I haven’t been entirely happy with my attempts to freeze and airfry biscuits yet, but this recipe does more or less work.
2½ pounds FRESH self-rising flour (9 cups), plus more if needed
1 pound unsalted butter, frozen
4 cups whole (full-fat) buttermilk
Unsalted butter or jam, for serving (optional)
Biscuits are one of those rare things that actually improve when frozen (pie dough and cookie dough also fall into this category). It's likely about the butter. For this recipe, we use the grated frozen butter method. This technique suspends little butter flakes throughout the dough, which rise and create flaky pastry during cooking. Freezing the dough before baking ensures the fat and milk solids stay put (essential for creating a flaky result).
Biscuits bake quickly and can lean sweet or savory with ease. Use them to top a blueberry cobbler, or treat your biscuit dough like gnocchi, slicing it into small pillows or dumplings.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture, stirring and coating the butter with flour as you grate. Once all of the butter is in, use a pastry blender to distribute the butter evenly in the flour. It should have a pebbly texture.
Next, pour in the buttermilk and, using your hands (don’t do that, use a spoon), incorporate it with the flour mixture until a shaggy dough ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and, still using your hands, carefully pat it into a loaf shape, incorporating more flour as needed until the dough is not sticky and is easy to manipulate. Gently pat the dough out into an even layer about ½ inch thick.
Using a 2½-inch round biscuit cutter, and firmly pressing straight down (without twisting the cutter), punch out as many biscuits as possible. Gather up the dough scraps and gently form into a ball. Press the dough out into a 4-inch-thick layer and repeat to punch out more biscuits until you have about 24 total.
TO FREEZE: Arrange the cut biscuit dough on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for at least 4 hours or up to overnight for a formative freeze. Transfer to a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag, label and date, and freeze for up to 4 months.
TO BAKE: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the biscuits, with their edges touching, on a rimmed baking sheet and top each with a small pat of butter. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes from room temperature or 14 to 16 minutes from frozen, until puffed and golden brown on top.
Serve warm, with more butter or jam for spreading if you like.
theartofmadeline
blakekathryn
