, for brushing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 230°C (450°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Rub or cut in the cold butter until most pieces are the size of small peas.
3. Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Don’t overmix.
4. Tip onto a floured surface and pat into a rectangle about 2 cm thick. Fold it in thirds like a letter, pat out again and repeat twice more to build layers.
5. Pat to 2.5 cm thick and cut rounds with a floured 6 cm cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Set them on the tray just touching so they rise tall.
6. Bake for 12–14 min, until risen and golden. Brush with melted butter and serve warm.

Tips

• Twisting the cutter seals the edges and stops the biscuits from rising, so press straight down and lift.
• No buttermilk? Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice into 240 ml milk and let it sit for 5 min.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

King Arthur Baking Once Upon a Chef Jo Cooks