FOOD NEWS
Anthony Bourdain's Tedious Butter Method For Biscuits
BY MOLLY HARRIS
It’s safe to say Anthony Bourdain knew what it takes to make good food, and when it came to making biscuits, the chef had some strict instructions about the butter.
In his 2016 book "Appetites: A Cookbook", Bourdain calls for a three-step process for properly preparing butter for biscuits, starting with freezing it in stick form.
Next, you leave the butter at room temperature for five minutes, before cutting it into cubes and keeping it in the fridge until it's time to add it to the biscuit dough.
While this may seem like a lot of fuss, the temperature of butter can truly make or break baked goods. When the butter is thoroughly chilled, the biscuits are sure to be perfect.
When cold butter is mixed into dough, it releases steam when heated in the hot oven, creating pockets of air in the biscuits for deliciously flaky layers and a rich flavor.
Freezing and cubing the butter makes it easier to work into the dough, since smaller pieces distribute more evenly. Half-frozen butter is also less likely to melt into the dough.