Flaky buttermilk biscuits

The layers come from cold butter and folds, not from a long knead. If the butter melts into the flour before the biscuits hit the oven, you get a cake, not a flake. Keep the buttermilk cold, and if the kitchen is hot, chill the cut biscuits for 10 minutes before baking.

226 g of all-purpose flour is a scant 2 cups when the flour is spooned and leveled. Check the flour conversion if you are working from a cup measure that came out heavy. The butter is one stick, 113 g. See butter in cups if your block is a 250 g European one.

Buttermilk is doing two jobs

The acid wakes up the baking soda, and the thickness keeps the dough from turning to batter. 180 g is about 3/4 cup. No buttermilk in the fridge? The buttermilk substitute of milk plus a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar works in biscuits, but the dough will be slightly softer. Add the flour a spoon at a time until it holds together. Do not pour in extra flour until the dough is a paste.

Cutting and baking

Twist the cutter and you seal the edges. The biscuit then rises from the middle and splits. Press straight down, then lift. Bake them touching so the sides stay soft and the tops brown. Pull them when the tops are a deep gold, not pale. They are best the hour they come out. Reheat leftovers at 180°C for 5 minutes.