I’m determined to unravel the secret of great biscuits and I think I may be getting close. Last weekend we were over at Elephant’s Deli getting a few things to go and while we were waiting I couldn’t help but notice the biscuits they had, they were enormous with a beautiful golden color, absolutely screaming to be eaten, so of course I got one “for later” and it was really really good, crispy outside and delicate inside. I dare say as good as Pine State Biscuits which are just spectacular. If you’re ever in Portland you will definitely want to visit Pine State, they have a place on Alberta St. which can be tricky to get into with long lines, but they also have a food truck at the PSU farmer’s market on Saturdays. But then again you can just make your own! Which is what I did, and these came out delicious, not quite as tall as I’d hoped for but definitely creamy and light with a bit of crunch on the outer crust. I think using the cake flour really helps create this delicate texture. As far as the height of the biscuit goes, I cut the dough probably closer to 1/2” in thickness, so next time I’ll try to cut them a bit thicker and see if they rise up more. These are so easy to make and I’m really happy with how this recipe turned out. They hold up really well for sandwiches and didn’t completely fall apart.

Buttermilk Biscuits

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 425°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dice butter into small chunks then place in a bowl and return to refrigerator until ready to use.

Whisk flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork, work cold butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until well combined and forms large clumps. With your hands knead mixture until it starts to hold together.

Place dough on floured surface and pat down into a rectangle. Using a lightly floured rolling pin gently roll until dough is 1/2” - 3/4” in height.

Flour a 2-3” biscuit cutter and press down and twist for each biscuit (3" will give you about 6-7 biscuits). Gather remaining dough and hand form what’s left over.

Place biscuits about 2” apart on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter. Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and place biscuits on cooling rack.