Buttermilk Biscuit Mix

Mid-July. The apartment has been the apartment for eleven days. The kitchen is mostly set up. The basil clipping I had taken from Mama’s house in a small jar of water has rooted in a windowsill pot. The cast iron skillet I had bought at Goodwill in 2017 is on the small wooden peg-rack Dustin had built and mounted to the wall above the stovetop Saturday afternoon. The cast iron from Mama (the Lodge twelve-inch Mama gave me as a moving-out present) is on the bottom shelf of the cabinet next to the stove.

Sunday I made buttermilk biscuit mix because Mama had asked me last Wednesday during her shift-break phone call whether I could send her a mason jar of the mix I had developed in 2018 for her own household. The mix is a make-ahead dry-ingredients-pre-mixed pantry staple that lets the cook scoop two cups of mix, add buttermilk, and have biscuits on the table in fifteen minutes without having to measure flour and baking powder and salt and butter each time.

The mix: four cups of all-purpose flour, two tablespoons of baking powder, one teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of sugar, all whisked together in a bowl. One cup of cold cubed butter cut into the dry mix with a pastry cutter or two forks until the butter is in pea-sized pieces distributed evenly through the flour. The mix gets transferred to a Mason jar or covered container, refrigerated, used within two weeks. I made a double batch Sunday afternoon — one quart-jar for the apartment, one for Mama. I drove Mama’s jar over to Broken Arrow Sunday afternoon and dropped it on her front porch with a small note. She texted me at four PM: thank you, baby.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 22 min | Servings: 12 biscuits

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk (plus more as needed)
2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

Make the dry mix. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly combined. This dry mix can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 6 weeks — make a double or triple batch so you’re always ready.
Cut in the butter. When you’re ready to bake, work the cold butter cubes into the dry mix using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter throughout. Cold butter is the secret to flaky layers — don’t rush this step.
Add the buttermilk. Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir gently with a fork just until the dough comes together. It should be shaggy and slightly sticky — do not overwork it or the biscuits will be tough.
Shape the biscuits. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat (don’t roll) to about 3/4-inch thickness. Fold the dough over itself once or twice for extra layers, then pat back to 3/4 inch. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, pressing straight down without twisting.
Arrange and bake. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet with sides just touching for soft edges, or spaced apart for crispier sides. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden on top and cooked through.
Brush and serve. Brush biscuits with another pass of melted butter straight out of the oven. Serve warm — in a Tupperware if you’re driving them to the hospital, or straight off the pan if you’re lucky enough to be home.

Nutrition (per serving)

Buttermilk Biscuit Mix — A Make-Ahead Pantry Staple for the New Kitchen