Tender Fluffy Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits

I've lost count of the gluten-free biscuit variations I've tried over the past couple of years. I was determined to produce a gluten-free buttermilk biscuit that was as fluffy, soft and tempting as traditional biscuits. Last week, one of my readers emailed me a link for a recipe that I just had to try. (Thanks, Katy!) This version is loosely adapted from that recipe and I am very happy with it!

While working on this recipe, I've made these biscuits four times now in less than a week and my kids are thrilled about that. They have been eating PB&J biscuit sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, biscuits with butter and jam, biscuits with whipped honey butter and biscuits on their own straight out of the oven. However, you serve them, they are delicious.

Tender Fluffy Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits
recipe loosely adapted from Flour Arrangements via Katy
Yield: 6 giant biscuits or 12-14 medium size biscuits

2 cups brown rice flour, plus 2-4 tablespoons extra as needed
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1/4 cup butter, cold and cubed very small
1 cup buttermilk (or this buttermilk substitute)
1 extra large egg

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. Cube the cold butter as small as possible and then toss with the dry ingredients. Cut in the cold butter pieces until the mixture resembles a course meal with little pea size or smaller lumps throughout. I find it easiest to use a pastry blender for this task.

Whisk the egg into the milk and then pour into the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Stir just long enough to combine. The mixture should be somewhat dry and just a tiny bit sticky at this point. If it is still wet at this point, add more brown rice flour just a tablespoon at a time.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour onto a counter-top or a pastry mat. Dump the dough out onto this surface and sprinkle a half tablespoon or so of flour across the top of the dough. Lightly press the dough with your hands to flatten it to about 3/4"-1" thickness. Add just a sprinkling more flour as needed, to make sure the dough isn't too sticky.

Use a biscuit cutter, round cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut the biscuit shapes out of the dough. You can also shape them with  your hands, if that is more your style. Place the cut biscuits on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Shape the remaining dough into biscuits with your hands. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the bottom of the biscuits are lightly browned. (The tops of these biscuits will not brown much at all, so do not wait for the traditional golden top!) Remove from the oven and transfer to a basket or cooling rack. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

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