Description
These hearty, flaky biscuits feature whole wheat flour and are ready in less than an hour.
Ingredients
- 210 grams whole wheat flour (about 1 2/3 cups)
- 90 grams all purpose flour (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for dusting
- 14 grams baking powder (4 teaspoons)
- 6 grams baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- 4 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
- 113 grams COLD unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1/2 cup, or 1 stick)
- 240 grams milk (1 cup)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- Use a pastry cutter to cut cold butter pieces into the dry ingredients, until you have a coarse, sandy mixture.
- Add cold milk to flour mixture; stir until not quite combined. The dough will be shaggy and crumbly!
- Lightly flour a cutting board; tip the dough onto the floured surface. Gently pat the dough together until it begins to hold its shape, then fold it over on itself several times and pat it into a 1-inch thick square.
- Cut dough into rounds with a 3" biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch or two of space between each one.
- Bake at 425° F for 10-15 minutes until biscuits are lightly browned.
Notes
Use a kitchen scale. Measuring ingredients like flour by volume (with a measuring cup) is notoriously unreliable: For best results, use a kitchen scale and measure your ingredients by weight using the gram measurements above.
Keep your dough as cold as possible. Small pieces of cold butter melt away in the oven, leaving flaky, pull-apart layers. Use very cold butter and milk when you mix the biscuit dough, and work quickly to keep the butter from softening too much as you shape the biscuits.
No pastry cutter? Use clean hands to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
Additions and Substitutions. Use cold coconut oil in place of butter if you like. Swap the milk for buttermilk or coconut milk. Add a few turns of fresh ground black pepper, a handful of shredded cheese (parmesan, sharp cheddar, gruyere), or a Tablespoon of lemon zest to the dry ingredients for an extra flavor boost. Add some fresh chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, chives).
Use aluminum-free baking powder. Bob’s Red Mill and Rumford both make good ones! If you’re using a baking powder with added aluminum, you may notice a slightly bitter or metallic taste in your baked goods. If you’re sensitive to the flavor of baking powder even with an aluminum-free brand, you can add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the biscuit dough along with the milk to cut some of the metallic taste.
