Breakfast for Dinner

So far, our summer weather has been typical.  Hot and humid.  But today, the high is 70 F.  It is actually a bit chilly out.  It is so refreshing, especially being August 1.

We've been having breakfast for dinner once a week for awhile now.  Last night we had bacon, green peppers and onion scrambled eggs, potatoes and biscuits.  I'm not a huge biscuit lover like the big guy is but I have to say they were very good.

Most recipes for southern biscuits call for lard instead of butter.  I prefer to use butter. These biscuits are very flakey and tender. This recipe is from The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.

1/2 Cup buttermilk

1/2 Cup sour cream

2 Cups Flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick of cold butter

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 425 F.  Whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and process until blended, about 3 seconds.  Scatter the cold butter evenly over the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal and the largest butter pieces are about 1/ inch at their widest.  Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until combined.  Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until it just comes together, adding extra flour as necessary. 

With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12 inch square.  Using a bench scraper, fold the right third of the dough over the center, then fold the left third over so you end up with a 12 x4 inch rectangle.  Fold the top third down over the center, then fold the bottom third up so the whole thing is reduced to a 4 inch square.  Press the square down and roll out again into a 12 inch square.  Repeat the folding process one more time.

Roll the dough again into a 12 inch square.  Cut six 4 inch rounds out of the dough.  Transfer the rounds to a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Roll up the scraps and press out two more biscuits.

Brush the top of the biscuits with melted butter and bake until golden brow and well risen, about 15 minutes. Rotating the pan about half way through the baking time.

*I like to keep a container of cultured buttermilk blend in the refrigerator.  You simply mix with water.  I don't buy buttermilk because I would never use it up before it would expire.  This stuff is handy and for baking works beautifully. I buy The Saco Pantry blend.  The ingredients are: A cultured blend of sweet cream buttermilk, sweet dairy whey and lactic acid.