Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits (Page 1 of 3)

Ill get a flight from Wales, prob take years, keep me some chicken & buttermilk sounds good. lol

minimal chill time... but the hubby took the kids off to a show at the middle school so I am at least ALONE.  Stopped for a minute to throw some chocolate brownies in the oven and thought I'd check in quick.

Old Doll... Buttermilk Biscuits are an everyday Southern affair in the states... I imagine our crew from N. Carolina will agree there's nothing like a homemade buttermilk biscuit with... well... just about anything!  LOL!  I honestly found this recipe online and it's very good (better than in any of my cookbooks!)  Enjoy!  Oh... and sorry... measurements are in cups and spoons!

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (cold from the fridge)
3/4 Cup buttermilk (keep it cold)

-Oven to 450 degrees F
-mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl **I like mine a TOUCH sweet... so I add about a tablespoon of sugar to the dry ingredients (I've never seen this in a buttermilk biscuit recipe so try at your own risk LOL!)**
-cut the butter into the flour mixture (using a pastry blender or food processor... till appears as course crumbs)
-add the buttermilk and mix GENTLY with a fork until JUST combined (just want to get everything wet)... it will be a sticky mess... perfect!
-turn dough out onto a very LIGHTLY floured mixing surface
-with floured hands very gently PAT the dough out to about 1/2" (inch) thick ... DO NOT USE A ROLLING PIN
-using a FLOURED round cutter (cookie cutter, or turned over coffee cup works well), cut into rounds and place onto an UNgreased cookie sheet (or silicone cooking sheet, or parchment lined cookie sheet... whatever you like they all work here!)  If you want the sides soft, place them just touching (these ones will rise higher)... if you like the sides crunchy place about 1 inch apart
-you can knead the scraps together to make a few more, but they aren't going to be a GREAT as the rest... ever so gently... never over work!
-Bake for about 10-15 minutes... you're looking for them to have risen and be a very light golden on top and bottom... if you over bake they get hard and the bottoms burn.  If you're not going to bake them right away, stick them in the fridge to keep the butter from getting soft.  You could also freeze these and take one or two out at a time and bake as needed.

The KEY... is do not handle the dough too much... not only will the butter melt from the heat of your hands, but the gluten will become activated in the flour and create tougher biscuits.  (I love watching the cooking shows)

Here's the wiki on it!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk

It's still cows milk... but traditionally it's the milk left after churning butter out of cream that's been sitting a bit and is slightly fermented.  It's a bit thicker and acidic (ads a sour taste but not as strong as sourdough bread).  None of it is "traditional" anymore... but has the similar flavor.  I don't keep it on hand, but what I do keep on hand is a powdered buttermilk that I add to water to create buttermilk for recipes.

Not yet! You have to try some!
I really don't like Butter Milk but I do like some things made with it.

I agree with deadstring... you are not truly enlightened until you actually have tried some!  Follow the directions, they're really easy to make and the big trick is MINIMAL handling (which actually makes it easier to make than lots of other things).  If you use a food processor to cut the butter in, it should only take a few seconds (a couple pulses)... make sure not to overdo it and actually whip the butter... you want it to look all crumbly!  If you don't have a food processor OR a pastry blender you can use two knives... and in the good ole days Grandma used her fingertips ... but again... minimal working because you don't want to actually melt the butter, just mix it into the flour mixture! 

yeah... and I ONLY use buttermilk for baking... that stuff just tastes yucky on it's own!

It might be easier just to go to the grocery store and buy some buttermilk biscuts or pancake mix all you have to do is add water or milk not as good as home made but not to bad

Ok my friend... we cannot have you going for much longer without ever having buttermilk biscuits!  I did a quick google search for some translations and here's what I have for you (mind you, some of this may be "Spanish" not Portuguese... I looked it up, I really don't have a clue!)

Baking Powder = Fermento Artificial ??? directly it is:  fermento em pó ... another option:  polvo de hornear
Baking Soda = fermento royal ... or bicarbonato de sodio/soda/sosa

It's possible they might have some UHT buttermilk...  My family would have a hard time there, or in Alaska... with 5 in this house, we drink about a gallon a day!  The powdered buttermilk comes in a canister and you just mix it with water... so there's a good chance you have that there for purchase (maybe).  Same idea as powdered milk. 

Buy a Pastry Blender (they MUST have these)!  They are cheap (about $5 in the states) and look like this

You hold onto the handle part there and push down and rock... It just cuts the butter into little pieces as the flour mixes in with it (plus, you'll be able to make all sorts of goodies like tarts and pie crusts  ha ha!)

As for the Gaviscon... I can't help you there... LOL!  I'd like to believe these wouldn't bother you ...   but then I've been lucky to never have major stomach or heartburn issues (knocking on wood as I type this)

---- Send you some... hmmm... How fast is shipping from NY USA to Portugal?  I'm afraid they'd get moldy or something before they got there!  Is it legal to ship baked goods there?  Look into it and let me know!  I'll try it!!!!!  Or... I could just ship the ingredients you need!  I can throw in a package of Rolaids or Tums too!  LMAO!  ---

Russell has an excellent idea there... look around, there must be some bakeries????  (when I feel like cheating, Pillsbury makes a bake at home option... purchase in the dairy section usually... they come in a tube - but no, not the same as homemade)

Lena -- You are VERY welcome!  I hope they turn out wonderful for you!  I LOVE to bake... and my reminder to you is the "do not over work the dough" ... I enjoy baking breads a lot too and it's really difficult for me sometimes to leave this dough alone when I'm so used to kneading yeast breads! 

mmmm  those busciuts sound real good, I leave the baking to my lady, I wanted to be a short order cook, I was too tall. he he  ...

badeye   

GOOD LUCK ROGER!  I hope you can find the buttermilk!  I'm glad to hear you're a good cook... otherwise by this time next year I would have HAD to spend a lot of money on postage sending you some homemade goodies that I thought would make it!  Yes... I'm always sending home goodies with friends/family/ and over to the teachers at school!  LOL!  I really did mean it too... I'd have attempted to send them off if you really wanted me to! 

Badeye... I was a short order cook for a bit (breakfast foods only)... I think I was a bit too short!  hee hee!

NELA... your LA biscuits sound like downright greasy homecooking goodness at it's best!  They sound delish!    I imagine they're rather similar in taste... selfrising flour in lieu of baking powder... oil in lieu of butter... and your flavor no doubt is coming from that very well seasoned Cast Iron skillet right?  Grandma was raised on a farm, she cooked everything in a cast iron skillet!

Chordie continues to amaze. Amy introducing good ol' southern buttermilk biscuits to all of Europe. The interweb is a great place. :-)

After seeing those photos I am booking the next flight to Ireland and fasting before I go.

Roger

The Power of Chordie...Ya gotta love it

Happy Birthday to your son MKM and Happy Birthing Day to You