Biscuits should be praised more for their versatility. While biscuits are at home next to country ham and supper, they can also be dressed up with fruits, different spices, marmalades, curds, nuts, or anything else your heart desires. This rendition of buttermilk biscuits has a double dose of lemon and a dash of poppy seeds, perfect for brunch—or any time.

Filled with fresh, tangy lemon and poppy seeds, these biscuits are perfect for the ushering in of spring. The poppy seeds add a little crunch, nuttiness, and a slight earthiness.

TIPS FOR MAKING BISCUITS

I don’t claim to be a master biscuit maker (that is reserved for all of the Southern biscuit-making grandmothers out there), but I have made a lot of them over the years with plenty of failures along the way. Here are a few tips to ensure success!

• Y’all know this one: use COLD butter and buttermilk. Cut the butter into small cubes, measure the buttermilk, and keep them both in the freezer while preparing the remaining ingredients. You can also freeze the butter (but not the buttermilk) the night before you plan to make biscuits.
• Do not overwork the dough. Handling or heating the dough too much can over stimulate the gluten, causing tough biscuits. But let’s be real, they’ll probably still taste good. Work quickly to make the dough, and then quickly pat out the dough to the desired thickness. You can gently fold together dough scraps to cut more biscuits. Some say the rerolled or folded scraps never taste as good as the first ones, but I think they’re perfectly fine if handled gently.A bench scraper helps bring together scraps more efficiently.
• Freeze the cut biscuits on your baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before baking them. This helps the dough to relax.
• Do not twist the cutter into the dough—push down with your fingers and pull straight up. Twisting the cutter can pinch the edges, causing the biscuits to not rise.
• Place biscuits close together to encourage them to rise. Leave about 1/4” between each biscuit.
• Flour your work surface with just enough flour so the dough doesn’t stick. I recommend using a stainless steel shaker (like this) so the flour is distributed evenly. I have two shakers and love them for biscuits, scones, pie crust, rolled sugar cookies, etc.
• A silicone mat with measurements (like this) is also helpful for dough!

LEMON POPPYSEED BISCUITS

Makes 11-12 biscuits with a 2 1/2” round cutter

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BISCUITS

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour (White Lily flour or soft wheat flour if you can get it)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 3 tablespoons (23 g) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• the zest of one small lemon (about a teaspoon)
• 10 tablespoons (142 g) unsalted butter, very cold
• 1 tablespoon melted butter, for brushing

FOR THE LEMON GLAZE

• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, set aside in a small bowl
• the juice of half a lemon (about a tablespoon)
• the zest of one small lemon (about a teaspoon)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Cut the butter in to small cubes and place in the freezer until you’re ready to add it to the flour. Measure the buttermilk and add the lemon zest and vanilla; stir to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor*; pulse once or twice to combine.

Add the butter to the food processor and pulse until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Pour in half of the buttermilk and pulse, then drizzle the remainder in while pulsing. The dough should be begin to clump a bit around the blade—don’t over mix!

Lightly shape the dough into a ball while it’s still in the bowl to avoid the drier bits from going everywhere, then dump onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle (a bench scraper can help square up the sides), then fold the ends together like a letter to make a square. Turn 90 degrees, pat the dough into a rectangle again and repeat for a total of four times. After folding four times, press the dough to a thickness of about 1”. Cut out the biscuits and place them on the baking sheet about 1/4” apart. Gently fold scraps together to cut more biscuits. Freeze the biscuits on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes.

Bake in the oven for 14-17 minutes or until golden on top (keep an eye on them). Once they are golden, take them out of the oven and brush with melted butter. Stir the lemon zest and juice into the reserved powdered sugar. Spoon the glaze over each biscuit. Serve warm!

Store biscuits in an airtight storage container. Unless these biscuits are enjoyed within a day or two, wrap in cling film and freeze in an airtight storage bag to preserve freshness. Microwave the biscuit from your delicious freezer stash for about thirty seconds each. You can also freeze unbaked biscuits and bake from frozen—just add a couple minutes to the baking time.

*Using a food processor can help keep the dough cool. I tend to use it when the kitchen is hot, when I want biscuits fast, or if I’m just feeling lazy! If you don’t want to use a food processor, simply incorporate the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter. Use a spatula to fold the buttermilk mixture into the flour.