Pumpkin Biscuits
Buttermilk biscuits made with pumpkin puree; lots of flaky buttery layers, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the subtle sweetness of pumpkin.
These pumpkin biscuits have this amazing flakiness in two different ways: the bottoms, sides and tops are crispy (bordering on crunchy) and the interiors are so very tender. When fall is around, these are what I make instead of plain buttermilk biscuits!
This is a more straightforward version of a recipe I shared with subscribers a few years ago; brown butter rosemary pumpkin biscuits. For our purposes here, I wanted something simpler and more approachable to beginner bakers so I kept the butter as is and the flavoring minimal.
If you did want to flavor it with rosemary or chives or parsley, just chop up the dried herbs (about a tablespoon I’d say) and add it with the dry ingredients. Then, proceed as usual.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: all purpose of a low to medium protein content. Low will yield a more tender crumb.
Leavening: both baking powder and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda).
Salt: fine sea salt.
Pumpkin spice: optional but adds lovely flavor to the biscuits.
Butter: it should be kept cold, we’ll slice it with a cheese grater. Unsalted or salted is fine, you may wish to hold back some of the salt if using salted butter.
Buttermilk: plain. Or plain kefir.
Pumpkin puree: not pumpkin pie filling. Check ingredients, it should say ‘pure pumpkin’ or ‘100% pumpkin’.
How to make Pumpkin Biscuits
Plan ahead: once the dough is made and shaped, the biscuits need to chill for about half an hour in the freezer. This helps solidify the butter to create those crispy flaky layers.
Whisk together the dry ingredients:
Cut in the butter: I use a cheese grater (the slicer side) but if you don’t have one, slice the butter thinly then add it to the flour.
Then we’ll work with our fingers (if you have a pastry knife that works too), flattening the pieces of butter and rubbing them into the flour. Don’t overdo this part: the butter bits should be about the size of a bean, not too small.
Separately, whisk together the pumpkin puree and buttermilk.
Then add it to the butter/flour mix and stir until there’s no noticeable pumpkin puree.
Use your hands to gather the dough and squeeze it together. Keep doing this over and over (sometimes you’ll need to separate it into two to gather the dry bits then squeeze them back together) until it takes the shape of a shaggy ball.
Prep a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper (a little oil or butter helps it stick to the pan).
On a floured surface, press and shape the dough into a disk that’s a little over an inch thick.
Use a biscuit cutter to slice out rounds of biscuits and place them on the prepared pan.
Squeeze the excess dough back together and repeat – I usually get about five biscuits total.
Place the biscuits so they are somewhat close together – this helps them rise higher.
Set the pan in the freezer (no need to cover it). We’re aiming to freeze the biscuits until they are solid so at least 3 minutes but up to two hours.
Preheat the oven to 425 F and bake the biscuits. Doneness indicators: a deep golden top and bottom, dry or matte middles.
Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe
Pumpkin Biscuits
Ingredients
- 300g or 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice use more if you want a stronger flavor!
- 113g butter salted or unsalted
- 100g scant ½ cup buttermilk or plain keffir
- 100g scant ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, pumpkin spice and salt.
- Use the cheese slicer side of a cheese grater, to slice the butter into the bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it’s in little bits that are between pea and kidney bean sized.
- Whisk together the buttermilk and pumpkin puree in a separate bowl. Pour it over the dry mixture and use a rubber spatula to stir until you can’t spot any wet bits.
- Use your hands to fold the dough over itself and gently squeeze it as you do. Keep doing this until the dough comes together in a rough ball.
- Transfer to a floured surface and press the dough into a one inch thick circle. Use a 3 inch biscuit cutter to cut out circles. Set the biscuits on a parchment lined quarter sheet cookie pan (keep them just an inch apart). Scrunch up the leftover dough and repeat. You’ll likely have enough dough for five biscuits.
- Set the tray in the freezer for at least 30 minutes but up to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Bake the biscuits until browned and the middles don’t look wet or doughy.
- If you are not eating them all the day of baking, they can be frozen and rewarmed in an oven preheated to 200 F.
Did you make this recipe?
Share & tag me on instagram @buttermilkbysam
