I’ve said it before, I’m a huge fan of baking with buttermilk! This recipe was given to me by a cousin at least 100 years ago and is so good! Serve warm with a main course salad or soup, as a snack or for breakfast…with a little orange marmalade is how I like to have them for breakfast. The recipe can easily be doubled and the biscuits freeze well; simply reheat and eat!
Makes About 10 Biscuits
½ cup natural wheat bran
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup cold butter
½ cup+ of coarsely grated extra old cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment.
Place the bran in a small bowl; add the buttermilk & allow to stand. Meanwhile, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a medium sized bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, (or you can do this step in a food processor, using the pulse button then place into the bowl), until mixture resembles coarse crumbs & the butter is in tiny pieces; add the cheese & work into the flour, butter mixture until the cheese is broken up. Add the bran/buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring in with a fork. Then very gently knead the mixture to bring it together into a dough.
Pat out the dough until it is ½” thick or just slightly thicker. Either cut into squares with a knife or rounds with a biscuit cutter, then place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven & bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
