Jojo’s Biscuits
Every time I flip on an episode of Fixer Upper, I imagine what life would be like as a member of the Gaines family. On weekends we’d go antique shopping, with Joanna leading the charge (in search of the perfect vintage barn door that we would then magically convert into a master bedroom headboard), and then after that’s done we’d make biscuits. (Barn doors and biscuits sound about right, right?)
Honestly, I’m not far off. In her cookbook, Magnolia Table, Joanna says that she spent a year’s worth of Saturdays perfecting this biscuit recipe, Goldilocks-style. They couldn’t be too heavy, flat, light, salty, dry — too anything, really. They had to be just right. A noble pursuit!
Well, my friends, she finally got it right. These biscuits are it. They’re “heaven on earth,” according to Chip. They’re on the menu at Magnolia Table in Waco, and they’re what fictional me will be baking on weekends with the Gaines family after we do the big reveal of Waco’s dream home. Dream biscuits!
Joanna Gaines' Biscuits
Makes about 20 biscuits
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 4 cups
self-rising flour, plus more for the work surface
- 2 tablespoons
baking powder
- 1 teaspoon
baking soda
- 3/4 pound
(3 sticks) salted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or grated
- 2
large eggs, beaten, plus 1 large egg for brushing
- 1 1/2 cups
buttermilk, or as needed, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
Pop’s Strawberry Jam or Bobo’s Classic Gravy, for serving (optional; pages 20–21)
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are even and about the size of peas.
Stir in the beaten eggs with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk until the dough comes together into a sticky mass. If it is too dry, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until it reaches the correct consistency. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface. Use your floured hands to press it into a round roughly 14 inches across and about 1/2-inch thick.
Use a floured 2 3/4-inch round cutter to cut out about 20 biscuits. If necessary, collect and pat out the scraps to cut more biscuits.
Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, arranging them so that they all are touching.
In a small dish, beat together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon buttermilk. Brush the mixture on the top of the biscuits.
Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan on a rack.
Biscuits are best the day they are made (and ideally fresh out of the oven!). Serve with strawberry jam or gravy, if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
NOTE: For longer storage, arrange the biscuits about 1/2-inch apart on two parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and freeze until solid. Transfer them to a zip-top plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks. There is no need to thaw them before baking.
Reprinted from Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines. Copyright © 2018 by Joanna Gaines. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.