Homemade Tea Biscuits: Buttery, Flaky, and Irresistible
Homemade tea biscuits are truly exceptional. Simple yet profoundly comforting, these flaky delights epitomize indulgent, accessible comfort food. And these baked goods are great for any time of day. You can use them to make a breakfast sandwich, enjoy them with butter and jam, with a hot cup of tea in the afternoon or sneak one in for a late night snack. A foolproof tea biscuit recipe means endless possibilities!
The Essence of Tea Biscuits
Tea biscuits are known for their tender, flaky layers and rich buttery flavor. They can be a humble side or a standout feature in many meals.
A well-made tea biscuit is light, satisfying and the ultimate comfort food.
Key Ingredients for The Perfect Bite
- Flour: The foundation of the biscuit, providing structure. Using all-purpose flour yields a tender crumb that’s neither too heavy nor too light.
- Frozen Butter: Incorporating frozen butter is the secret to those coveted flaky layers. As the cold butter melts during baking, it releases steam, creating pockets that result in a light, airy texture. Both salted and unsalted butter can be used; adjust the added salt accordingly.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These leavening agents work in tandem to provide the necessary rise without imparting any unwanted flavors. Ensuring they’re fresh is crucial for optimal lift.
- Buttermilk: This ingredient introduces moisture and a subtle tang, enhancing the flavor and tenderness. The acidity in buttermilk also reacts with the leavening agents to promote rising. If you don’t have buttermilk, add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and let it sit for a few minutes.
Tips for Nailing This Homemade Tea Biscuits Recipe
Mastering a few simple techniques can elevate your homemade tea biscuits from good to exceptional:
- Shredding Frozen Butter: Use a cheese grater to shred frozen salted butter. This helps mix it evenly with the flour. It ensures consistent flakiness without overworking the dough.
- Gentle Mixing: Combine the wet and dry ingredients just until they come together. Overmixing can result in tougher biscuits.
- Folding the Dough: This step is pivotal for creating layers. Lightly roll out the dough, fold it over itself, and repeat this process a few times. Each fold introduces more layers, contributing to the biscuit’s flaky texture.
- Cutting Shapes: Opting to cut the dough into squares minimizes waste and ensures uniformity. If you like traditional round biscuits, use a sharp cutter. Do not twist it, as this can seal the edges and stop them from rising.
- Buttermilk Brushing: Before baking, brush the tops with buttermilk or melted butter. This gives the biscuits a beautiful golden color.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Keep them fresh: Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If you want them to last longer, pop them in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezer-friendly: Want to make a big batch? These biscuits freeze beautifully. Place them in a freezer-safe bag, and when you’re ready to enjoy, simply reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Microwave hack: If you’re in a rush, wrap a biscuit in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-20 seconds. This will keep it soft and moist, just like fresh from the oven.
Why This Tea Biscuit Recipe Shines
Technique and quality ingredients make all the difference. Using frozen butter and buttermilk yields that coveted tender, flaky texture. You can enjoy these biscuits plain, with butter, jam, or as part of a tasty breakfast sandwich.
Enjoying Tea Biscuits Throughout the Day
The versatility of tea biscuits makes them suitable for various occasions:
- Breakfast: Slice them open and fill with scrambled eggs, cheese, and bacon for a satisfying breakfast sandwich.
- Afternoon Tea: Serve warm biscuits with butter and different jams. Pair them with a pot of your favorite tea for a classic experience.
- Dinner Side: Pair them with soups, stews, or salads as a comforting side dish.
- Late-Night Snack: Enjoy a biscuit with a drizzle of honey, a pat of butter or a slather of Nutella for a sweet treat before bed.
The versatility of these tea biscuits makes them perfect for meal prep, quick snacks, or a comforting addition to any meal. So, the next time you’re craving something warm, flaky, and satisfying, whip up a batch. They’re simple, delicious, and proof that comfort food is worth the effort
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Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour plus additional for dusting
- 2 tsp baking power
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup frozen butter, shredded with cheese grater
- 1 cup buttermilk see above tip to make your own
- 2 tbs buttermilk for brushing top of biscuits
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425F and prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper.
- In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in shredded butter and mix together to make sure butter is well distributed.
- Create a well in the flour (a small hole) and pour in buttermilk. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface, lightly bring dough together and then and shape into a rectangle using a rolling pin. Using the rolling pin, roll the dough out until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Starting with the end of the rectangle closest to you, fold end to the middle. Repeat with end of the rectangle farthest away from you. You should now have a square. Turn the square a half turn and then roll back into a rectangle; repeat the folding process two more times. This is what creates nice flaky layers.
- Roll dough to about 1/2 to 2/3 of an inch thick.
- Using a knife, cut out biscuits. If you want to use a cookie cutter go for it, I have now started cutting the biscuits into a square share to avoid any waste.
- Place the biscuits onto the baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with butter milk. If you do not have a pastry brush just dip paper towel into the butter milk and lightly spread on top.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops are nice and brown.
- Now time to enjoy. Very few things better in this world than a freshly made tea biscuit with butter and homemade jam. Enjoy!
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Absolutely amazing!! The flavour and flakiness is perfect, I’ve never been able to make biscuits or anything requiring dough and I made these with ease…yummmm warm from the oven with butter and molasses
This makes me so happy!!