By The children called — all of them, on Sunday, the way Gutierrez children call: Luis Jr. from Fort Bliss (still serving, still steady), Isabella from the hospital (between shifts, between babies), Sofia from the bakery (between orders), Diego from wherever he is building (between bridges), Camila from the high school (between songs). Five calls. Five lives. One Sunday. One caldo de res on the stove, waiting for whoever comes for dinner.
Five calls, five lives — and by the time the last one hung up, the caldo had been simmering for two hours and I still hadn’t made the bread. That’s the thing about a Sunday pot: it waits, but it also asks for something alongside it. I’ve been making these gluten-free biscuits for a few years now, ever since Sofia stopped eating wheat, and they’ve become as much a part of the Sunday rhythm as the calls themselves — quick to mix, quick to bake, gone before the bowls are even cleared.
Gluten-Free Biscuits
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 10 biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (with xanthan gum)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar until evenly combined.
- Cut in the butter. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Cold butter is what makes the layers.
- Add the buttermilk. Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir gently with a fork just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix — the dough will be slightly shaggy.
- Shape the biscuits. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured (gluten-free flour) surface and pat it out to about 3/4-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Re-pat scraps and cut remaining biscuits.
- Brush and bake. Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, sides touching for softer edges or spaced apart for crispier ones. Brush tops lightly with buttermilk. Bake for 13—15 minutes, until risen and golden on top.
- Serve warm. Transfer to a cloth-lined basket and serve immediately alongside soup, stew, or whatever is waiting on the stove.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 290mg