Blueberry brown butter swim biscuits

Oddly named treat easy and delicious!

A novel I read last year which was set in the Southern U.S. drew my attention to a new-to-me food called ‘butter swim biscuits’. Why the name? Well, it’s because these biscuits are literally swimming in butter as they bake. I thought my ‘regular’ buttermilk biscuits were pretty great, but I finally decided I had to try making swim biscuits and I have to say they are absolutely stellar and so incredibly simple to prepare. The quick extra step I added – browning the butter in the oven while it preheats – is super easy and adds a delightful nutty tone to the flavour of the biscuits, which come out of the oven super moist in the middle with a flaky, crisp top crust. You can omit the blueberries or swap in grated cheddar and/or diced cooked bacon for a savoury version of this treat. Don’t be deceived by the cake-like appearance in the photo – these truly are biscuits at their finest and perfect for breakfast or snacks anytime of the day.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (112 g) salted butter
• 1 1/2 cups ( 180 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons ( 38 g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) buttermilk, at room temperature *
• 1 cup (170 g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)

*if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, substitute with 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) room temperature milk into which 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vinegar or lemon juice has been stirred.

Method

• Preheat oven to 450F. Place the butter in an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) or 7×9 inch (17.5×22.25 cm) glass or ceramic casserole dish. I don’t recommend doubling the recipe (and thereby needing to increase the pan size) as it will be difficult to get the biscuits fully cooked in the middle without overcooking the outside edges. Use two separate pans if you want a double batch.
• Place the dish in the oven while it is heating, so the butter will melt. Keep an eye on it and when it has browned, remove the dish from the oven before the butter burns.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
• Once the butter has browned, pour the buttermilk into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, taking care not to overmix. Stir in blueberries, if using.
• Spoon the biscuit dough on top of the butter, spreading it as evenly as possible right to the edges of the dish. Don’t be alarmed by the butter pooling on top of the dough; that’s what gives these biscuits their signature (and delicious) top crust.
• Run a knife through the dough, cutting it into nine squares (for a square pan) or eight (for a 7×9 inch pan). This will allow the butter to seep into the biscuits more readily.
• Place the casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch the butter that spills out during baking.
• Bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking. At the 15 minute mark, lower the oven temperature to 400F.
• Biscuits are done when the dough has puffed up and tops are golden brown. I highly recommend using a digital thermometer to be sure they are cooked all the way through; the internal temperature of the biscuits in the centre of the pan should be at least 190F when fully cooked.
• Let the biscuits rest in the pan for 3-5 minutes so the butter finishes soaking into them, then cut again along previous lines and serve warm.

Makes 8-9 biscuits.