Home Bread-Bakers v122.n034.4
[Advanced]

Ricotta Biscuits

Reggie Dwork <reggie@jeff-and-reggie.com>
Sun, 04 Dec 2022 18:40:33 -0800
v122.n034.4
* Exported from MasterCook *

                             Biscuits, Ricotta

Recipe By     : Nicole Rucker
Serving Size  : 16    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Biscuits/Scones                 Bread-Bakers Mailing List
                 Hand Made                       Posted
                 Side Dish

   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   5               cups  cake flour -- plus more for rolling, (500g)
   3        tablespoons  sugar
   1         tablespoon  baking powder
   2          teaspoons  baking soda
   2          teaspoons  kosher salt
   2             sticks  unsalted butter -- cold,cut into 1/2" cubes (226g)
   2               cups  buttermilk -- cold, plus more for brushing (472ml)
   1 1/2           cups  ricotta cheese -- cold whole-milk, (372g) Note 1

Something magical happened the day I decided to dump a container of 
fresh ricotta into my standard biscuit recipe. I thought I would get 
lumps and layers of cheese in the biscuits, but I got something 
better than that. The ricotta melts into the biscuit in most places 
and creates a fluffy crumb that I had been trying to achieve for 
years but never knew the secret to. These are dangerously addictive. 
Proceed with caution.

Note 1: drained for at least 1 hour in a fine-mesh strainer lined 
with two layers of cheesecloth.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a 
large mixing bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer to chill for 20 minutes.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Pinch and 
smear the pieces of butter between your fingers. Processing the 
butter like this creates small leaves of butter that layer in the 
dough, resulting in flakes later. Once all the butter chunks have 
been pinched, grab small handfuls of flour and butter and rub the two 
together between the palms of your hands until the mixture resembles 
uneven pebbles on a sandy beach.

Create a well in the center of the mixture and add 1 cup of the 
buttermilk. Using a fork, toss the flour and butter from around the 
edge of the well into the center. Fluff the buttermilk and flour 
mixture with the fork five or six times, until shaggy looking.

Crumble the ricotta cheese into tablespoon-size chunks over the 
dough, making sure not to break up the cheese too much. Using your 
hands with your fingers spread wide open, loosely incorporate the 
cheese into the dough with a lift-and-gently-squeeze motion. Drizzle 
the remaining 1 cup of buttermilk over the dough while using the fork 
to bring the mixture together into a loose and shaggy mass.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and use your 
hands to shape the dough into a 10 x 7" rectangle. Fold the rectangle 
in thirds like a letter and then rotate 90 degrees. Using a rolling 
pin, flatten the dough back into a 10 x 7" rectangle. Repeat the 
folding, rotating, and rolling process two more times, ending with 
the dough shaped into a 10 x 7" rectangle of about 1" thickness. Wrap 
the dough with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Position two racks in the center zone of your oven and preheat the 
oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Return the dough to the work surface and roll it out into a 12 x 10" 
rectangle of about 3/4" thickness. Using a sharp knife, trim and 
discard 1/4" from all sides of the dough. Cut the rectangle into 4 
evenly spaced vertical strips, and then into 4 horizontal strips to 
get 16 biscuits. Place 8 biscuits about 1 1/2" apart on each prepared 
baking sheet. Generously brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk.

Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and have expanded upwards to 
reveal fluffy layers on the sides, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool for as long 
as you can stand it, or risk a burned mouth and go for it.

S(Internet address):
   https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2019/08/12/ricotta-biscuits
                                     - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 287 Calories; 15g Fat (47.2% 
calories from fat); 7g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary 
Fiber; 44mg Cholesterol; 538mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 
1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : 2021 - 0205