Modified Martha Buttermilk Biscuits

This is not an original or cobbled together recipe by me. It is a straight-from-Martha's-mouth recipe. I am in love with Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook cookbook. These were probably the best biscuits I've ever made. I added cheese to half the batch and those were even better!!! I did modify the instructions a bit but that is it. You really shouldn't mess with Martha too much.

(Modified Martha) Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) cold butter, chopped up

1 3/4 cups buttermilk plus more for brushing

OPT: 1 1/2 to 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. 

Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

*Note: I used my mixer for these steps. You can use it for the next but DON'T OVER MIX or you'll get weird fluffyish biscuits, changing the consistency of the dough. 

Add in the buttermilk.

* ANOTHER NOTE: I didn't have any buttermilk, surprise, surprise since I don't usually cook with froo-froo type ingredients. So I made my own. Just put 1 Tbsp vinegar per cup of milk in a measuring cup. So for this I used 1 Tbsp and 2 tsps for the 1 3/4 cup milk. Stir it in the cup and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Then add it to the mixture.

The original recipe calls for turning the dough onto a floured surface, folding/working the dough and then cutting it out with a biscuit round. Like I said, I'm not a froo-froo baker so I went with the stickier version of the dough. If your dough is dry, just add a bit more milk til its sticky. 

Spoon onto a sprayed/buttered baking sheet in messy globs. Brush the tops with extra buttermilk (or butter for a golden glaze). 

VARIATION: If you want them to be the scrumptious slightly crunchy cheesy versions, add 3 cups of sharp shredded cheddar. I did half a batch of each and added only 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Bake about 10 minutes but it really depends on your oven. They will get slightly brown because of the milk. You want them still soft in the middle but not doughy.

TOPPINGS: On the plain ones we used either honey or I enjoyed molasses straight from the jar. Yum, scrum! On the cheese biscuits, real butter is your best friend.

Next stop? I'm adding mulberries and trying out a sweet version of these! Cross your fingers...