Discovering two different meanings for biscuits

My home has becoming quite an infusion of traditions ever since I married a Brit, and I love it. Marrying someone from another culture has helped push me to try new things and has has opened my eyes to new tastes and even new names for ingredients.  If you said you were having a biscuit to someone here in the UK they would think of what as an American I would call a cookie. But when someone says biscuits to me I immediately think about this buttery, warm pastry with strawberry jam; one of my favorite breakfast treats. Thankfully my husband agrees that these are a must keep tradition so now in my home we have two different kinds of biscuits. For me this is the best recipe I have come across and I am delighted to share it with you. I hope for all of my UK readers that you too can enjoy too different kinds of biscuits in your home.

Buttermilk Biscuits

218g (1 3/4 cups) plain flour; more as needed for shaping the dough

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

2-1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

113g. (8 Tbs.) very cold unsalted butter

119mL (3/4 c.) cold buttermilk*

*When I lived in the US I always kept powdered buttermilk on hand for moments when I needed it like this. But that option is not available here in the UK so I have had to use other methods of achieving the same result. There are two different ways to substitute buttermilk. One use 1/2 non-fat plain yogurt and 1/2 non-fat milk; or 3/4 c of non-fat milk, squeeze half a lemon into the milk and allow to stand in room temperature for 30 minutes.

 

Heat the oven to 500°F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk to distribute the ingredients evenly. With a sharp knife or a bench knife, cut the cold butter into small pieces. Toss the butter bits into the bowl with the flour mixture. Blend the butter and the flour together with either a fork or a pastry mixer until the butter is evenly crumbled into the flour mixture. 

 

Pour buttermilk into the flour mixture and mix well. 

 

Make sure to not handle the pastry too much with your hands at first so that the butter and the buttermilk stay as cold as possible. But you will have to use your hands to finish kneading the flour and buttermilk together. The mixture will still be slightly sticky.

Roll out pastry onto a well floured surface and cut with circular cutter.

Place biscuits onto parchment lined baking tray.

 

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes until the biscuits are just slightly brown. Biscuits are often served with butter and jam or honey. But I also love to serve them with bacon and egg as a breakfast treat.