Sean Brock's Buttermilk Biscuits

A Biscuits 101 class with the chef of McCrady’s and Husk

Biscuit making is an art. Brock learned how to make them from his grandmother when he was knee-high to a grasshopper. Watch the video above to get an idea of how to make the perfect biscuit. Then practice, a lot.

1 pound White Lily self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups real buttermilk
1/4 pound cold butter taken from the freeze
salt and black pepper
all-purpose, non-self-rising flour (for dusting)
melted butter (for the pan and finished biscuits)

Below instructions are meant as a simplified guide to accompany the video.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl. Chop the butter into small pieces.  Add the butter into the flour, breaking it into smaller pieces with your fingers as you distribute it throughout the flour. Grab a different piece every time and break until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. As you break down the butter, add a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of black pepper. Once there are no big pieces of butter, make a well in the center. Add buttermilk. Work one hand around the edge of the pan to mix the flour into the buttermilk. Depending on how thick the buttermilk is, you may have to add more buttermilk or flour. (Watch the video above to learn more.)

Once the dough stops sticking to your hands, powder a cutting board with flour and dump out the dough. It should fall out in one mass. Wash your hands and rub flour on them. Knead the dough, adding all-purpose flour to the board and folding as needed. Pat down the biscuits for cutting. Brush a pan with melted butter. Punch out the biscuits by dipping a biscuit cutter in the flour. Tap it on the board, push it into the dough, twist, pull it out, and place the biscuit on the pan. The biscuits should barely touch on the pan. Spread a tiny bit of melted butter on top of the biscuits. Cook in the oven on 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Take the biscuits out of the oven and spread a small amount of butter on top.