James Beard’s excellent biscuit recipe can hardly be improved upon. But by using sour cream in the recipe, we feel the biscuits are a little creamier. If you prefer the original Beard biscuits, just omit the sour cream and double the heavy cream.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 20 biscuits
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2
Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the cream and sour cream and stir until a dough forms. Don’t overmix the dough. Form the dough into a flattened ball.
Step 3
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out rounds that are about 2 inches in diameter. Dip them into the melted butter to coat all over. Reroll the scraps with the rolling pin and cut out more biscuits until the dough has been used up.
Step 4
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the biscuits for 8 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Rotate the pans once during the baking so that the biscuits brown evenly.
Step 5
Remove the biscuits from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.