Old-Fashioned Southern Cornmeal Biscuits

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup all-purpose flour (Plus more for flouring the work surface; amount unspecified.)
• 0.5 cup yellow cornmeal (Regular yellow cornmeal.)
• 2.25 tsp baking powder
• 2.25 tsp granulated sugar (Used to encourage browning; the biscuits are not intended to be sweet.)
• 0.5 tsp table salt
• 6 tbsp salted butter (Freeze before grating into the dry ingredients.)
• 0.75 cup whole buttermilk (Use cold.)
• butter (For buttering the bottom and sides of the cold skillet and for brushing over the baked biscuits; amount unspecified. Bacon grease may be used to grease the skillet instead.)
• strawberry jelly (Optional, for serving.)

Steps

1. 1

   Combine the all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder, granulated sugar, and table salt in a bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together.

2. 2

   Grate the frozen salted butter into the dry ingredients. Toss the grated butter through the mixture with your hands until it is incorporated without overworking the dough.

3. 3

   Add the cold whole buttermilk and begin mixing it in with your hands until a cohesive biscuit dough forms. Do not work the dough more than necessary.

4. 4

   Start with a cold skillet. Butter the bottom and sides; bacon grease may be used instead of butter for greasing the skillet.

5. 5

   Lightly flour a work board and turn the dough out onto it.

6. 6

   Mash or pat the dough down by hand rather than rolling it. Fold it over, then repeat the folding process three times.

7. 7

   Pat the dough to approximately 1 inch thick. Cut straight down through the dough to form the biscuits, starting in the middle if desired.

8. 8

   Flip each cut biscuit upside down and arrange the biscuits in the prepared skillet; the source says this helps them rise better.

9. 9

   Bake at 400°F. Check the biscuits after 15 minutes; they will probably take about 18 minutes to bake.

10. 10

    When the biscuits are baked, brush or spoon a little melted butter over the tops. The source highlights the sizzling butter as it is added.

11. 11

    Serve with additional butter and, optionally, strawberry jelly.

Notes

The source does not specify the exact amount of butter for greasing the skillet or topping the biscuits, nor the final number of biscuits. It also does not provide a detailed visual doneness cue beyond checking at 15 minutes and expecting approximately 18 minutes total baking time.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• side dish
• baked
• Southern-style
• vegetarian
• comfort food
• skillet biscuits