Buttermilk Biscuits

Illustration by Julia Rothman

These biscuits have a light and crumbly texture that some of us find irresistible. You can make thinner, smaller biscuits if you wish, yielding more. Makes a baker’s dozen 2-inch biscuits.

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar, if desired
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 to 8 (3 to 4 ounces) tablespoons cold lard in small clumps
About ¾ cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold lard and rub it in with your fingertips until the texture is smooth. Quickly stir in the buttermilk to make a soft dough.

On a lightly floured board, with cold hands, knead the dough briefly. Roll or pat it out to ½-inch thickness and stamp out rounds with a cutter. Place them apart on a baking sheet. Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until pale golden brown.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2013 issue as part of a larger story on Lard.