Flaky Folded Biscuits

Another biscuit recipe, this time from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (author of the Food Lab). He posted it on the NYT site, but that’s probably behind a paywall for you, so here’s the recipe:

These biscuits rely on frozen grated butter to create an extra light and crispy texture. The dough can be gently kneaded together, rolled and cut into biscuits using a biscuit cutter or knife before baking, but this method of folding and rolling produces more flaky layers. The final step of rolling the dough like a jellyroll, flattening it, and cutting it into triangles results in triangular biscuits that gently fan apart in layers that are perfect for catching extra butter and jam, or for pulling apart with your fingertips. If the dough or butter feels like it is getting warm or greasy at any point, transfer the dough to a rimmed baking sheet and place in the freezer for five minutes before proceeding.

Ingredients
Yield:8 biscuits

½ cup/120 milliliters cold whole milk
⅓ cup/85 grams whole milk Greek-style yogurt (preferably 5% milk fat)
2 level cups/285 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter, frozen (2 sticks; you will not use all of it)

Preparation

Step 1
Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and yogurt; place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Step 3
Place a large plate or small rimmed baking sheet on top of a kitchen scale and zero the scale. Remove the butter from the freezer and unwrap it. Using a flat, open hand, position the butter lengthwise against the large holes of a box grater. Grate as much butter as you can without grating your fingers or hand until you have a total of 5 ounces/140 grams grated frozen butter.

Step 4
Immediately transfer the grated butter to the large bowl with the flour mixture and toss gently with your fingertips until the butter is thoroughly coated in the flour mixture and no clumps of butter remain.

Step 5
Add the refrigerated milk-yogurt mixture to the large bowl and fold the mixture until it forms a very rough, shaggy ball. Dump the mixture out onto a generously floured countertop and, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, knead four to five times until dough just holds together. Flatten into a rough 4-inch square with your hands.

Step 6
Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture out into a rough 12-inch square, flouring generously as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter or the rolling pin. Using a bench scraper, fold the sides of the square across the center in thirds like a business letter. Flatten gently with your hand, then fold the top and bottom thirds into the center to form a rough 4-inch square. Flatten the square out with your hands.

Step 7
Roll the square out into a 12-inch square again. Starting at the bottom edge, roll the dough up like a jelly roll into a tight log. Lay the log seam-side down, then press into a rough 3-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle crosswise into four 3-by-3-inch squares, then cut each square across the diagonal to form 2 triangles (for a total of 8 triangles). Transfer the triangles to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them out evenly.

Step 8
Melt 3 tablespoons of the remaining butter and brush it over the tops of the biscuits. Bake until golden brown and puffed, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove biscuits from oven and brush the tops with a little more melted butter. Allow to cool slightly, then serve.

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9 Responses to Flaky Folded Biscuits

  1. Lucille's avatar Lucille says:

    They look delicious, Stella!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Menagerie's avatar Menagerie says:

    I grate frozen butter in my biscuits, but I have found it works best to add a tablespoon or two, toss in flour, then add a bit more and toss, until I have all the butter in. Not as hard to keep it frozen, and the distribution works better for me.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Stella's avatar Stella says:

      Mornin’ Menage! What do you think about the yogurt?

      Liked by 2 people

      • Menagerie's avatar Menagerie says:

        I may someday try it for curiousity’s sake, but so far, all the recipes I’ve tried that deviate from good old buttermilk just don’t cut it. Seems to me like people go to a lot of effort to find something new that works when buttermilk is tried and true.

        That being said, I’m a Southerner, we love our biscuits, and the good Lord knows we are set in our ways. So every once in a blue moon, I try something new out, just to be sure. I changed how I make gravy a little, and that sure made an improvement, so I’m due for an update effort on biscuits!

        Liked by 1 person

        • Stella's avatar Stella says:

          I prefer buttermilk too for baking, but sometimes it just isn’t available. Kroger near me carries it (real fat buttermilk), and I just ran out today!

          ADD: I mean the type with just “cultured milk and salt” in the ingredient list. The other ones have all kinds of thickeners and other crap in them.

          Liked by 2 people

          • Stella's avatar Stella says:

            Same is true for yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese. You really have to read the ingredient labels.

            Liked by 2 people

            • Menagerie's avatar Menagerie says:

              I am really having to go deeper into label reading and researching ingredients and levels of stuff like phosphorus than I ever wanted too.

              My serious problem is that cooking has been spontaneous and impulsive for me, and I love that. It simply isn’t possible for me to be that way anymore.

              Right now I’m alternating between not knowing what the heck to eat and not wanting to bother with the aggravation, and thinking about being the person who comes up with some awesome choices for renal diet recipes. Because damned if I can find any really good looking ones so far.

              Liked by 1 person

              • Stella's avatar Stella says:

                Does the diet limit protein? The only thing I know about it is when my dog Stella had kidney failure. Of course that was much more serious and it caused severe anemia too.

                Liked by 1 person

                • Menagerie's avatar Menagerie says:

                  I’ll find out more after I see the kidney doctor next week, hopefully dial it in some, but for most people on a renal diet, protein is limited, for some to a great degree. And they want you most,y off red meat which I hate.

                  Liked by 1 person

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