Homemade Biscuits and Honey Butter

Jessica Kelly
Jun 27, 2024
6 min read

In the quiet moments of dawn, when the world is still draped in the soft hues of morning, I find solace in my kitchen, crafting a family treasure: homemade biscuits and honey butter. This ritual, passed down through generations, is more than a recipe; it’s a love letter written in flour and butter, a testament to the warmth and comfort of home.

A Journey Back in Time

As a child, I would awaken to the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked biscuits wafting through our home. My grandmother, with her gentle hands and knowing smile, would be in the kitchen, orchestrating a symphony of ingredients. She believed that the secret to a tender biscuit lay in the quality of its components and the love infused during its creation.

The Foundation: Organic All-Purpose Flour or Wait for it… — Kamut Flour

Our journey begins with all-purpose flour, or my newly discovered favorite flour — Kamut — the canvas upon which our biscuit masterpiece is painted. This versatile staple provides the perfect balance of protein and starch, ensuring a tender crumb. Unlike store-bought biscuits laden with preservatives and additives, using unbleached, all-purpose flour or kamut allows for a purer, more wholesome base. The process of sifting the flour not only aerates it, leading to fluffier biscuits, but also serves as a meditative act, connecting me to the generations of bakers before me. In my opinion, the all purpose flour gives you the biscuit you’ve always had. But the Kamut flour (although slightly different in texture), is so much healthier. It’s worth the switch if you are focused on a more wholistic flour approach. But make sure you decrease the flour by 1/4 as in every recipe using Kamut. So, for this recipe you will use 3 cups Kamut. You could also use 2 cups all purpose and 1 1/2 Kamut. Play around with the water added here. If you need more water with the Kamut, just add until still on the dry side but can be formed into a ball.

Leavening Agents: Baking Powder

To grant our biscuits their lofty rise, we incorporate baking powder. This leavening agent releases carbon dioxide during baking, creating delightful pockets of air. The result? Biscuits that are light, flaky, and reminiscent of the clouds I used to imagine as a child, lying in the meadow behind our farmhouse.

A Touch of Sweetness: Sugar

A modest addition of sugar balances the savory notes and enhances the biscuit’s natural flavors. In our family, sugar symbolizes the sweetness of life, a reminder to cherish the simple joys. It’s a gentle nod to the mornings when my grandfather would drizzle honey over his biscuit, winking as he shared a secret treat with me before breakfast.

The Essence of Flavor: Salt

Salt, though humble, is indispensable. It elevates the flavors, adding depth and complexity. My mother often said that salt in baking is like love in life—without it, everything falls flat. This pinch of salt ties the ingredients together, creating a harmonious symphony of taste.

The Heart of the Biscuit: Butter

Ah, butter—the golden heart of our biscuits. We use salted butter, chilled to perfection. The process of cutting cold butter into the flour creates layers, leading to that coveted flakiness. Butter not only imparts a rich flavor but also offers health benefits when consumed in moderation. Rich in fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, butter supports various bodily functions. Moreover, it contains healthy saturated fats that can raise good cholesterol levels. As I work the butter into the flour, I’m transported to my childhood, watching my grandmother’s skilled hands, her wedding band glinting softly—a symbol of enduring love.

Binding It All: Whole Milk or Buttermilk

The choice between whole milk and buttermilk depends on the desired flavor profile. Whole milk offers a subtle richness, while buttermilk introduces a tangy note, reacting with the baking powder to enhance leavening. Both options provide calcium and vitamin D, essential for bone health. I recall the days of fetching fresh milk from our dairy cow, Daisy, her gentle mooing a familiar melody in our rural symphony.

Crafting the Dough: A Labor of Love

Combining these ingredients is an art form. The dry components are sifted together, creating a homogeneous mixture. Cold butter is then introduced, cut into the flour until the texture resembles coarse crumbs. This meticulous process ensures that the butter remains cold, a crucial factor in achieving flaky layers. The milk is added gradually, bringing the dough together. It’s essential to handle the dough with care, avoiding overmixing, which can lead to tough biscuits. This gentle touch is a lesson imparted by my mother, who often reminded me that biscuits, like people, require tenderness to reach their full potential.

Shaping the Biscuits: A Personal Touch

Once the dough is prepared, it’s transferred to a floured surface. Here, with floured hands, I gently pat it down, folding it over itself to create layers—a technique passed down through generations. Using a biscuit cutter, I press into the dough without twisting, ensuring a clean cut. Each biscuit is a reflection of the hands that crafted it, perfectly imperfect, much like the individuals in our family.

Baking: The Final Transformation

Placing the biscuits close together on a baking sheet encourages them to rise upwards, resulting in soft sides. As they bake in a preheated oven, the kitchen fills with a familiar, comforting aroma. This scent is a time machine, transporting me to mornings spent at my grandmother’s table, eagerly awaiting the moment when the biscuits would emerge, golden and steaming.

The Sweet Finale: Honey Butter

No biscuit is complete without a generous smear of honey butter. We blend softened butter with raw, organic honey—a natural sweetener rich in antioxidants and known for its antibacterial properties. Honey not only adds a luscious sweetness but also offers health benefits, such as soothing sore throats and providing a quick energy boost. As a child, I would watch the honey drizzle into the butter, mesmerized by its golden hue, reminiscent of the sunsets over our family farm.

A Tradition of Giving

In our family, these biscuits are more than sustenance; they are tokens of love. During holidays, we prepare batches to share with neighbors and friends. When someone is unwell, a basket of warm biscuits and honey butter is delivered to their doorstep—a gesture of comfort and care. This tradition of giving is rooted in the belief that food made with love has the power to heal both body and soul.

A Legacy Continued

As I prepare these biscuits now, with my own children by my side, I am reminded of the legacy entrusted to me. Cooking from scratch is more than a culinary practice; it’s a celebration of heritage, a commitment to nourishing our bodies with wholesome ingredients, and a way to connect with those we cherish. In a world where convenience often trumps quality, taking the time to create something with our own hands is a revolutionary act of love.

Embracing the Journey

Embarking on the journey of making homemade biscuits and honey butter is an invitation to slow down and savor the process. It’s an opportunity to engage all our senses: the feel of the dough beneath our fingers, the sight of butter melting into a warm biscuit, the sound of laughter in the kitchen, the aroma that fills the air, and, ultimately, the taste of tradition and love in each bite.

So, I invite you to join me in this timeless ritual. Gather your ingredients, roll up your sleeves, and let the magic of baking envelop you. As you share these biscuits with your loved ones, may you create your own cherished memories and pass down this delicious legacy to future generations.