Pies & Thighs Biscuits

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and since I can't find the photo of the Sweet Potato Pound Cake I was going to post, I made biscuits instead.

This is now my favorite biscuit. Not just because of the name Pies 'n' Thighs, for the restaurant from whence they came, but I do enjoy saying the name, over and over, a biscuit making mantra. For a northern gal, I have made and eaten hundreds of biscuits. I have have rolled and patted, because even if tonight's dinner is just a salad, a good biscuit completes the meal.

This is a soft and flaky biscuit, yet almost meaty in its satisfying bite. Perfect with fried chicken (thighs!) or with smoked ham leftover turkey in a sandwich, but delicious fresh with good honey for breakfast.

These seem like a lot of work, but not really. I usually start the dough after dinner the night before serving them. In the morning, I mix in the buttermilk, pat/roll them out, and put the biscuit rounds in the freezer while the oven preheats. I bake one sheet for breakfast, and leave the other pan, well-wrapped, in the freezer for another day.

Baker's Notes: These are meant to be eaten with savory foods, they are saltier than regular biscuits. I found them a bit too salty, so I cut back the kosher salt to 1 tablespoon. Pastry flour is hard to find, I've had good results making my own, using half cake flour, half all-purpose flour.

Pies & Thighs Biscuits

adapted from marthastewart.com, recipe by Sarah Buck

•     2 ¼    cup    pastry flour -- (use equal parts cake and all-purpose flours)
•     2 ½    teaspoons    sugar
•     2    tablespoons    plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
•     1    scant tablespoon    kosher salt
•     1 ½    cups  plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter -- chilled and cut into  pieces
•     6    cups    all-purpose flour -- plus more for work surface
•     3 ¼    cups    buttermilk
•     1    large    egg -- beaten
•     2    tablespoons    heavy cream (milk will work)

Place pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until well combined; add butter and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in  all-purpose flour. Chill this mixture for at least an hour. (Try doing this the night before, seal well and store in the refrigerator.)

Preheat oven to 425°F degrees. Get at least two baking sheets ready and set aside. If you plan to bake two sheets at a time, set your oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. If you want to bake one at a time, use the center rack.

Add buttermilk to chilled flour mixture and mix until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and bring together using the heel of your hand. Pat dough out to 1½ inch thick and cut into 16 biscuits using a 3-by-2-inch round biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps as necessary; transfer to baking sheet, leaving at least an inch between each biscuit. Put the filled baking sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes, this isn't absolutely necessary, but it keeps the biscuits from spreading, particularly if your kitchen is warm.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cream; brush biscuits and transfer to oven and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and continue baking until golden brown, about 20-22 minutes more. If your dough sat in the feezer overnight, add 3-4 minutes baking time.

Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before serving, they need that 5 minutes to finish baking in the middle.

Buttermilk Sandwich Loaf

For years now, we've been all about slow bread. Overnight rises, no-kneading, almost no-kneading, storing bread dough in the fridge. I've been happy to turn out crusty artisanal loaves in my dutch oven, so my bread pans have been saved for other things, like oatmeal loaves and pound cakes. Then, a few weeks ago, my life changed completely. It's not really an exaggeration. One day, I'm reading the weekly newsletter from Leite's Culinaria, and a recipe by Elinor Klivans, one of my favorite cookbook authors pops up. White sandwich bread? In about two hours, start to finish? Can't be good, it's just not right. But Elinor Klivans and I go back a few years, she written many wonderful cookbooks, my favorite being 125 Cookies to Bake, Nibble and Savor.

I know its a bit odd to get so excited about a loaf of white sandwich bread, but really, this bread is not only delicious, but quick and easy to make. There's only one rise, and it's in the pan. I don't have to plan my whole afternoon around a slow rise, this one is ready in about 45 minutes.

I'm not giving up my no-knead breads, but I feel like I just learned a whole new skill.

Baker's Notes: I've made this multiple times, it's quite a forgiving recipe. Unbleached flour is better, but all-purpose will work fine. I like the color and flavor a bit of whole wheat flour adds, so I replaced just ½ cup of the white flour in the first addition. It's better with buttermilk, but you can use a couple spoonfuls of plain yogurt stirred into regular milk in a pinch.

The recipe as written seems to propose letting the dough rise in the pan only up to the rim. I let my dough crest about 1 inch over the rim. You will want to use a timer, both to time the mixer and the rise, the former is longer than usual and the later is much shorter. Warming the buttermilk isn't tricky, mine always seems to break or curdle right about 130°, so if you don't have a thermometer, try using that as an indicator.

Buttermilk Sandwich Loaf
adapted from Fast Breads: 50 Recipes for Easy, Delicious Bread

• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk (any fat content)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter,  cold or room temperature, plus more for slicking the pan
• 3 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I subbed ½ cup whole wheat flour)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon wheat bran (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ¼ teaspoons (a ¼-ounce packet) instant yeast
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons melted butter for brushing the loaf

Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-in loaf pan. My pan is actually a bit larger, it works fine.

In a small saucepan, heat the buttermilk and butter over medium heat until it registers about 130ºF(54°C) on an instant-read or candy thermometer. My buttermilk breaks every time, don't worry, it'll be fine. Remove from the heat.

In a stand mixer fit with the flat beater, mix together 1½ cups of the flour (or 1 cup flour, and ½ cup whole wheat flour), the sugar, wheat bran (if using), salt, and yeast on low speed just until combined. Add the warm buttermilk mixture and mix until all the ingredients are smooth and combined. Add the egg and continue beating for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1¾ cups flour and continue mixing for 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and will not come away from the sides of the bowl. 

Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and brush the top with the melted butter. Cover the pan loosely with waxed paper and let the dough rise to within 1 inch of the top of the pan (I let my dough rise to about an inch over the rim), about 25-40 minutes. Set your timer, otherwise you'll forget, guess how I know? Position a rack in the middle or lower third of the oven and preheat it to 375ºF.

Bake the loaf until the top feels firm and is browned, about 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto the rack and let cool completely before slicing. Keeps well in a plastic bag for at least 3 days.