Confessions of a Bake-a-holic!

Generally while cooking its easy to add ingredients without causing any problem.Baking is however much more precise and requires the quantities of each ingredient to be exact. I can never blindly throw any ingredients and come up with something perfect.Not only with Baking,in any recipe especially for the ones you are not sure of the outcome,following the measurements really helps.Long back someone I know,cooked something using an old recipe of mine and ended up in a disaster. I was surprised and asked her to explain how she made the dish.Everything was right,nothing could have gone wrong.Finally I asked her about her measuring cup and there you go that was the reason.She had used a regular drinking glass for measuring ingredients.That answers it all!!!!

Coming to the recipe - Home made biscuits are golden in the outside and tender and flaky inside. Less butter may harden and more butter might make the biscuit more flaky.And when the quantity of buttermilk is increased the dough will soften .So be careful with the measurements.

Recipe Source – Anne Willan’s Look & Cook – Classic Breads

Work time – 15-20mins

Baking time – 12-15mins

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached All – Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ cup unsalted butter,more for baking sheet

¾ Cup Buttermilk,more if needed (can be substituted with whole milk)

Its easy to make buttermilk at home – Mix 1 Cup of milk(minus one tbsp of milk)+ a tbsp of white vinegar.Stir and allow it to rest for 5mins and use in any recipes.

Method: Preheat oven at 425F. Grease the baking sheet.Sift flour,Baking Powder and salt into a medium bowl.Add butter and cut into small pieces using a mixer or 2 round bladed knives.Rub the mixture with you fingertips until it forms fine crumbs.Make a well in center.In a slow,steady stream,pour the buttermilk into the center of the well.Quickly toss the flour mixture and buttermilk with a fork to form crumbs.{ Notes – Do not overmix the dough or the biscuits will be heavy.Add a little more buttermilk if the crumbs seem dry}.

Stir the mixture until the crumbs hold together and form a dough.Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead lightly 3-5secs.Pat the dough out to a round,1/2inch thick.Cut out rounds with the cookie cutter,patting out the trimmings and cutting additional rounds until all the dough has been used.{Don’t be tempted to make the dough smooth.The rougher the dough remains the lighter the biscuits will be}Arrange the biscuits about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.Bake the Biscuits in the heated oven until lightly browned,12-15mins.

Serve them hot from the oven with Jam and Butter.I had picked up a bottle of Raspberry and Pomegranate preserve which went very well with the biscuits.

Verdict –They are best the day they are baked. P took some with him for work the next day and complained that they weren’t as good as the previous day.The slightly tangy flavor of buttermilk is great. These Biscuits are a perfect breakfast treat.