Buttermilk Yeast Biscuits

These Buttermilk Yeast Biscuits utilize a starter made from the buttermilk dry yeast cakes I made a few days ago.

Make the starter the night before you want to bake the biscuits, and let it sit overnight. Then put the starter in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the biscuits. These biscuits are a little different than your average biscuits; they are square and flaky but definitely good.

Buttermilk Yeast Biscuits
Recipe is from Sourdough Breads and Coffee Cakes by Ada Lou Roberts

Ingredients:

Starter:

• 1 cake homemade Buttermilk Dry Yeast (or 1 package commercial dry yeast)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 cups Buttermilk
• Flour

Biscuit Dough:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons soft lard (I used shortening)
• 1/2 cup flour
• Soft butter or margarine

Directions:

Starter:
I started this process last night and let the starter sit overnight. Then I put it in the refrigerator until I was ready to make the biscuits this evening.


Dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Scald the buttermilk and cool to just warm. Add yeast and enough flour (about 1 cup) to the buttermilk to make a thick but pourable batter.

Pour into glass jar.



Set in warm place to rise.




Stir down and store, covered, in refrigerator.



Making the biscuits:

Take 1 1/2 cups of the starter, add 1 cup of flour sifted with 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and add 2 tablespoons soft lard. I don't normally have lard on hand so I used shortening instead.

Stir in about 1/2 cup more flour to make dough stiff enough to handle easily.

Turn out on pastry board, knead lightly. Roll out into square not more than 1/4-inch thick.




Spread with soft butter or margarine. Cut into 1 1/2-inch strips.




Stack four deep and cut into 1 1/2-inch squares.





The biscuits can be baked immediately in oven preheated to 425 degrees F. until golden brown, stored in the refrigerator for later baking or set in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours before baking. The flavor and texture are wonderful whatever method is used. The layers partially separate, brown beautifully on the edges and are as tender and flaky as pie crust.

I let the biscuits sit for about 45 minutes before I baked them.



Here are the biscuits ready to be eaten. I could hardly get the picture taken. My son had his hand ready to snatch one. I guess that's a good thing.




To replenish the starter:

Add 1 cup of scalded, cooled buttermilk and 1 cup of flour each time to the starter left in the jar, allow to rise, stir down and return to the refrigerator.


Happy Baking!
Cathy