Flaky Shortcake Biscuits for Strawberry Shortcake
Flaky, buttery shortcake biscuits with real layers made in 25 minutes. Lemon sugar, cold butter, and a 6-fold technique make all the difference.
Servings: 14
Calories: 332kcal
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter (very cold)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for dusting the pastry mat & dusting while rolling)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1/4 cup coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475º Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the sugar and the zest of 1 lemon in a large bowl. Use a rubber spatula to press the zest into the sugar for 20-30 seconds. It should become very aromatic. 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, zest of 1 lemon
- Add in the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk well. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter cubes to the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. If you feel the flour with your hands, you should feel the butter chunks in it. That's the texture you want so don't over mix it at this point. 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/4 cups cake flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup unsalted butter
- Add the buttermilk and mix just until combined. The dough will be slightly sticky. 2 cups buttermilk
- Turn the dough out onto a floured pastry mat and pat it into a horizontal rectangle that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Fold the left side of the rectangle over the right side and pat it out into a vertical rectangle. Fold the bottom half up to the top and press it out into a horizontal rectangle again. Repeat the steps above 3 times for a total of 6 folds. Be careful not to overwork the dough while you are doing this. The folding is what creates the pretty layers. Sprinkle a little flour on the layers if the dough starts getting sticky, but just pat gently and handle the dough lightly. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- After 6 folds, gently pat the dough into a rectangle that is about 1 inch thick. Use a sharp circle biscuit cutter and press down through the dough, then lift up. Alternatively, you can cut squares with a sharp knife. Do not twist the cookie cutter (or knife) or shuffle it around. Just push down, then pull straight up.
- Place biscuits on a silicone baking mat. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/4 cup coarse sugar
- Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425º Fahrenheit (without opening the oven) and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow the biscuits to cool and serve with sweet strawberries, peaches, raspberries or blueberries and whipped cream.
Notes
- I recommend store-bought buttermilk for best results. In a pinch, make your own: mix 1 tablespoon vinegar with enough milk to make 1 cup. Let sit for 5 minutes. Using half & half or whole milk makes a thick, rich homemade buttermilk which is closer to store-bought.
- Try adding 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the biscuit batter, too! It enhances the flavor the lightly sweet biscuits.
- Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature. Biscuits will last for 1-2 days at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 512IU | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg
