Easy flaky biscuits

Simple and flaky and perfect when slathered in a tonne of butter.

Buttery and golden and very good. Credit: SBS VICELAND / It's Suppertime

• makes

  7-8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2½ cups (380 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 6 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp kosher salt
• 115 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

Heat the oven to 210°C / 425°F. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and kosher salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until it resembles a course crumb. Gently fold in buttermilk and knead to incorporate.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a 2cm (¾ in) thick rectangle and fold the dough over onto itself a total of 5 or 6 times (see Note). Pat the dough out again into a rectangle and, using a 6cm (2½-inch) biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits making sure to cut straight down and up, instead of twisting the cutter as you are pulling it out of the dough (twisting can seal the edges of the dough, not allowing the layers of the biscuit to form properly or rise). This should give you 7-8 biscuits (see Note0.

Transfer biscuits to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with butter.

Note

• In It’s Suppertime, Matty cuts the dough into three pieces and stacks them before patting out and cutting. Both will give you the layers necessary for a flaky biscuit.

• You can re-roll the scraps to give more biscuits, but they will have a different texture. Alternatively, you can cut the dough into square biscuits.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.