Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

Whole wheat biscuits are earthy and rustic without being at all heavy. Add wheat germ to the dough for a nutty crunch. This biscuit recipe came from my mother’s lifetime recipe box. When a recipe was good enough for her to write up on a card, I know it works. I modernized the recipe for today’s baker.
Prep: 25 minutes Chill: 10 minutes Bake: 11 to 13 minutes Bake at: 400°F Yield: 10 to 11 biscuits Pan: baking sheet Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups (160 grams) White Lily or all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup (87 grams) whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons wheat germ (optional)
  • 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, very cold
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk plus 1 to 2 tablespoons as needed, very cold
  • 1 tablespoon butter for tops, melted

Directions

Making the Biscuit Dough

  • Place 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter in the freezer while you assemble the ingredients. The butter will be measured later.
  • In a large bowl, sift the White Lily or all-purpose and whole wheat flours with the baking powder, soda, and salt. If using, whisk the wheat germ into the flour mixture to combine.
  • Remove the butter from the freezer. Peel back the paper on the butter stick part way and mark it with a knife at 4 tablespoons. Using the large holes of a box grater, grasp the paper-covered end of the stick and grate the butter over the flour mixture. Toss the ingredients together with a fork. Cover the bowl and chill the mixture for 10 minutes.
  • Measure 3/4 cup buttermilk and place it in the freezer while the flour mixture is chilling.
  • Make a well in the flour mixture and add the chilled buttermilk all at once. Use a fork to mix the dough, stirring 15 times. If the dough appears dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk to make a soft dough. Gently knead the dough in the bowl 5 times to bring it together.

Cutting Out the Biscuits

  • Place the dough on a lightly floured board and pat into a rectangle. Fold the dough in half and roll once or twice. Repeat 4 times and then roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness.
  • Flour a 2 3/8-inch biscuit cutter before cutting each dough round. Press the cutter straight down and pull straight up; do not twist Place the dough rounds on an ungreased baking sheet with sides touching. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill the dough rounds while the oven preheats.

Baking the Biscuits

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Remove the baking sheet from refrigerator after the oven preheats. Brush the tops of the dough rounds with melted butter.
  • Bake the biscuits on the middle rack for 11 to 13 minutes until the tops are light golden brown.
  • Let the biscuits rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack. While the biscuits are still warm, split, butter, and serve.
  • Biscuits can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days and can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Tips

  • Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than white. If you change the ratio of white to whole wheat flour in the recipe, adjust the amount of buttermilk.
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