Buttermilk Biscuits

Story

No story here. They were just a common, welcome side. No matter how many there were, they would be eaten.

History

Buttermilk biscuits trace their roots to British colonial foodways, but their modern form crystallized through Scottish immigration. When Scottish settlers arrived in North Carolina and the Carolinas during the 1700s and early 1800s, they brought the tradition of baking scones—a staple bread of Scotland. These immigrants found the American South's warm climate ideal for growing soft winter wheat and abundant dairy from local herds, furnishing the two key ingredients that would transform Scottish scones into something distinctly American. Colonial cooks initially beat unleavened dough for hours to incorporate air, but the 1800s brought chemical leavening agents (baking soda in 1846, baking powder in 1856), which made the method practical for home cooks. The decisive shift came around 1900, when Church & Co. (Arm & Hammer) published recipes advising housewives to pair buttermilk—a byproduct of butter-making already abundant on Southern farms—with baking soda to create fluffy, tender biscuits. From Southern Appalachia, the recipe migrated downward and eastward into the coastal Low Country, where Savannah became a stronghold of biscuit tradition. Today, buttermilk biscuits remain inseparable from Savannah's identity, a daily presence at breakfast tables and a cornerstone of the region's hospitality.

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 0.25 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 0.75 cup cold buttermilk
• 1 tbsp melted butter for brushing the tops after baking

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in the butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You want some pea-sized pieces of butter to remain—those little pockets of fat are what create the flaky layers as they melt in the oven.
4. Add the buttermilk: Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the dough starts to pull together. The dough will look a bit shaggy. Do not overmix.
5. Fold for flaky layers: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it out into a rough rectangle. Fold one half of the dough over the other, then gently press it down again. Repeat this folding process 3 or 4 times. This builds the distinct, pull-apart layers in the final biscuit.
6. Cut the biscuits: Gently pat the dough down until it is about 1-inch thick. Use a floured biscuit cutter (or the floured rim of a glass) to press straight down into the dough. Crucial tip: Do not twist the cutter. Twisting seals the edges of the dough and prevents the biscuits from rising high. Gather any remaining scraps, gently press them back together, and cut out the rest of the biscuits.
7. Bake: Place the biscuits on your prepared baking sheet. If you like soft edges, place them so they are just touching; if you prefer crispier edges, space them about an inch apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are a rich golden brown.
8. Finish and serve: Remove from the oven and, if you like, immediately brush the hot tops with a little melted butter. Serve warm!