Honey Butter Biscuits
Being raised in the South instilled a few values in me: share what you can, be a gentleman when possible, and always have biscuits on the table. My family had their babies young, so we have what seems to be an “extra generation” compared to most of my friends’ families. My grandma’s age is closer to most people’s mothers’ age, so that’s something funny about us. But it means I got to meet my great grandma Daisy (who is still living) and my great great grandma Robbie (who is no longer with us). Yes, great great grandma - my grandfather’s mother. Crazy right?
My grandmas were always the ones who cooked all day and made family dinners happen. The men in our family haven’t been so dependable (to put it nicely) over the years, but we’ve made do just fine. Some of my favorite memories are going to Robbie’s house for supper, which was always around 3 to 4pm. The things I remember the most about her house were: being taught to say “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am,” those peppermint melt-aways in her crystal candy dish, her ridiculously sweet and delicious fudge candy, a bundt cake always under a cloche on her counter, a seemingly endless supply of biscuits or rolls wrapped inside a cloth napkin in basket, and going crabbing in the sound. She was fortunate enough to live right on the intracoastal waterway in Wilmington, so most of the time fresh caught seafood was getting cooked in her kitchen. I feel the reason I love being hospitable and making food for others comes from the love I received through food as a child. I love baking, and while I never got to bake with Robbie, I do always think of her when I’m cooking and think “I wish she could see this!” My other great grandma Daisy (and her daughter, my grandma Debbie) is still alive, and I get to cook and bake for her and the rest of the family every year at Christmas, which makes me really happy.
Recipe Notes: This is a super simple recipe and biscuits are a great place to begin working with buttery doughs. This one has a high butter quantity, but it can be lowered if you’re frightened. Keep the ingredients cold (chill the flour and butter in the freezer for a spell if you REALLY wanna go the extra mile), but most of all, have fun, don’t stress, and enjoy the biscuits. PS: if you don’t have buttermilk, you can “make it” by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 2 tsp vinegar) to 1 cup of water and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes. It will never be as good as real buttermilk, but works in a pinch.
honey butter biscuits
3 cups (360g) all purpose flour
2 sticks (228g) butter, cold and cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons (18g) baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons (7g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
1 1/4+ cups buttermilk, cold
flaky salt, for topping
for honey butter:
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat and set it aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and one teaspoon salt with a whisk. Add cold butter cubes and “break” them into the dry mixture by smashing and pinching with your thumb and fingers. Continue until the butter is mostly broken in with some large chunks remaining.
Pour the buttermilk into the center of the bowl. Immediately stir (using big movements rather than small) to get all of the flour wet. If a dough is not forming you may need another dash of buttermilk. After stirring a couple times, dump the mixture onto a clean work surface. Add an extra sprinkle of flour as needed (just to prevent sticking) and knead the mixture into a dough, then shape it into a rectangle.
Roll the rectangle to 4x its length and fold the top half and bottom half in towards the center so they meet each other, then fold the entire rectangle in half again. This will create 4 layers of dough. Roll the dough to about 1/2 - 3/4” thick and cut into 8 squares (or use a biscuit cutter).
Place the biscuits on the baking sheet and egg wash (one egg + one tablespoon milk) the tops of the biscuits, then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until well-browned on the tops. Eat warm with butter, honey, eggs, bacon — you choose! The biscuits will last a couple days if kept in an airtight container at room temp.
Hi! If you liked this recipe, let me know! Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you try it - and feel free to DM me any questions. Happy Baking :)