Baking Powder Biscuits

By CheeseDiva

Biscuits make one think of farmhouse kitchens, enormous country breakfasts, and hot soups and stews, fare for the working man. They're unbelievably easy to make, bake in minutes and, if we slow our lives down enough to enjoy them with a leisurely breakfast, savory supper, or cup of afternoon tea, we'll be carrying on a tradition worth keeping.

Baking gluten-free? For great results, substitute King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for the all-purpose flour in this recipe; no other changes are needed.

Ingredients

• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup milk (use whole milk for the most tender biscuits)*
• See "tips," below.

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Mix together the dry ingredients. With two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips, cut or rub the butter in until the mixture looks like bread crumbs.

Add the milk all at once, mixing quickly and gently for about 20 seconds until you have a soft dough.

Pat the dough into a rectangle about 3/4" thick. Fold it into thirds like a letter and roll gently with a floured rolling pin until the dough is 3/4" thick again.

Cut into circles with a biscuit cutter for traditional round biscuits. Or, to avoid leftover dough scraps, cut the dough into squares or diamonds with a bench knife or bowl scraper. Brush the tops of the biscuits with milk, to enhance browning.

Bake the biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes, until they're lightly browned. Remove them from the oven, and serve warm.

Store any leftover biscuits, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage. Biscuits are always best when they're rewarmed before serving.