Ingredients:
- 2½ cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (490g) buttermilk
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
Equipment:
- A cast iron skillet, preferably well-seasoned (your 100-year-old one sounds perfect!)
- Medium mixing bowl
- Spatula or wooden spoon
Instructions:
- Preheat the Oven:
- Set your oven to 450°F (230°C) and allow it to preheat fully while you prepare the ingredients.
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and kosher salt. Use a whisk or fork to mix them together evenly.
- Add Buttermilk:
- Slowly pour 2 cups of buttermilk into the dry ingredients. Stir gently using a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure to mix only until the ingredients are just combined—you don’t want to overwork the dough, as this could make the biscuits dense instead of light and fluffy.
- Melt the Butter in the Skillet:
- Place the stick of butter in the cast iron skillet. Put the skillet in the preheated oven and let the butter melt completely, which will take about 2-4 minutes. Keep an eye on it to avoid burning.
- Once melted, carefully remove the skillet from the oven using oven mitts and set it on a heatproof surface.
- Spread the Dough:
- Without mixing the dough into the butter, spoon the dough into the hot skillet, directly on top of the melted butter. Use a spatula or your hands to gently spread the dough evenly to the edges of the skillet. The dough will be soft and sticky, so don’t worry if it looks a bit rustic!
- Cut the Dough:
- Using a knife or spatula, cut the unbaked dough into 9-12 pieces (depending on the size of biscuits you prefer). These cuts will help the biscuits pull apart more easily after baking.
- Bake:
- Place the skillet back into the oven and bake for about 22 minutes. Rotate the skillet halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning.
- Keep an eye on the biscuits; if the tops start to brown too quickly, you can loosely cover the skillet with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
- Check for Doneness:
- The biscuits are done when they are golden brown on top and spring back to the touch. You can also insert a toothpick or skewer into the center—it should come out clean.
- Allow the Butter to Absorb:
- Once out of the oven, let the biscuits rest for about 5 minutes in the skillet. This allows the melted butter at the bottom of the pan to soak into the biscuits, making them extra buttery and delicious.
- Serve:
- Carefully remove the biscuits from the skillet and serve warm. These biscuits are perfect on their own or with a little bit of jam, honey, or gravy!
Notes:
- If you don’t have bread flour, you can substitute all-purpose flour, but bread flour will give the biscuits a slightly chewier texture.
- For a bit of extra flavor, you can sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top of the biscuits before baking.
Enjoy your Butter Swim Biscuits—a perfect use for that treasured cast iron skillet!