Cowboy and Ranch Recipes
Mountain Cowboy Brown Biscuits
This classic buttermilk biscuit has a ratio of three parts dry ingredients to one part tangy liquid, which creates a dough that bakes high, fluffy, and crisp-crusted. Brown biscuits are traditional Southwest breakfast fare with honey and butter.
Yield: 16 large biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons each all-purpose flour and cornmeal, mixed, for sprinkling
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, lard, or solid vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into pieces
- 1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with the flour and cornmeal.
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with no large chunks of butter. If the butter gets very soft, refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Add the buttermilk, stirring just to moisten all the ingredients. The dough will be moist, then stiffen while stirring. It should be slightly shaggy, but not sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently about 10 times, or just until the dough holds together smoothly.
- Roll or pat out the dough into a rectangle about 1 1/4 inches thick. Take care not to add too much flour, or the biscuits will be tough. Cut with a floured knife into 16 equal squares.
- Place on the baking sheet no more than 1/2 inch apart.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let rest a few minutes and serve hot.
Notes
Variation: Add 1 cup dried blueberries or chopped pitted dates to the dough.
Attribution
existentialmoo