Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits are one of those things you just grow up with in the south. Biscuits and gravy. I remember my grandmother made the best buttermilk biscuits in the world. (Because I have tasted every biscuit in the world, of course...) Hers were always drop biscuits made simply with self rising flour and buttermilk. Delicious. When I got married I was on the quest to find a standard, always reliable, go-to biscuit recipe  that I knew would work every single time and would be a little different than Nanny's biscuits because I do not generally keep self-rising flour in the pantry. This recipe is my favorite right now. Keep the butter really cold to make the biscuits really flaky.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk*(see note)

2-3 Tablespoons melted butter for tops

1. Preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Lightly grease (I use shortening) a glass 9x13 (or similar) baking dish. Make sure to have your biscuit cutter ready.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once, stirring with a fork just until moistened throughout. 
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very gently 2-3 times. Pat dough very gently to 1/2 or 3/4 inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with a round 2- 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. (do not "twist" the cutter when you push down) 
4. Place biscuits in prepared dish and brush the melted butter evenly over each biscuit. Bake 10-14 minutes or until risen and lightly browned. Don't open the oven for at least 6 minutes, and try not to open it at all until finished cooking so the biscuits will rise to their greatest potential.

Makes about 8-10 biscuits

*Note: You can make sour milk by combining juice of 1/2 lemon with enough regular milk (whole or 2%) to make 1 1/4 cups. Combine and let sit for at least 5 minutes.