Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment rated for that temperature, or lightly grease the sheet. Keep the butter, milk, and egg refrigerated until needed.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter until small pieces about the size of peas remain.
- Beat the egg into the cold milk, then stir into the flour mixture just until no large dry patches remain. The dough should be soft and sticky, with visible bits of butter. Stop mixing once it comes together.
- Turn onto a floured surface and dust the top lightly. Gently fold or knead just enough to bring the dough together, up to 10 to 15 light turns. Pat to 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut straight down with a floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter without twisting. Gather scraps gently and cut again; yield varies with thickness.
- Arrange on the prepared sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden and the centers are baked through. Brush with a little melted butter if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
Keep the fat cold and handle the dough gently. If it becomes warm or greasy, chill briefly before cutting.
Expect about 9 to 12 biscuits depending on cutter size and thickness. Avoid tasting raw dough because it contains uncooked flour and egg.
Adapted from Trish at Mom On Timeout, with corrected ingredients and rewritten instructions.
