Yields: 18 2-inch biscuits
Cook’s notes: This is the basic recipe for cream biscuits, delicious on their own and very open to additions (a dash of spice such as cinnamon-sugar or a bit of sugar mixed with pumpkin pie spice or apple spice, or a few large pinches of chopped herbs, or chopped sundried tomatoes, or grated cheese).
2 cups all-purpose flour, preferably bleached
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
1 ¼ cups heavy cream, or more as needed
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour in cream and stir it in gently with a rubber spatula until dry ingredients are just moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press it together with your hands, slowly adding more cream if needed to get dough to hold together. Roll or pat dough into a circle 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch rounds with a floured biscuit cutter or drinking glass; pull the cutter straight up each time — twisting it will make the biscuits rise lopsided. Place each biscuit slightly separated on a parchment paper-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake biscuits for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve immediately, or transfer to a wire rack to cool.
