Super-Flaky Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

Super flaky whole wheat biscuits, can they really exist? It sounds like an oxymoron, but I can assure you it's not.
     Biscuits are a something that we make a lot in this house. Whether it is as an accompaniment to a bowl of soup, the equal partner in southern biscuits and gravy, or just to eat on their own with butter and jam, they often show up on our table. Since switching us over to an organic, whole foods way of eating a few years ago, I have had a difficult time making a tender and flaky biscuit. I have made multiple batches, using different flours and techniques, and I think I have finally hit the holy grail. I adapted my hubby's favorite recipe from The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (which is an AMAZING cookbook, if you don't already own it, you should!). The key is to use a whole wheat flour that is lighter in texture, and won't result in heavy hockey pucks when baked. Whole wheat pastry flour is the answer. Using it instead of regular white or red whole wheat flour results in a light and airy biscuit with flaky layers. Something that I wasn't quite sure existed in the whole food world until now.

If you don't have whole wheat pastry flour, you can use soft white whole wheat flour, but it will be a little more dense. If you don't care about eating whole foods (whole wheat), you are more than welcome to use regular unbleached all-purpose white flour. I still would recommend that you buy organic, because of all the controversy over wheat.
But, as always, use what you have and what you and your family like. If you haven't had success making whole wheat biscuits before, then I suggest you give this recipe a try as written. It just might make you a whole foods convert.

As I mentioned earlier, these biscuits are phenomenal on their own, but our favorite way to eat them is smothered under a healthy serving of white, peppered, sawmill sausage gravy. It may not look like much, but it tastes out of this world. Yum!

Super-Flaky Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
adapted from The Food Lab

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour, (plus more for counter)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, but into 1/4 inch pieces
2 Tbsp butter melted (to brush on top)

Preheat oven to 425F. With a food processor, or a pastry cutter, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and butter until the butter is in small pea sized pieces. In a large bowl, stir together  the flour/butter mixture with the buttermilk and sour cream until just combined. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until it is just combined (adding flour as needed). Roll out the dough into a 12 inch square, and then fold in thirds (like a wallet). Press or roll the dough out again and repeat the folding process. Roll out the dough for a third time and cut into 4 inch rounds. Place them onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and brush the tops with the melted butter. Bake until golden brown (about 15 minutes, but it will vary depending on your oven).




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