Baking Powder Biscuits

My biscuits were not quite as tall and after I made them; it came to my attention, the biscuit cutter needs to be super sharp. So next time I am thinking of just cutting the dough into squares with my sharp knife. This also would eliminate leftover dough scraps. Perfect with butter or jam for breakfast or for dinner. The recipe maybe found on kingarthurflour.com Be sure to read the "tips" at the end of the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 - 1 1/8 cups cold milk or buttermilk (use whole milk for the most tender biscuits)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425-degrees with rack in the upper portion. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or leave ungreased.

Measure flour by gently spooning into a cup, then sweeping off the excess.

Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.

Work the butter into the flour mixture using fingers, fork or pastry blender. 

Drizzle the smaller amount of milk evenly over the flour mixture. Mix quickly and gently for about 15 seconds, until you've made a cohesive dough. May need to use an additional 2 tablespoons milk if dough is dry.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work suface. Pat it into a rough rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Fold into thirds like a letter and roll gently with a rolling pin until dough is 3/4-inch thick again.

Cut dough into circles with a biscuit cutter or cut into squares or diamonds using a bench knife or sharp knife.

Place biscuits bottom side up on prepared baking sheet. This yields nice smooth tops. Brush with milk to enhance browning.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. 

Yields 12 biscuits. Serve warm. Freezer approved.

Tips:

Substitute buttermilk, light cream or heavy cream for whole milk, if you prefer. Use enough of whatever liquid you choose to bring the dough together readily, without working it too much. 

Placing cut biscuits closer together (1/4-inches of space between them) will help them rise highter and straighter and the sides will be soft.

If you have time, prepare the biscuits up to the point they're on the pan before preheating your oven.  Place the pan of biscuits in the refrigerator while you preheat your oven to 425-degrees, or for about 20-30 minutes. This short chill will help them maintain their shape while baking.