I have yet to make a successful loaf of sourdough bread with my own starter, but I have used the starter successfully for waflles and now this recipe - Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits. OH-MY-LANTA! I will keep my sourdough starter even if I NEVER make sourdough bread. (Just not a huge fan of the strong sourdough flavor in the bread.) Trying some different recipes there, but I will make these biscuits again and again. Calling them biscuits almost seems to be a sin because they are so different from the pillowy clouds (almost like yeast rolls) my husband's momma makes. Still, these little beasties are beautiful and I didn't even need butter on them - absolutely delectable! Ate them with a pot of red beans for lunch today. It's a keeper!
Make them lighter by using a soft winter wheat flour if you can find it. Here is the south, biscuits are their own food group. White Lily is my go to. Now, I have used another sourdough starter recipe which had no buttermilk in it. They were superb. I agree that buttermilk should always be in the fridge. Thanks for sharing your recipe and enthusiasm.
I just discovered you had come off your hiatus and have been binge watching all the videos you have released over the last few months. And then while I was doing that, this video dropped. Your buttermilk biscuit recipe from the now 12 year old video has been my go-to for years since it is so easy and delicious. I can't wait to try this updated version out. But I might just have to make your sourdough cinnamon rolls first!
Thank you for this. I just made them. I’m a first time making biscuits from scratch baker and my husband is still raving about them. My fondest memory of my grandma is sitting at her kitchen table with her making biscuits in an omelet pan and these are the closest I’ve ever come to the same taste and texture of her biscuits. ❤
Was in the military for ten years. My nose always itched standing at attention. It was so funny one time in basic training I got hollered at by the TI. Never understood why noses are like that. No itch until you can’t scratch. lol
I have never been able to homemake biscuits or pie crust. It’s just something I can’t do. I was like eh Ben’s recipes haven’t failed me yet, let’s try. OMG these are the most delicious, fluffy, crispy, buttery, sourdough-y biscuits I’ve ever had. And so easy to make! Thanks again Ben.
Great recipe. Love it with buttermilk AND sourdough starter. The second time I made them, because of lack of room, I added a bit more buttermilk and did drop biscuits. Not too bad. Had to add a few baking minutes. Tasted as wonderful . Just a bit different. Thank you. Ben.
Made the biscuits & they are delicious!! They’re a little more savory (bc of the starter) than regular buttermilk biscuits.. I’d say if we want them more like regular breakfast biscuits, just add 2 Tbsp of sugar or honey. Of course adding honey will make a slightly softer texture but we get the benefits of honey so not a bad thing. I made biscuits & gravy exactly as the recipe says and they were sooo yummy. But we like less sweetness so that works for us. If it was biscuits for butter & jelly or honey drizzle I would add the sugar or honey to the wet ingredients and mix together with the dry. This is an amazing way to use up discarded starter when we make a little too much 😂😂
I have learned a great deal from you so thank you very much. I also watched the entire second season of Master Chef because you were in it. I was bummed when you left but you made it a long way! And look what you’ve done since then! You’re the bomb diggity 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
These were AMAZING! Thanks so much for your videos. I'm hooked :) ......I made pork chops with lemon caper sauce and served the mini biscuits (yes, round) :) side by side with the chops and drizzled the sauce over the biscuits.....OMG
Great recipe and tutorial. I love Cracker Barrel biscuits... at 6am. The rest of the day they are pitiful! You got that right, biscuits should be eaten right out of the oven.
Ha ha ha... My parents raised me to serve in Congress, but my life had other plans for me. Little brother is a Federal judge. Uncle Ken was politically famous/infamous depending on who you vote for. We're a public speaking family!
Happy Mother's Day just got done making these the right way lol last time i messed up but this time you are right best biscuits on planet earth TY TY TY :) Also reheating in air fryer for biscuits is the best 400°F for 5 minutes and the crispy crust comes back to life :)
I’ve been looking for a sourdough biscuits recipe- thank you ! It may take a little longer, but when I broke the handle on my pastry blender, I improvised and found a pizza cutter slices right through the butter and acts like a spatula to gently mix the ingredients…
My Mom was "The Queen" of making biscuits... I did not inherit her abilities!!! LOL These look wonderful. I'm going to give them a go.... wish me luck!! 🙃
Thank you so much for this recipe and for your invaluable techniques, Mr. Ben ! Questions : I always think (buttermilk) biscuits and scones are close cousins, 1) can you explain their major differences and similarities ? ; and 2) can we also use sourdough starter (discard [?] ) in scones and thus upgrade them ?
The ONLY difference between American biscuits and English scones are that scones have sugar in the mix...and sometimes additions, like currants. They are also typically shaped differently, but there are plenty of round scones baked in the UK. I have a very old video on scones, if you care to dig through the annals of my channel. As I recall, it was made during the Royal Wedding and I'm wearing a fascinator of some sort...
Not sure what I did wrong. First time was heaven Starr. Absolutely nailed it. Superstarr dad points from kids and wifey. I tried again this weekend but it had strong salt taste plus baking powder taste which is unrecoverable. Sad. Interestingly, first time I was low on flour and usuplimented half pancake mix. Otherwise identical procedure. Thoughts anyone? To be clear, with half pancake mix was better. I'm pretty sure Pancake mix has baking powder so it would have been even more baking powder the first time.
Hey Ben! I have a question. If I want to prep these and bake them later would I cut them and then place them in the fridge? Then when I’m ready I preheat the oven and take them out and place them in the oven? Thank you! Love your videos!
No, they overhydrate in the fridge, the gluten gets overdeveloped, and they end up tough. Slice them and immediately freeze them. Then put them in a ziploc bag. They can go straight into the oven. BUT...they will NEVER rise like they do baking them immediately.
I was on the road for a month. Now I'm back and editing like crazy. Unfortunately, the next few videos are remakes. I need better quality core videos for simple sourdough, starter, and troubleshooting. The quality on my core videos is so awful. After that, The World's Best Waffles, Sourdough Bagels, and a pizza masterclass.
I made this recipe for biscuits and gravy....oh my my they are phenomenal! (as are the other recipes I have tried so far) My only question is......can you make the biscuit dough up and freeze it for a week and then thaw, cut and bake and they still be ok?
I go ahead and cut the raw biscuits and freeze them. Then I keep them in a ziploc. That way they can go straight from the freezer into the preheated oven.
Hi Ben! Just discovered you. At first I found you annoying (making me listen to your lecture on not making my own “buttermilk” which Ive done many times, and having to watch your highly technical hand drawn diagrams, lol). I must say that after watching you and trying out your recipes you have hands-down won me over. I am hooked! Honestly, this is my first time working with sourdough and other chefs make the process so complicated it takes the joy out of it! Thank you for your humor and for your collection of hats, and for explaining the science behind everything you do. Today I am trying the SD biscuit recipe and Id like to know if I make and cut out the dough (you convinced me to buy the damn circle cutters by the way…..no squares here!) could I then freeze them unbaked? Then I could take them out and bake them when needed. Would this recipe work well for that purpose and what temperature and time would you recommend when baking straight out of the freezer? Thank you again, Im brand new to your channel and appreciate your awesome and entertaining videos. Laura in Arizona
Hey, Laura! I'm glad I migrated from annoying to entertaining. Ha ha ha... I haven't ever frozen these biscuits before, but I'm pretty sure they'll be fine, you just won't get QUITE as high a rise. Bake them STRAIGHT from the freezer at 425F. Don't thaw them. The longer they sit at temps below freezing, the more the flour hydrates, which develops the gluten structure, leading to tough biscuits.
Not sure a sourdough croissant recipe will be forthcoming. Croissants are QUITE complicated, and my audience is tuning in for EASY. I typically leave croissants to the professionals who have dough laminating machines.
Ben, I have a question. I haven't bought buttermilk since I watched your buttermilk video. However in recent months I haven't used it much. I just looked and I see it has seperated. It still smells okay. My question is how do I know if it's bad?
Separated is natural and totally fine. Shake it good before using. It's only bad if it's growing mold or smells REALLY foul. (A cheesy smell is fine if you're baking with it, that just indicates age. But if consuming raw, I typically don't consume it if it smells cheesy.)
I make biscuits. Sour dough. But my biscuits are too crumblie. Would adding more folds like you do lessen the crumble. My taste is fine. I fold five to six times in half but it looks like I need to double that. Falling apart trying to eat a good biscuit is not what I want. But I love the taste. Btw I’m new to sourdough and I’m find the taste amazing. Once I found out I needed to discard most of my sour dough the taste has improved. Any suggestions I would deeply appreciate. Trying to replicate grandmas biscuits. Hers were so good.
Question for Ben! Could I make the biscuit dough just a *little* in advance then stick the pan in the fridge for a few hours?? For example if we are making them for an event and have to make them a little in advance. I know you don't want them to sit too long though or the sourdough would probably start becoming more active. Made these last night and they are TO DIE FOR!
I don't recommend this. The longer they sit after mixing, the more the gluten develops in the hydrated dough. The biscuits come out tough. A few hours is too long. 30-60 minutes is pushing it. You could test freezing them immediately after cutting out, and then going straight into the oven from the freezer.
The longer they rise, the more the gluten develops, giving them more of a bready texture (ie "rolls") and less of a biscuity texture. And it's not good...trust me, I've tested. Bake these immediately!
Can I replace the buttermilk with greek yogurt, sour cream, or even unflavored kombucha? Just trying to think of things I am more likely to have in my house.
Yogurt and sour cream...yes. (Add just a little more than the buttermilk content, though, because both yogurt and sour cream are strained and have less moisture in them than buttermilk.) Kombucha is an interesting choice, and I'm honestly not sure how it would turn out. Please report back.
I have baked thousands of biscuits - back in the 80's, I worked for Hardee's, and we made fresh biscuits in store from scratch, and we made at least 100 a day. This recipe really brought me back. The baking powder, salt, and flour came premixed, but we mixed in the fat and buttermilk by hand. I made this recipe today. I weighed my salt and that may have been a mistake - the biscuits were SLIGHTLY saltier than I like, but not as bad as, say a McDonald's biscuit. That said...these are amazing! I made a procedure change that was not exactly what I intended 😂 I added the 4oz of starter and 4oz of buttermilk and put em in the fridge (no mixing yet), intending to leave there for 5 minutes. I also put my stick of butter in the freezer. I then went to mix my dry ingredients - and my baking powder expired in 2021 🤦♂️so, put butter back in fridge and ran to Meijer to grab new baking powder 😂 When I came back, I mixed the combined buttermilk and starter, put butter in freezer for 5 minutes, and mixed my dry together. The starter buttermilk mix went together really well with that extended wait. Before combining fat with flour, I cut the stick into 4 equal pieces, then ran each piece through an egg/mushroom slicer, turned, and cut again. I then smeared the butter in the dry mix by hand, as hand cutting in butter is how I've always done it. Was really quick, butter was all different sizes, and everything else went just like the video. I also cooked in my convection toaster oven, second rack from the bottom, at 400⁹ F for 14 minutes. I pulled them after 12. Amazeballs. Thank you so much. I'm going to make this again. Maybe later today 😂
I've often wondered if the butter is to be really cold in these types of recipes - would it make a difference if you put the dough back in the freezer for a short bit after you've mixed it but before you get it ready for baking to keep the butter cold longer; especially on summer days when it may have warmed during the process of putting your recipe together?
Certainly. But the longer the dough sits before baking, the more the flour hydrates (absorbs liquid) which means the gluten structure is developing, which makes the biscuits tough. You want to get them in the oven as soon as possible after cutting.
Has anyone else noticed that a stick of butter no longer weighs 4 ounces? Kerrygold weighs 3.8 and Lucerne weighs 3.9. I’ve heard of other grocery items being shorted the same way. Some lady showed a 4 ounce can of car food only had 3.75 ounces and you can see it’s not a full circle any longer. There was a section missing filled with “juice”. There was chicken at Walmart that was overstated by more than a pound. Lots of people are now filming it and putting it out on social media.
You don’t feed your starter every day but I’m pretty sure you store it in the fridge… which allows it to develop that sour flavor.. For those of us who don’t really want that sour flavor and keep our starter on the counter… we have to feed it everyday.. or so I’ve been told.
No, completely untrue. Room temperature starters build more acidity. The low amount of initial starter called for in my recipes does not result in a sour bread. The universal complaint is that it is not sour enough. Please watch my video, Why isn't my sourdough sour?
Too many dishes to wash! It takes less than a minute to do it by hand. But, it's FINE to do it in the food processor, just be sure you don't OVER incorporate the butter. You should still see a few chunks the size of your pinky nail.
You can, for THIS recipe. You may need to add a splash more buttermilk, as bran absorbs more liquid. But you can't use freshly milled for my sourdough bread recipes, freshly milled flour does NOT make good bread. It needs to age for several weeks or months to improve gluten and hydration potential. (Which defeats the purpose of why you're milling fresh...to preserve nutrient content.) Catch 22 when baking bread. Bad loaf...but it's better for you.
I heard the crispy outside when munched. Yay! Having burnt myself trying to eat biscuits immediately out of the oven, i now wait about 10 minutes. Doesn’t lessen my experience (but that crispy noise isn’t as loud). 😊
I am wanting to make these and cinnamon rolls, however we are trying to cut back on our bread, can I make up the formed/cut prepared dough and then freeze it and bake them when I am ready or should I bake them and then freeze them?
You can do either. Biscuits are always best directly after baking, so I recommend freezing the dough raw, and baking straight from the freezer. You'll need to add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
It's super easy. Weigh the crumbles and write down that number. Add 4 ounces of filtered water and stir every hour with a clean spoon until the crumbles have largely dissolved into the water. Then add enough flour so that the weight of the crumbles, plus the flour, equals 4 ounces. (So if you had 1 ounce of crumbles, you'll add 3 ounces of water.) Leave it on the countertop for 24 hours. Then stir in 4 ounces of water and 4 ounces of flour. See if you get a strong bubble structure developing in 6 hours or less. If so, put it in the fridge...you have mature starter. If not, leave it at room temp for 48 hours. Discard about half, then feed with 4oz flour and 4oz water, and see if you get lots of bubbles within 6 hours. If so...you're mature. If not, leave it for 48 hours, then do another discard and feed.
No...it's the case here in the US, too, just because consumers don't UNDERSTAND that salted butter is for direct consumption, whereas unsalted butter is for baking. I ONLY keep salted butter at room temp, so it's always soft and ready to go. The ONLY butter in my fridge is unsalted. It's fine, of course, for you to use salted butter in baking if you're compensating for the butter's salt content...but that math is too much for a lazy baker like me. It's easier to just always buy both at the grocery store, since it never goes to waste.
Without rehydrating, I would add 2oz of dehydrated starter and 2oz buttermilk, in place of the 4oz of starter. If it's in large chunks, I'd soak it in the buttermilk for an hour and then whisk. If it's a fine powder, just mix it with the flour/salt/baking powder, cut in the butter, then add the total amount of buttermilk, which would be 6oz.
You have a VERY acidic starter! Browning happens more easily with an alkaline environment. You can add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (and back off just a bit on the baking powder) which will help encourage earlier browning. And it wouldn't hurt to get an oven thermometer, just to be sure your oven is baking at the correct temp. 24 minutes is a LONG time....
You certainly can! I've been doing it for so long with my hands that, for a single batch like this, I don't need to use the scraper. But if I double the recipe, I definitely use the scraper to help fold.
We have a question: how do prevent the dough from sticking to the cloth in the oval banneton. We had beautiful dough and then it stuck to the cloth and ruined it. We still baked it but, how do we prevent this from happening again. Thanks!
I think you posted this on the wrong video. But it stuck because your hydration was off. Either you mismeasured your water, or the extra water is coming from an overhydrated starter. Watch Troubleshooting Simple Sourdough for a fix, and STOP using the banneton! My new method rises directly in the pot that you cook it in. th-cam.com/video/e30Z1ijnWfM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=26dYuohkr4hsQ2tV
Well...I never recommend faking buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk. But it's not redundant. The acidity in the buttermilk compounds the acidity in the starter to help keep the biscuits tender. Less overall acidity means less flavor and more gluten development. This recipe DOES work with plain milk, but it tastes better and has better texture with buttermilk...meaning the extra acid from the buttermilk (which some people fake with milk and vinegar) DOES mean a better final product.
@ultimatefoodgeek would be an interesting experiment to see if the Starter can be a substitute for other acids in recipe, maybe the hooch if you don't want to add additional flour
I was once asked if leftover buttermilk biscuits are still good. I said, who knows? There are never leftovers. These will be even better! I screwed up my first attempt at starter and I am not at all sure how but I've got a second batch going. Wish me luck. I shouldn't need it since I did what you told me to do. I just wish I knew what I did wrong with the first try. All was good until after the second feeding when nothing happened except a layer of hooch. 🥴😥 Why does my new pullman baking pan have holes in the bottom?
A layer of hooch IS a thing! Don't give up on it because it doesn't rise. Very acidic starter WON'T rise. Or starter that's had the hydration screwed up. The yeast and bacteria are still growing in numbers and active. Follow the process through the full 2 weeks, and then test it. You'll be surprised. The holes in the bottom of then pan are to let out steam if the bread full seals itself along the top lid. That way there are no explosions, or deformities in the loaf due to a big steam pocket. Just bake it on a sheet tray, like I do in the video.
I’m confused. Sourdough baked goods are promoted as gut healthy for the probiotics and probiotics they contain. Aren’t the bacteria killed by the high oven temps?
Yes. Baked sourdough products contain NO active, live probiotics. But the long fermentation times do render a healthier gut response than breads baked with commercial yeast that are risen quickly.
@@ultimatefoodgeek you would think so, but these bears have been eating lots of fruit. Some people call the lard blueberry butter!! We spread it in our toast.
I’ve heard the comment a couple times now about the unsalted butter for baking. However moments before you guess the salt amount and say it’s not that important. 🤷🏻♀️
What would MAKE it important is estimating the correct amount of salt for the recipe, and ending up with biscuits that were TOO salty because you ALSO had salt in the butter. Using salted butter COMPLICATES the salt addition for a recipe, which is why you should never use it. Because then you ALWAYS know that the amount of salt you are adding (or estimating) is the ONLY salt going into the recipe.
Do you make it from raw milk? Or storebought cream? When you churn butter from storebought cream, you're not making CULTURED buttermilk, which is why it's thin. You can culture that buttermilk by adding a Tablespoon of sour cream (or storebought cultured buttermilk), mixing it in well, and leaving it on the countertop for 2-3 days. Conversely, you can culture your cream FIRST, before churning, by adding a Tablespoon of sour cream (or storebought cultured buttermilk) to the cream, and letting it sit at room temp until thick...usually about 2 days. THEN churn. The resulting butter will be cultured butter, like what is sold in Europe...it will have a slightly tart and very complex flavor, MUCH more delicious than our butter. And the buttermilk left over will already be cultured, so it's thicker than what you currently are experiencing. HOWEVER...realize that most recipes that call for buttermilk are calling for MODERN cultured buttermilk from the supermarket, which has a MUCH higher fat content than what you get after churning butter. So it's more of a fascination than something practical. Watch my buttermilk video for a lesson on how easy it is to make modern buttermilk at home, which will be practical for ANY recipe calling for buttermilk.
@@ultimatefoodgeek Ok, so if I take a small amount of sour cream and add to my ½ gallon Heavy cream, let sit for 2 days. Then churn, I'll get a better tastin' butter? I had a friend once who said she sat her HC on counter for hours before churnin'. You are so sweet to help an ole gal out.
You need to be careful saying “all purpose flour”. You would not want to try this with KAF flour. White Lilly (“AP” flour sold in the south is very low protein. Use cake flour if you can’t get it or you will have tough biscuits.
I've made these with King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour, and they turn out fine. That has 11.7% protein. My Costco organic AP is 11.5%. I don't know of ANY "all purpose" flour with a protein content that would be high enough to result in a tough biscuit, unless overworked. Of course, the lower the protein content, the more delicate the texture will be. I just don't want folks using high-protein flours because of the risk of overworking the dough. (I can make these with bread flour just fine, but I have many years of experience handling the dough gently.)
The first time I tried this recipe I put all the ingredients into one bowl before realizing you had two separate bowls. Redid that and realized you were already shaping in the bowl so I didn’t count how many folds I was doing and now the third time I forgot salt 🤦🏼♀️ what is wrong with me!
I have yet to make a successful loaf of sourdough bread with my own starter, but I have used the starter successfully for waflles and now this recipe - Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits. OH-MY-LANTA! I will keep my sourdough starter even if I NEVER make sourdough bread. (Just not a huge fan of the strong sourdough flavor in the bread.) Trying some different recipes there, but I will make these biscuits again and again. Calling them biscuits almost seems to be a sin because they are so different from the pillowy clouds (almost like yeast rolls) my husband's momma makes. Still, these little beasties are beautiful and I didn't even need butter on them - absolutely delectable! Ate them with a pot of red beans for lunch today. It's a keeper!
Make them lighter by using a soft winter wheat flour if you can find it. Here is the south, biscuits are their own food group. White Lily is my go to. Now, I have used another sourdough starter recipe which had no buttermilk in it. They were superb. I agree that buttermilk should always be in the fridge. Thanks for sharing your recipe and enthusiasm.
First time ever making biscuits from scratch. These turned out well! Thanks for the recipe and step by step instructions!
I use your recipe for my weekly sourdough bread for the last two years... This sounds fantastic, flaky sourdough biscuits! Thank you!!!
I just discovered you had come off your hiatus and have been binge watching all the videos you have released over the last few months. And then while I was doing that, this video dropped. Your buttermilk biscuit recipe from the now 12 year old video has been my go-to for years since it is so easy and delicious. I can't wait to try this updated version out. But I might just have to make your sourdough cinnamon rolls first!
I am making the cinnamon rolls as I’m watching this video. The best rolls ever! Ben is a genius!
Thank you for this. I just made them. I’m a first time making biscuits from scratch baker and my husband is still raving about them. My fondest memory of my grandma is sitting at her kitchen table with her making biscuits in an omelet pan and these are the closest I’ve ever come to the same taste and texture of her biscuits. ❤
I love you, man!! You're a genius with all these sour dough techniques!
Thank you!!! These biscuits were sooooo good. Love the flavor, texture, layers, crunchy top and bottom. Best biscuits I have ever made!!!!!
I made these tonight , Thanks for sharing ! I cut mine in squares , took your advice and ate 2 straight out of oven .Buttered ? Oh yes ! Yummy!
I don’t know about you all, but my nose always itches when I have something all over my hands, I understand the mustache completely!
HAHAHAHAHA
Of course it does!!! 😂😂
Was in the military for ten years. My nose always itched standing at attention. It was so funny one time in basic training I got hollered at by the TI. Never understood why noses are like that. No itch until you can’t scratch. lol
I have never been able to homemake biscuits or pie crust. It’s just something I can’t do. I was like eh Ben’s recipes haven’t failed me yet, let’s try. OMG these are the most delicious, fluffy, crispy, buttery, sourdough-y biscuits I’ve ever had. And so easy to make! Thanks again Ben.
Awesome, thanks Tamara!
Wow! Fast, simple, and delicious! You're single-handedly elevating my baking one video at a time. Looking forward to the next one!
Great recipe. Love it with buttermilk AND sourdough starter. The second time I made them, because of lack of room, I added a bit more buttermilk and did drop biscuits. Not too bad. Had to add a few baking minutes. Tasted as wonderful . Just a bit different. Thank you. Ben.
WOW. Thanks for another recipe. I can hardly wait to try these
Made the biscuits & they are delicious!! They’re a little more savory (bc of the starter) than regular buttermilk biscuits.. I’d say if we want them more like regular breakfast biscuits, just add 2 Tbsp of sugar or honey. Of course adding honey will make a slightly softer texture but we get the benefits of honey so not a bad thing. I made biscuits & gravy exactly as the recipe says and they were sooo yummy. But we like less sweetness so that works for us. If it was biscuits for butter & jelly or honey drizzle I would add the sugar or honey to the wet ingredients and mix together with the dry. This is an amazing way to use up discarded starter when we make a little too much 😂😂
I have learned a great deal from you so thank you very much. I also watched the entire second season of Master Chef because you were in it. I was bummed when you left but you made it a long way! And look what you’ve done since then!
You’re the bomb diggity
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Cannot wait to try this recipe!! Thank you so much !!!😊
These were AMAZING! Thanks so much for your videos. I'm hooked :) ......I made pork chops with lemon caper sauce and served the mini biscuits (yes, round) :) side by side with the chops and drizzled the sauce over the biscuits.....OMG
YOMMY! You have me drooling...
Oh, my gosh! Another masterpiece from our guy, Ben! Thank you…will give this a try Sunday a.m.!
Wow! Made them today and what a WOW! I am from a family of biscuit makers from Kentucky! My best one Ever!
I made them yesterday, also. They ARE good! I'm so glad you approve!
Thank you...
I made them with you. They turned out above, way above yummy. Best I've ever eaten.
Great recipe and tutorial. I love Cracker Barrel biscuits... at 6am. The rest of the day they are pitiful! You got that right, biscuits should be eaten right out of the oven.
You got a great voice for what you're doing.
Wish like hell some congressmen could speak so well
Ha ha ha... My parents raised me to serve in Congress, but my life had other plans for me. Little brother is a Federal judge. Uncle Ken was politically famous/infamous depending on who you vote for. We're a public speaking family!
@@ultimatefoodgeek You made the right choice, from where I sit👍🕊🙂
I am definitely going to try this recipe tonight. Thank you.
Finally made them, fantastic, the biscuit recipe I've been searching for. Thank you
These came out so good. Thank you for the recipe and helpful video. buttermilk is good for everything 😅
I can't wait to try this recipe ! Oh my ,they look good!
Happy Mother's Day just got done making these the right way lol last time i messed up but this time you are right best biscuits on planet earth TY TY TY :) Also reheating in air fryer for biscuits is the best 400°F for 5 minutes and the crispy crust comes back to life :)
Great intel, thanks!
That seems like way too long to reheat.
Very impressive, I absolutely enjoy your presentation videos.
Thanks Ben !b I made these biscuits this morning and they came out great! First time!! Lovbe your channel and buttermilk, making cheese this week!
I love your videos. I am making 2 sourdough loaves tomorrow this will be my next one .
These sound delicious. I'm definitely going to make soon. Thank you!!
Awesome must try these . I make a sourdough buttermilk bread and its flavour and texture is great 🥰
I’ve been looking for a sourdough biscuits recipe- thank you !
It may take a little longer, but when I broke the handle on my pastry blender, I improvised and found a pizza cutter slices right through the butter and acts like a spatula to gently mix the ingredients…
Cool idea, thanks for sharing!
How did you know I wanted to make biscuits?? Thank you! Love your videos. Can't wait to try it !
Awesome as always. Will be making this soon... Thanks!
Just made and ate these biscuits! WOW! A true keeper! Thank you
Just made these they are delicious!
Hubby said this morning…we need to make sourdough biscuits…Bam…there was Ben…the answer to Sunday morning,
As I uploaded this on Saturday evening, I hoped someone would bake them for Sunday breakfast the next day. Mission accomplished.
These are fantastic,thanks for the recipe!! Yum!
Fabulous biscuits
My Mom was "The Queen" of making biscuits... I did not inherit her abilities!!! LOL These look wonderful. I'm going to give them a go.... wish me luck!! 🙃
Good luck!! And may the force be with you.
Can’t wait to try this
Ben, my husband and I sure have missed you. I cannot wait to try these. Ok to send people your way from my wee little channel to help friends?
Pleeeeease! And thank you!
@@ultimatefoodgeek Thank you for sharing your biscuit method. Have a wonderful week.
Don’t mind the square shape .. I get a bigger biscuit without overworking. More space for jelly or scrambled eggs and bacon
Thank you, they will be on the menu with sausage gravy next week! From the south, white lily self rising flour and lard and buttermilk
Oh yes! Lard makes the BEST biscuits. Thought it's hard to fine that amazing leaf lard these days, that hasn't been hydrogenated.d
I’m from FL and living in OK. I miss White Lily flour SO much! It’s not sold here. 😢
I love your channel thank you 😊
Thanks for the laugh Moustache Man. I do not make sourdough yet, use to in the 70s but I will make my regular biscuits using your techniques.
I have a SUPER OLD video on non-sourdough buttermilk biscuits. You'll find it if you dig deep enough!
I promised to make sausage gravy and biscuits for my family. Gonna make them with these. Sorry! They will be square. Lol.
I made mine square as well...so much quicker and no waste!
Trying to get my kids in the kitchen so gonna have my 10 year old help make these 💙
Thank you so much for this recipe and for your invaluable techniques, Mr. Ben ! Questions : I always think (buttermilk) biscuits and scones are close cousins, 1) can you explain their major differences and similarities ? ; and 2) can we also use sourdough starter (discard [?] ) in scones and thus upgrade them ?
The ONLY difference between American biscuits and English scones are that scones have sugar in the mix...and sometimes additions, like currants. They are also typically shaped differently, but there are plenty of round scones baked in the UK. I have a very old video on scones, if you care to dig through the annals of my channel. As I recall, it was made during the Royal Wedding and I'm wearing a fascinator of some sort...
Not sure what I did wrong. First time was heaven Starr. Absolutely nailed it. Superstarr dad points from kids and wifey. I tried again this weekend but it had strong salt taste plus baking powder taste which is unrecoverable. Sad.
Interestingly, first time I was low on flour and usuplimented half pancake mix. Otherwise identical procedure. Thoughts anyone?
To be clear, with half pancake mix was better. I'm pretty sure Pancake mix has baking powder so it would have been even more baking powder the first time.
You used baking soda instead of baking powder. Baking soda is salty and has a soapy/chemical flavor.
Hey Ben! I have a question. If I want to prep these and bake them later would I cut them and then place them in the fridge? Then when I’m ready I preheat the oven and take them out and place them in the oven? Thank you! Love your videos!
No, they overhydrate in the fridge, the gluten gets overdeveloped, and they end up tough. Slice them and immediately freeze them. Then put them in a ziploc bag. They can go straight into the oven. BUT...they will NEVER rise like they do baking them immediately.
This is a game changer!
I miss you Ben,I need more videos from you! Come Back!
I was on the road for a month. Now I'm back and editing like crazy. Unfortunately, the next few videos are remakes. I need better quality core videos for simple sourdough, starter, and troubleshooting. The quality on my core videos is so awful. After that, The World's Best Waffles, Sourdough Bagels, and a pizza masterclass.
@@ultimatefoodgeek how cool are you!!!!?Can't wait !
I made this recipe for biscuits and gravy....oh my my they are phenomenal! (as are the other recipes I have tried so far)
My only question is......can you make the biscuit dough up and freeze it for a week and then thaw, cut and bake and they still be ok?
I go ahead and cut the raw biscuits and freeze them. Then I keep them in a ziploc. That way they can go straight from the freezer into the preheated oven.
Hi Ben! Just discovered you. At first I found you annoying (making me listen to your lecture on not making my own “buttermilk” which Ive done many times, and having to watch your highly technical hand drawn diagrams, lol). I must say that after watching you and trying out your recipes you have hands-down won me over. I am hooked! Honestly, this is my first time working with sourdough and other chefs make the process so complicated it takes the joy out of it! Thank you for your humor and for your collection of hats, and for explaining the science behind everything you do. Today I am trying the SD biscuit recipe and Id like to know if I make and cut out the dough (you convinced me to buy the damn circle cutters by the way…..no squares here!) could I then freeze them unbaked? Then I could take them out and bake them when needed. Would this recipe work well for that purpose and what temperature and time would you recommend when baking straight out of the freezer? Thank you again, Im brand new to your channel and appreciate your awesome and entertaining videos.
Laura in Arizona
Hey, Laura! I'm glad I migrated from annoying to entertaining. Ha ha ha... I haven't ever frozen these biscuits before, but I'm pretty sure they'll be fine, you just won't get QUITE as high a rise. Bake them STRAIGHT from the freezer at 425F. Don't thaw them. The longer they sit at temps below freezing, the more the flour hydrates, which develops the gluten structure, leading to tough biscuits.
I baked them from frozen and they were the best biscuits we ever had! Thank you!!
Reckon you would do a video on your buttermilk fried chicken? :) Love your channel, thank you.
Definitely...a fried chicken video is on the list.
Do you have a recipe for Sourdough Croissants? These biscuits sound great...going to have to try next 😊
Not sure a sourdough croissant recipe will be forthcoming. Croissants are QUITE complicated, and my audience is tuning in for EASY. I typically leave croissants to the professionals who have dough laminating machines.
I will try this recipe👍🏻. Question, will you be doing an easy sour dough bagel recipe?
Yes! Most of it has been filmed. But I'm gonna be refilming a bit...it's probably a month from release.
I definitely need to try this. Yum!! Do you have a recipe/video for sourdough bagels?
It's been filmed, just in the editing process.
@@ultimatefoodgeek Fantastic, am looking forward to it!
@@ultimatefoodgeekAwesome!Can’t wait! Thanks for making/sharing these videos with us. Really appreciate it.
Ben, I have a question.
I haven't bought buttermilk since I watched your buttermilk video. However in recent months I haven't used it much. I just looked and I see it has seperated. It still smells okay. My question is how do I know if it's bad?
Separated is natural and totally fine. Shake it good before using. It's only bad if it's growing mold or smells REALLY foul. (A cheesy smell is fine if you're baking with it, that just indicates age. But if consuming raw, I typically don't consume it if it smells cheesy.)
I make biscuits. Sour dough. But my biscuits are too crumblie. Would adding more folds like you do lessen the crumble. My taste is fine. I fold five to six times in half but it looks like I need to double that. Falling apart trying to eat a good biscuit is not what I want. But I love the taste. Btw I’m new to sourdough and I’m find the taste amazing. Once I found out I needed to discard most of my sour dough the taste has improved. Any suggestions I would deeply appreciate. Trying to replicate grandmas biscuits. Hers were so good.
Try this recipe and see if it works better for you. Since I don't know what recipe you are using, I can't really speculate on what the problem is.
Hmmm I just thought I had mastered biscuits but now that I have moved on to sourdough apparently I am going to up my game…
Once you master these, you will be master of the universe. There will be nothing beyond.
@@ultimatefoodgeek Shambhala here I come!
Discard is good for pancakes.
Question for Ben! Could I make the biscuit dough just a *little* in advance then stick the pan in the fridge for a few hours?? For example if we are making them for an event and have to make them a little in advance. I know you don't want them to sit too long though or the sourdough would probably start becoming more active. Made these last night and they are TO DIE FOR!
I don't recommend this. The longer they sit after mixing, the more the gluten develops in the hydrated dough. The biscuits come out tough. A few hours is too long. 30-60 minutes is pushing it. You could test freezing them immediately after cutting out, and then going straight into the oven from the freezer.
I guess the starter is for the flavor and not leavening. Can you allow a rise or would that dry out the biscuits?
The longer they rise, the more the gluten develops, giving them more of a bready texture (ie "rolls") and less of a biscuity texture. And it's not good...trust me, I've tested. Bake these immediately!
I’m making biscuits now
Can I replace the buttermilk with greek yogurt, sour cream, or even unflavored kombucha? Just trying to think of things I am more likely to have in my house.
Yogurt and sour cream...yes. (Add just a little more than the buttermilk content, though, because both yogurt and sour cream are strained and have less moisture in them than buttermilk.) Kombucha is an interesting choice, and I'm honestly not sure how it would turn out. Please report back.
I have baked thousands of biscuits - back in the 80's, I worked for Hardee's, and we made fresh biscuits in store from scratch, and we made at least 100 a day. This recipe really brought me back. The baking powder, salt, and flour came premixed, but we mixed in the fat and buttermilk by hand.
I made this recipe today. I weighed my salt and that may have been a mistake - the biscuits were SLIGHTLY saltier than I like, but not as bad as, say a McDonald's biscuit. That said...these are amazing! I made a procedure change that was not exactly what I intended 😂 I added the 4oz of starter and 4oz of buttermilk and put em in the fridge (no mixing yet), intending to leave there for 5 minutes. I also put my stick of butter in the freezer.
I then went to mix my dry ingredients - and my baking powder expired in 2021 🤦♂️so, put butter back in fridge and ran to Meijer to grab new baking powder 😂
When I came back, I mixed the combined buttermilk and starter, put butter in freezer for 5 minutes, and mixed my dry together. The starter buttermilk mix went together really well with that extended wait.
Before combining fat with flour, I cut the stick into 4 equal pieces, then ran each piece through an egg/mushroom slicer, turned, and cut again. I then smeared the butter in the dry mix by hand, as hand cutting in butter is how I've always done it. Was really quick, butter was all different sizes, and everything else went just like the video.
I also cooked in my convection toaster oven, second rack from the bottom, at 400⁹ F for 14 minutes. I pulled them after 12.
Amazeballs. Thank you so much. I'm going to make this again. Maybe later today 😂
I've often wondered if the butter is to be really cold in these types of recipes - would it make a difference if you put the dough back in the freezer for a short bit after you've mixed it but before you get it ready for baking to keep the butter cold longer; especially on summer days when it may have warmed during the process of putting your recipe together?
Certainly. But the longer the dough sits before baking, the more the flour hydrates (absorbs liquid) which means the gluten structure is developing, which makes the biscuits tough. You want to get them in the oven as soon as possible after cutting.
@@ultimatefoodgeek AH....yes makes sense! thanks for the reply! I can't wait to make these!
@@ultimatefoodgeekcan you make them and before you bake them freeze them or put them in the refrigerator to bake the next day at a families house?
Has anyone else noticed that a stick of butter no longer weighs 4 ounces? Kerrygold weighs 3.8 and Lucerne weighs 3.9. I’ve heard of other grocery items being shorted the same way. Some lady showed a 4 ounce can of car food only had 3.75 ounces and you can see it’s not a full circle any longer. There was a section missing filled with “juice”. There was chicken at Walmart that was overstated by more than a pound. Lots of people are now filming it and putting it out on social media.
That’s why you should weigh it.
You don’t feed your starter every day but I’m pretty sure you store it in the fridge… which allows it to develop that sour flavor..
For those of us who don’t really want that sour flavor and keep our starter on the counter… we have to feed it everyday.. or so I’ve been told.
No, completely untrue. Room temperature starters build more acidity. The low amount of initial starter called for in my recipes does not result in a sour bread. The universal complaint is that it is not sour enough. Please watch my video, Why isn't my sourdough sour?
So you keep your starter on the counter unfed?
What are your thoughts on the method where you cut the butter into the flour with shorts bursts in a food processor?
Too many dishes to wash! It takes less than a minute to do it by hand. But, it's FINE to do it in the food processor, just be sure you don't OVER incorporate the butter. You should still see a few chunks the size of your pinky nail.
@@ultimatefoodgeek Thank you! This recipe was delicious!
Could I use fresh milled flour? Same recipe?
You can, for THIS recipe. You may need to add a splash more buttermilk, as bran absorbs more liquid. But you can't use freshly milled for my sourdough bread recipes, freshly milled flour does NOT make good bread. It needs to age for several weeks or months to improve gluten and hydration potential. (Which defeats the purpose of why you're milling fresh...to preserve nutrient content.) Catch 22 when baking bread. Bad loaf...but it's better for you.
I heard the crispy outside when munched. Yay! Having burnt myself trying to eat biscuits immediately out of the oven, i now wait about 10 minutes. Doesn’t lessen my experience (but that crispy noise isn’t as loud). 😊
I am wanting to make these and cinnamon rolls, however we are trying to cut back on our bread, can I make up the formed/cut prepared dough and then freeze it and bake them when I am ready or should I bake them and then freeze them?
You can do either. Biscuits are always best directly after baking, so I recommend freezing the dough raw, and baking straight from the freezer. You'll need to add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
@@ultimatefoodgeek Thank you!!
Would you change anything when baking in cast iron in the oven?
Not a thing.
Do you adjust any ingredients if you double the recipe?
@@valeriehouse9283 No need to adjust! I do double recipes often
My daughter gave me some sour dough starter crumbles. Do you have a video for bringing that to life? I am totally into ounces.
It's super easy. Weigh the crumbles and write down that number. Add 4 ounces of filtered water and stir every hour with a clean spoon until the crumbles have largely dissolved into the water. Then add enough flour so that the weight of the crumbles, plus the flour, equals 4 ounces. (So if you had 1 ounce of crumbles, you'll add 3 ounces of water.) Leave it on the countertop for 24 hours. Then stir in 4 ounces of water and 4 ounces of flour. See if you get a strong bubble structure developing in 6 hours or less. If so, put it in the fridge...you have mature starter.
If not, leave it at room temp for 48 hours. Discard about half, then feed with 4oz flour and 4oz water, and see if you get lots of bubbles within 6 hours. If so...you're mature. If not, leave it for 48 hours, then do another discard and feed.
@@ultimatefoodgeek Thank you! 🙏
They look delicious. Have you done a sourdough pizza video?
No, but it's in development.
@@ultimatefoodgeek I went searching to see if you had a SD pizza dough earlier today!
Pi r square, but yes.... biscuits are round!
The butter I buy tells you the salt content so I adjust accordingly. Unsalted butter is rarely bought. Maybe it's different in Canada vs the US
No...it's the case here in the US, too, just because consumers don't UNDERSTAND that salted butter is for direct consumption, whereas unsalted butter is for baking. I ONLY keep salted butter at room temp, so it's always soft and ready to go. The ONLY butter in my fridge is unsalted. It's fine, of course, for you to use salted butter in baking if you're compensating for the butter's salt content...but that math is too much for a lazy baker like me. It's easier to just always buy both at the grocery store, since it never goes to waste.
I dehydrated some sourdough starter. Could I use it in this biscuit recipe?
Without rehydrating, I would add 2oz of dehydrated starter and 2oz buttermilk, in place of the 4oz of starter. If it's in large chunks, I'd soak it in the buttermilk for an hour and then whisk. If it's a fine powder, just mix it with the flour/salt/baking powder, cut in the butter, then add the total amount of buttermilk, which would be 6oz.
@@ultimatefoodgeek Thank you!
Made these today but had to bake 24 min to get them brown. I have the same oven as you. Any ideas
You have a VERY acidic starter! Browning happens more easily with an alkaline environment. You can add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (and back off just a bit on the baking powder) which will help encourage earlier browning. And it wouldn't hurt to get an oven thermometer, just to be sure your oven is baking at the correct temp. 24 minutes is a LONG time....
Question….why can’t you use a dough scrapper to mildly fold and work the dough
You certainly can! I've been doing it for so long with my hands that, for a single batch like this, I don't need to use the scraper. But if I double the recipe, I definitely use the scraper to help fold.
We have a question: how do prevent the dough from sticking to the cloth in the oval banneton. We had beautiful dough and then it stuck to the cloth and ruined it. We still baked it but, how do we prevent this from happening again. Thanks!
I think you posted this on the wrong video. But it stuck because your hydration was off. Either you mismeasured your water, or the extra water is coming from an overhydrated starter. Watch Troubleshooting Simple Sourdough for a fix, and STOP using the banneton! My new method rises directly in the pot that you cook it in. th-cam.com/video/e30Z1ijnWfM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=26dYuohkr4hsQ2tV
In regards to adding vinaiger in milk, the Sourdough Starter is pretty acidic already, so vinaiger is kinda redundant
Well...I never recommend faking buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk. But it's not redundant. The acidity in the buttermilk compounds the acidity in the starter to help keep the biscuits tender. Less overall acidity means less flavor and more gluten development. This recipe DOES work with plain milk, but it tastes better and has better texture with buttermilk...meaning the extra acid from the buttermilk (which some people fake with milk and vinegar) DOES mean a better final product.
@ultimatefoodgeek would be an interesting experiment to see if the Starter can be a substitute for other acids in recipe, maybe the hooch if you don't want to add additional flour
I was once asked if leftover buttermilk biscuits are still good. I said, who knows? There are never leftovers. These will be even better! I screwed up my first attempt at starter and I am not at all sure how but I've got a second batch going. Wish me luck. I shouldn't need it since I did what you told me to do. I just wish I knew what I did wrong with the first try. All was good until after the second feeding when nothing happened except a layer of hooch. 🥴😥 Why does my new pullman baking pan have holes in the bottom?
A layer of hooch IS a thing! Don't give up on it because it doesn't rise. Very acidic starter WON'T rise. Or starter that's had the hydration screwed up. The yeast and bacteria are still growing in numbers and active. Follow the process through the full 2 weeks, and then test it. You'll be surprised.
The holes in the bottom of then pan are to let out steam if the bread full seals itself along the top lid. That way there are no explosions, or deformities in the loaf due to a big steam pocket. Just bake it on a sheet tray, like I do in the video.
I’m confused. Sourdough baked goods are promoted as gut healthy for the probiotics and probiotics they contain. Aren’t the bacteria killed by the high oven temps?
Yes. Baked sourdough products contain NO active, live probiotics. But the long fermentation times do render a healthier gut response than breads baked with commercial yeast that are risen quickly.
Can I substitute bear fat (lard) for butter?… and would I use the amount?
Same amount, by weight! Although bear lard is pretty pungent!
@@ultimatefoodgeek you would think so, but these bears have been eating lots of fruit. Some people call the lard blueberry butter!! We spread it in our toast.
You enjoyed those in the living room by yourself don't lie! 😂
HAHAHAHAHA.... I should have panned to the crowd. But the girls didn't have makeup on and they got mad when I asked if I could film them eating!
Can you bagels next 🤤
I’ve heard the comment a couple times now about the unsalted butter for baking. However moments before you guess the salt amount and say it’s not that important. 🤷🏻♀️
What would MAKE it important is estimating the correct amount of salt for the recipe, and ending up with biscuits that were TOO salty because you ALSO had salt in the butter. Using salted butter COMPLICATES the salt addition for a recipe, which is why you should never use it. Because then you ALWAYS know that the amount of salt you are adding (or estimating) is the ONLY salt going into the recipe.
Another question, I make homemade butter. My buttermilk left is real liquidity or however you spell lol! Is that normal?
Do you make it from raw milk? Or storebought cream? When you churn butter from storebought cream, you're not making CULTURED buttermilk, which is why it's thin. You can culture that buttermilk by adding a Tablespoon of sour cream (or storebought cultured buttermilk), mixing it in well, and leaving it on the countertop for 2-3 days. Conversely, you can culture your cream FIRST, before churning, by adding a Tablespoon of sour cream (or storebought cultured buttermilk) to the cream, and letting it sit at room temp until thick...usually about 2 days. THEN churn. The resulting butter will be cultured butter, like what is sold in Europe...it will have a slightly tart and very complex flavor, MUCH more delicious than our butter. And the buttermilk left over will already be cultured, so it's thicker than what you currently are experiencing.
HOWEVER...realize that most recipes that call for buttermilk are calling for MODERN cultured buttermilk from the supermarket, which has a MUCH higher fat content than what you get after churning butter. So it's more of a fascination than something practical. Watch my buttermilk video for a lesson on how easy it is to make modern buttermilk at home, which will be practical for ANY recipe calling for buttermilk.
@@ultimatefoodgeek store bought, live in West Texas and we had a dairy but I think they closed. Thanks sooo much.
@@ultimatefoodgeek Ok, so if I take a small amount of sour cream and add to my ½ gallon Heavy cream, let sit for 2 days. Then churn, I'll get a better tastin' butter? I had a friend once who said she sat her HC on counter for hours before churnin'. You are so sweet to help an ole gal out.
@@ultimatefoodgeek I sure watch the video thanks
You need to be careful saying “all purpose flour”. You would not want to try this with KAF flour. White Lilly (“AP” flour sold in the south is very low protein. Use cake flour if you can’t get it or you will have tough biscuits.
I use Bob's Red Mill unbleached Pastry Flour.
I've made these with King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour, and they turn out fine. That has 11.7% protein. My Costco organic AP is 11.5%. I don't know of ANY "all purpose" flour with a protein content that would be high enough to result in a tough biscuit, unless overworked. Of course, the lower the protein content, the more delicate the texture will be. I just don't want folks using high-protein flours because of the risk of overworking the dough. (I can make these with bread flour just fine, but I have many years of experience handling the dough gently.)
Me try
14 grams baking powder, weight not measure. Bad habits are hard to break.
Gram-precise weighing into a bowl with other ingredients is tricky, which is why I prefer to measure minute ingredients by volume, like baking powder.
The first time I tried this recipe I put all the ingredients into one bowl before realizing you had two separate bowls. Redid that and realized you were already shaping in the bowl so I didn’t count how many folds I was doing and now the third time I forgot salt 🤦🏼♀️ what is wrong with me!
WE all have those days!
I make square biscuits