Basic Cornmeal Biscuit
Submitted by drama76
Cornmeal buttermilk biscuits with a pinch of cayenne, cut butter, and an egg wash for golden tops. Gritty, tender, and puffed with a cornbread-meets-biscuit texture that’s ready in under 15 minutes.
YIELD
1 dozenPREP
20 minCOOK
12 minREADY
40 minHalf cornmeal, half flour, all biscuit. These have the gritty, golden crumb of cornbread but the flaky lift of a proper buttermilk biscuit, and a sneaky pinch of cayenne that warms the back of your throat without announcing itself.
Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients until the whole mix looks like coarse sand. That’s the texture you’re after. Overmix here and you lose the flaky layers that make biscuits worth eating. Stir the buttermilk-egg mixture in just until the dough holds together, then get it out of the bowl and onto a cornmeal-dusted board.
Brushing the tops with the reserved egg-buttermilk wash before baking gives these a deep golden shine and a slight crackle on the crust.
Pro Tips
- Keep the butter ice-cold. If it softens before it hits the oven, the biscuits spread instead of rising.
- Don’t twist the cutter when cutting. Push straight down and lift straight up. Twisting seals the edges and kills the rise.
- Place biscuits close together on the sheet so they push up against each other and rise taller.
- A food processor makes quick work of cutting in the butter, but pulse in short bursts so you don’t overwork the dough.
Variations
- Fold in shredded sharp cheddar and chopped jalapeños for a Tex-Mex version.
- Swap white cornmeal for yellow for a milder, slightly sweeter flavor.
- Brush with melted butter right out of the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a food processor or large bowl, mix 1½ cups of the cornmeal with the flour, salt, sugar, cayenne pepper, baking powder and baking soda.
Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the whole mixture is the texture of cornmeal.
Seperately mix the egg with the buttermilk, and stir all but 2 tablespoons of this liquid into the dry mixture.
Mix just enough to make a uniformly moistened dough.
Dust a clean board with half the remaining cornmeal, and turn the dough out onto the floured surface.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining cornmeal, and with flowered hands, gently push the dough into a circle about a ½ inch thick.
Cut with a 2 or 3 incht; biscuit cutter, and place biscuits close together on a greased cookie sheet.
Brush top of the biscuits with the reserved buttermilk egg mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and brown, about 12 minutes.
Cool for a few minutes before serving.
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