Angel Buttermilk Biscuits

It's been a long hard road to get to good biscuits. Many (and I do mean many) recipes have been tried and there have been many (and I do mean many) disappointments. But thankfully Slate.com's Thanksgiving post on biscuits/rolls came through. A yeast-y biscuit that doesn't require a long wait time and they are buttery and fluffy as the day is long. Finally, the biscuit odyssey is complete!

Yield: 25-30 biscuits

Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients 

2 1/4 ounce packets active dry yeast

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter

2 cups buttermilk

Method

1. Heat the oven 425 degrees F. Combine the yeast with 1/4 cup warm water- about the same temperature as the inside of your wrist- in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add 1 cup (2 sticks) of the butter and blend with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and the yeast mixture and stir until just combined, then transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead 5 or 6 times (don't over knead!).

3. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it's 3/4 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or class and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet with the edges of the rounds touching. Gather up the dough scraps, roll them out, and repeat. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.

4. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat (or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave.) Brush the biscuits with the melted butter. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Cheddar, Bacon, and Chive Biscuits

Biscuits. More importantly, American biscuits. Savory, cheesy, bacon-y biscuits. The perfect bread product to accompany Thanksgiving dinner. Now, most Americans have "views" when it comes to what constitutes the perfect biscuit. Buttermilk? Milk? Knead? No-knead? There are a variety of choices when it comes to these treats. I don't have a particular preference as it stands, but I know I've done something right when I can't stop eating them.

I picked this recipe out of the multitude on epicurious.com because of the no-fail combination of cheese and bacon. Oh, and the 11,000 reviews which insisted that these were "literally" the best biscuits out there. And who am I to doubt? It can't be denied, they were warm gooey things, with a nice hint of cheese and bacon. But I am not one for subtlety. If I were to make these again, I'd ramp up the cheddar and bacon- make these things oozing with flavors. Also, as they weren't "formed" biscuits (i.e. made with a cookie or biscuit cutter), they were a bit unrefined. Now this has absolutely nothing to do with taste. But if you're presenting these to a crowd, the nice rounded "formed" biscuits do have a nice aesthetic appeal. Hey, call me a snob. But it's true.

Ingredients

6 thick-cut bacon slices
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus melted butter for brushing
2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk

Method

Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter cubes. Blend until coarse meal forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Add cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and chopped bacon; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).

Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.

Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired.

Ratatouille and Sausage Potpie With Cornmeal Biscuits

as always, from the NY Times
Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

FOR THE CORNMEAL BISCUITS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt
Milk

FOR THE RATATOUILLE:
1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds) cut into 1-inch chunks
3 small zucchini ( 3/4 pound), cut into 1-inch chunks
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 red pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil.

Preparation

1. For the biscuits: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Fold in the sour cream. Gently knead mixture until it comes together in a ball, adding a drop or two of milk if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. For the ratatouille: In a bowl, toss eggplant and zucchini with 5 tablespoons oil; season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread vegetables in a single layer on one or two large baking sheets (do not crowd vegetables). Transfer to oven and roast, tossing occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep, preferably oven-proof sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Crumble sausage into pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Return pan to medium heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Stir in the onion, pepper, garlic and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and thyme sprigs; simmer gently until tomatoes are cooked and mixture is stew-like, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sausage, roasted vegetables and parsley. If you are not using an oven-safe pan, transfer mixture to a 2-quart gratin dish or baking pan.
5. Divide biscuit dough into six equal balls. Use your palm to flatten each ball into a 1/2 -inch-thick disk. Arrange on top of ratatouille mixture. Brush biscuits lightly with milk.
6. Transfer skillet or pan to oven and cook until biscuits are golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 servings.