Why it works: Flour and buttermilk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,721 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Sift 1 scant teaspoon soda and 2 teaspoons baking powder into 1 quart flour.
Add 2 tablespoons lard, 1 pint buttermilk, and a little salt. Mix very soft.
Bake
Bake in a hot oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Lard | 1 tbsp (12.8g) | 115 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Flour + buttermilktop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,721 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the structure that holds the biscuits together as they bake.
- Buttermilk
- Adds moisture and acidity that react with the soda to help the biscuits rise.
- Lard
- Adds fat that shortens the dough, keeping the crumb tender and flaky.
- Baking powder
- Provides leavening so the biscuits rise in the oven.
- Soda
- Reacts with the buttermilk's acidity to produce gas that lifts the dough.
The step that matters
Mix very soft. A very soft dough keeps the biscuits tender, since overworking develops gluten and makes them tough. Handle it lightly and only until combined.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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