These biscuits are fluffy on the inside, with a soft crumb that contrasts beautifully with that hint of graininess from the cornmeal. Warm from the oven, they’re proof that biscuits don’t have to be towering to be enjoyed. Cutting them into squares keeps things easy and unfussy, which somehow suits their down-to-earth charm.
Next time when you’re making biscuits, switch it up and make golden cornmeal biscuits. They’ll go with every soup or stew I can think of and leftovers make a delicious breakfast.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Cornmeal
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Butter
- Buttermilk
How to Make Small Cornmeal Biscuits
Step 1 – In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Step 2 – Cut the ice-cold butter in small pieces. You can do this with a box grater, a pastry blender, a food processor or two knives. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and stir, so the flour coats the butter.
Step 3 – Add the buttermilk and stir until all ingredients are combined. Do not overwork. The more you work the dough the more gluten will develop and the tougher your biscuit will become. The dough should still be crumbly, but holding together.
Step 4 – Form the dough with your hands into a rectangle of 4 x 8″. Work the dough as little as possible. Cut with a biscuit cutter or a bench scraper. Square cuts will avoid left-over dough scraps.
Transfer the biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place that in a refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Step 5 – Place the baking sheet in a 425°F oven for about 12 minutes. The top of the biscuits are just beginning to become golden brown.
Look how beautiful they are.
Biscuits from all-purpose flour are often brushed with milk, before they go into the oven, to enhance browning. I don’t think that is necessary for cornmeal biscuits.
What Goes Well with Cornmeal Biscuits
Small Cornmeal Biscuits
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1.5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter, ice cold
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Cut the ice-cold butter into small pieces. (NOTE 1)
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and stir, so the flour coats the butter.
- Add the buttermilk and stir until all ingredients are combined. Do not overwork. The dough should still be crumbly, but holding together. (NOTE 2)
- Form the dough with your hands into a rectangle of 4 x 8 inches. Work the dough as little as possible. Cut with a biscuit cutter or a bench scraper.
- Transfer the biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place that in a refrigerator for about 30 minutes. (NOTE 3)
- Place baking sheet in a 425°F oven for about 12 minutes. The top of the biscuits are just beginning to become golden brown. (NOTE 4)
Notes
- You can do this with a box grater, a pastry blender, a food processor or two knives.
- When you work biscuit dough for a long time, you will develop gluten and that’s something you don’t want to have happen in biscuits. It turns light, flaky biscuits into tough, dense biscuits.
- This short chill will help the biscuits maintain their shape while baking as it keeps the butter cold. This will also help the biscuits rise as the butter creates steam.
- You could brush the biscuits with milk, to enhance browning, however, I don’t think you need to do that for cornmeal biscuits as they become nice golden all by themselves.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.