There is nothing better than a flaky, buttery biscuit with your morning breakfast. This recipe is a twist on the classic biscuit recipe found in the New York Times – but modified to be a vegan biscuit.
The Secret to Flaky Vegan Perfection: Unveiling the Art of Vegan Biscuits
For those who follow a vegan lifestyle, enjoying a warm, flaky biscuit might seem like a distant dream. But fear not, because delightful vegan biscuits are a delicious reality! This recipe unlocks the secrets to creating vegan versions of these Southern staples, complete with all the tenderness, flakiness, and versatility you crave.
The key to achieving that perfect vegan biscuit texture lies in mimicking the role that butter plays in traditional recipes. Cold vegan butter, cut into the dry ingredients, creates pockets of fat that melt during baking. This steams and lifts the dough, resulting in those beautiful flaky layers. Here, we’ll use a vegan butter that holds its shape well when cold, ensuring a perfect crumb.
Another important element is the vegan buttermilk substitute. Buttermilk, with its acidity, tenderizes the gluten in the flour, contributing to a soft and fluffy interior. We’ll achieve this by creating a clever plant-based alternative using plant milk, vinegar, and a touch of sugar. This simple swap delivers the same tenderizing effect without any dairy products.
Mastering the Mix: Simple Steps for Vegan Biscuit Bliss
With the key ingredients in place, creating vegan biscuits is surprisingly straightforward. We’ll start by whisking together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and a touch of sugar for a hint of sweetness. Then, using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, we’ll cut in the cold vegan butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This creates those all-important pockets of fat.
Next, we’ll introduce the vegan buttermilk substitute. Gently stir it in until just combined, taking care not to overmix the dough. Overworking the dough can lead to tough biscuits. A shaggy and slightly sticky dough is perfect.
Shaping, Baking, and Enjoying: The Fruits of Your Labor
The final steps involve shaping the dough, baking the biscuits, and reaping the delicious rewards! We’ll gently pat the dough onto a floured surface and cut out rounds using a biscuit cutter or a glass. Brushing the tops with a touch of plant milk before baking adds a beautiful golden sheen.
After a quick bake, your vegan biscuits will emerge from the oven light, fluffy, and begging to be devoured. Enjoy them warm with your favorite vegan butter and jam for a classic breakfast treat. Feeling adventurous? Get creative! Add herbs, spices, or even chopped vegetables to the dough for savory vegan biscuit variations.
So, the next time you crave a warm and comforting vegan treat, look no further than these delightful vegan biscuits. With a little planning and these simple techniques, you can create homemade vegan magic that everyone will love.
The main things you will need to substitute for this recipe are plant based butter and an alternative vegan-friendly milk, such as soy or oat milk. I have found that soy milk is the best vegan milk replacement for baking because of its high protein content relative to some of the other milk alternatives out there.
Another tip for this vegan biscuit recipe is to either use a biscuit cutter that is specifically designed for this job – or to use a wine glass. The thinner the rim/lip of the circle cutter – the easier it will be to push through the dough without twisting – and not twisting is what gives you the classic rise on these plant based biscuits.
Vegan Classic Biscuits
Ingredients
- 240 grams All Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 5 tbsp Vegan Butter Country Crock Plant Based or Earth Balance
- 1 cup Soy Milk or any plant-based milk of your choosing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉
- Sift the dry ingredients in a large bowl240 grams All Purpose Flour, 2 tbsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Salt, 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- Cut butter into cubes5 tbsp Vegan Butter
- Add sifted dry ingredients and butter into a food processor
- Pulse the food processor 5-6 times or until you see rough crumbs
- Empty the crumb mixture back into the large bowl and add milk1 cup Soy Milk
- Stir/mix with a fork until the mixture resembles a sticky dough
- Flour a large work surface and plop the dough ball onto the surface
- Sprinkle flour to the top of the dough
- Pat the dough into a rectangle, roughly 1 inch thick
- Fold the rectangle in half and lightly pat down
- Fold the rectangle in half again and pat down
- Fold the rectangle in half a third time and pat down
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 mins
- Gently work the dough into a 10"x6" rectangle (adjust the size of the rectangle as needed based on how many batches you're making
- Use a glass or biscuit cutter to make circles (don't twist the cup or cutter as this will prevent the biscuits from rising as high)
- Add the circles to a baking sheet
- Bake for 10-15 mins or until golden brown
These were so delicious and fluffy. I couldn’t stop eating them.