Description
With a tender crumb, these gluten-free buttermilk biscuits have the slight tang of buttermilk, crisp edges with a soft and fluffy center. They’re perfect served warm with a generous spread of butter or alongside cozy soups and stews. Alternatively, enjoy them with apple butter or your favorite jam.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups gluten free measure-for-measure baking flour, plus 1-2 tablespoons more for sprinkling surface
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your gluten-free blend already contains it)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons very cold butter, cut in chunks
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: Combine gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cut Butter into Flour Mixture: Using a pastry cutter, cut in cold butter into the flour and break down until pea size. Texture should be coarse and mealy.
- Add Egg and Buttermilk: Make a well in the center of the bowl, whisk egg and add into center followed by the buttermilk. Mix using a spatula until all ingredients are evenly combined. Dough should be sticky, but not too wet.
- Transfer Dough to Parchment and Fold: Dust a tablespoon of flour on parchment paper and place your dough on top, dust the top with a little more flour. (NOTE: Do NOT roll out the dough). Fold a third of the dough over itself and then fold the other third over, dusting flour on top if needed. Let the dough chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator (this is essential for a flaky texture).
- Shape Folded Dough into Round Disc: Once chilled, shape into a 7-inch round and 2-inch-thick disc.
- Cut out Circles and Chill: Using a 2-inch round cutter to cut out the dough, press down without twisting. Reshape any remaining scraps of dough and cut again with round cutter until all the dough is used (you should get 12 biscuits). Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet 1.5 inches apart. Chill the dough circles for 15 minutes in the freezer.
- Bake Until Golden Brown: Once chilled, bake the biscuit dough in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve warm with butter (or alone) and enjoy!
Notes
Gluten-Free Flour Blend: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend (a 1:1 gluten-free substitute for regular wheat flour) that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch and potato starch) for a lighter texture. I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free flour blend that is made up of heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour) as that will result in a denser final texture.
Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours, and helps to better bind the ingredients together. If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t already include xanthan gum, make sure to add it in.
Baking Powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent in this gluten-free biscuit recipe, and is required to help the biscuit dough rise. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use gluten-free baking powder.
Sugar: I added sugar for a hint of sweetness, but if you rather not, simply leave out the sugar. I used white sugar, but cane sure or light brown sugar will work just as well.
Buttermilk: Since this is a recipe for buttermilk biscuits, buttermilk is a key ingredient here. You can either use store-bought buttermilk, or make your own by combining 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, then let it sit in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. If you are lactose-intolerant, you can make dairy-free buttermilk by combining 1 cup of unsweetened non-dairy milk (such as almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk, oat milk or soy milk) with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, and letting it sit for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
Butter: For the flakiest texture, make sure that your butter is very cold when using it. If you are lactose-intolerant, you may use dairy-free butter (vegan butter) instead.
Egg: The egg helps to better bind the ingredients together as well as to give the dough moisture. So make sure to include it in.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Chilling Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
