START TO FINISH: 45 minutes
MAKES: 10 biscuits
This is our adaptation of the crisp-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside biscuits made by Sarah Dodge at 8ARM in Atlanta. They’re great alongside hearty soups and stews, and are big and sturdy enough to split and fill with crisp bacon and a fried egg for a savory breakfast-for-supper sandwich. We found that unbleached cake flour worked best to get the texture we were after; King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill are two widely available brands. A good substitute is 455 grams (3½ cups) all-purpose flour mixed with 33 grams (¼ cup) cornstarch. Avoid bleached cake flour, the type of cake flour sold in most supermarkets—it yielded bland biscuits with poor texture. High-fat butter, such as Plugra, gave the biscuits an especially rich flavor, but they were perfectly delicious made with regular butter.
Don’t forget to freeze the butter before making the dough. If the butter softens as the dough is processed and handled, the biscuits won’t rise well. If your kitchen is warm or if the butter begins to soften, place the dough in the refrigerator for a few minutes to cool. When stamping out the biscuits, press the cutter straight down through the dough. Don’t twist.
1¼ cups buttermilk, chilled
¼ cup heavy cream, chilled
20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) salted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, plus 2 tablespoons melted
480 grams (4 cups) unbleached cake flour (see note), plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with kitchen parchment. In a small bowl or 2-cup liquid measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk and cream. Refrigerate until needed. Put the cubed butter on a plate and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
In a food processor, process the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 10 seconds. Scatter in the butter and pulse until the pieces are about ¼ inch, about 15 pulses. Transfer to a large bowl. Pour in the buttermilk mixture, then use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms and no powdery flour bits remain.
Turn the dough out onto a counter lightly dusted with flour. Using your hands and working quickly, gently knead the dough just until cohesive, about 5 times. Pat into a 6-by-11-inch rectangle about 1¼ inches thick. Using a 2½-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 8 biscuits. Gently knead the remaining dough to bring it together, pat it into a 1¼-inch-thick round and cut out 2 more biscuits. Evenly space the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Discard the scraps. Refrigerate on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter. Bake until well risen and deep golden brown, 12 to 16 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm.