Foodie Friday: Buttermilk Biscuits (Made From Goat's Milk Buttermilk)

Well, dear reader, we have reached the end of another week. I have a rather unique take on a traditional recipe. I believe everyone has a buttermilk biscuit recipe somewhere in their cooking/baking history and recipe collection. Perhaps you don't use it every week as your grandmother did, but you've probably crossed paths with one somewhere along the way. I, too, have a buttermilk biscuit recipe I refer to. However, there are times when frozen biscuits or Pillsbury just fit the bill and the time crunch. This week, I will share my traditional recipe for buttermilk biscuits with you. However, the difference is that I will be using my own buttermilk made from our Nubian dairy goats.

The Bean and I made a video of me making butter from the cream of our goats' milk. I have a collection of antique butter churns, an exorbitant amount of goat's milk, and a husband who comes up with some pretty creative ideas. As requested by my bib overall-wearing buddy, I tried my hand at making homemade butter. A by-product of butter is buttermilk. So, it only made sense to use buttermilk to make homemade biscuits. 

I have a little family cookbook from the Schwartzentruber family from out east, and have used this recipe since the early 2000s. It's simple, almost foolproof, traditional, and delicious. It can be made using a drop biscuit method or by rolling and cutting. There is a heated debate in our house over whether to drop or cut biscuits. Guess who the pain in the a$$ is that requests the extra steps of rolling and cutting. Yeah, it's not me. Sigh. Either way, it is delicious. 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 scant cup buttermilk

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450℉.
• Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  2 cups all-purpose flour,¼ teaspoon baking soda,1 tablespoon baking powder,1 teaspoon salt,1 teaspoon sugar
• Slice cold butter into chunks and cut in until crumbly. Pea-sized pebbles are okay.
  6 tablespoons cold butter
• Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk.
  1 scant cup buttermilk
• Gently mix until everything is moistened and combined. Do not overmix.
• Place the dough onto a floured surface, and pat it into a circle about 1 inch thick.
• Cut circles with a biscuit cutter or a glass. 
• Place on a greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 450° for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden.

The homemade goat's milk buttermilk really was very different from store-bought buttermilk. The biggest difference is I know where the milk comes from, how the animals are treated, and the cleanliness level of the milking parlor. It's good to know how my food came to be; many of us don't know or understand. Allow me to get on my soapbox for just a moment (Ha, literally). Know your farmer. Know how their animals are treated. Know their beliefs on animal care. Take the time to learn and ask questions. Research your small family farm compared to big agri-business farms. There is simply no comparison between the two in terms of how animals are treated. Know where your food comes from. I will buy dairy products from the Simpson family without question. I know Cody treats his cows with care. I know Joni is an animal lover. I know their facility is impeccably clean. Their animals live a life of gentleness until the end. That matters to me. Be smart about your food. 

Okay, I'm done. Wink. I highly recommend trying your hand at butter making. It is a process, but it was kind of fun. I did it by hand, but they make electric butter churns if you don't have a collection of antique ones. If you have kids, make it with them. It's good they know that butter doesn't necessarily come from a store, in a box, in neat little sticks. On this lovely spring Friday, stay safe, be smart, eat simple and delicious food, and keep washing your hands.