Cornbread Biscuits

First, let's get the oven preheated to 425°F. Pop a rack right in the middle of the oven so the biscuits bake evenly.

In a large metal mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda. This helps avoid lumps, which is key for light, fluffy biscuits. Stir in the sugar with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until everything is nicely mixed.

Now, add all that cold, diced butter to your dry mix. You’ll need a pastry cutter for this part. If you don’t have one, your fingers work too! Your goal is to mix the butter into the flour until you’ve got little pea-sized pieces throughout. These pockets of butter will give your biscuits that flaky texture.

Make a little well in the center of your flour mixture, then pour in the cold buttermilk. Start gently folding the dry mix into the buttermilk, using a spoon or spatula to scoop from the edges and fold toward the center. Be light with your touch—you’re aiming to just bring the dough together. Overmixing will give you dense biscuits, and we’re after fluffy ones!

Lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Using a rolling pin, gently tap the mound to even out its height. Then, softly roll it into a 1/2" thick shape, whether oval for round biscuits or a rectangle for square ones.

Grab your biscuit cutter (or a knife for squares) and cut out your biscuits. If you’re using a round cutter, don’t twist it—just press down and lift straight up. Twisting can seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising fully. I usually go for a rectangle shape and cut squares or smaller rectangles with a pastry cutter.

Line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone mat and place the biscuits on it. Brush the tops with whole milk and, if you’re feeling fancy, sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt over each one. This will give the biscuits a golden, crispy top.

Pop those biscuits into your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they’re a deep golden brown and fully baked through. Dassit!