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Loveless Cafe Biscuit Recipe

Loveless Cafe Biscuits (Copycat)

Small, tall and tender buttermilk biscuits made the Loveless Cafe way: a wet dough, a 2-inch cutter, biscuits baked touching in cast iron at 400°F, and melted butter brushed on before and after baking.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 16 biscuits
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 152
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Biscuit dough
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 300 g, spooned and leveled; soft Southern flour is best
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 85 g, very cold, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening 25 g, cold
  • 1 1/4 cups whole buttermilk 300 ml, cold
For the pan and brushing
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Equipment

  • 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Pastry cutter
  • 2-inch round biscuit cutter
  • Rolling Pin
  • Pastry brush

Method
 

  1. Prep: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle. Brush a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet with about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
  3. Cut in the fat: Work in the cold butter and shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size butter pieces.
  4. Add buttermilk: Stir in the cold buttermilk just until no dry flour remains. The dough should be wet and sticky.
  5. Fold and roll: Turn out onto a floured surface, fold 2 to 3 times, and pat or roll to 1/2 inch thick.
  6. Cut: Cut with a floured 2-inch cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Place the biscuits touching each other and the sides of the skillet. Re-roll scraps only once.
    Loveless Cafe Biscuit Recipe
  7. Bake: Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake 8 minutes, rotate the pan, then bake 7 to 9 minutes more until light golden.
  8. Finish: Brush with the remaining butter, rest 3 to 5 minutes and serve warm with butter and preserves.
    Loveless Cafe Biscuit Recipe

Notes

About this recipe: The Loveless Cafe has not published its scratch dough. This copycat follows the techniques the cafe publishes for its biscuit mix.
Using the official mix: 1 1/4 cups mix + 2/3 cup cold whole buttermilk makes 12 to 14 biscuits; bake at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes, rotate, then 5 to 8 minutes more.
Self-rising flour: Use 2 1/2 cups and omit the baking powder and salt; keep the baking soda.
Freeze: Freeze cut, unbaked biscuits up to 2 months and bake from frozen, adding 3 to 5 minutes.
Nutrition includes the brushing butter but not toppings.