Farmhouse Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup real butter (margarine will work, too, but the taste and texture will be different)
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 450.

2. 2

   In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, and sugar.

3. 3

   Cut butter into pieces, then cut into flour mixture. Real butter is very hard, and I found that it was much easier to use my fingers to squeeze the butter into the flour.

4. 4

   When the mixture is well combined and crumbly, make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk.

5. 5

   Using a fork, stir, starting at the outside of the bowl and blending inward.

6. 6

   Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times, just until the dough is completely combined and holds together well.

7. 7

   With a rolling pin, roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter.

8. 8

   Grease a cookie sheet with crisco and place the biscuits 1-2 inches apart on the sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes.