Flaky Biscuits

By á-1088

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, , cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening or 3 tablespoons chilled lard
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk ( , or regular milk if desired)

Preparation

Step 1

Place a rack in the center of your oven, Pre heat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix first dry ingredients in a large bowl or in the food processor fitted with steel blade.

Add cold butter and shortening; with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or in the food processor), mix or process butter and shortening into dry ingredients, until the mixture resembles dry oatmeal.

If using a food processor, transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Stir in milk with a rubber spatula or fork until dry ingredients are just moistened.

Let dough rest for 1 minute, then dump it on a floured work surface.

Gently Roll the dough into a rough 6-by-10-inch rectangle 1/2-inch thick.

With a knife cut rectangle three times across and five times down to form 15, 2"x2" rectangular biscuits.

Place dough 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet; brush dough tops with melted butter or milk.

Bake until biscuits are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Cool left overs, wrap with plastic wrap and freeze as soon as possible.

NOTE.
There's two things to remember when making biscuits.
-Keepthings cold so the butter does not melt.
The process of cutting the butter into the flour actually coats the flour with a light layer of grease to prevent it from absorbing liquid and creating gluten-- which will make the product tough and more bread like.
If the butter starts to get soft while working it into the flour then refrigerate the batch for 20 mins before going on.
-Workfast and gently.
Only mix as much as necessary to do the job.
Over working dough develops gluten.