Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups white rice flour, plus additional for dusting counter
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons cold butter or vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, divided

Directions

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven, then heat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk the white rice flour, sweet rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda until evenly combined. Work the butter or shortening into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the big bits are gone and the mixture looks like rough, sandy crumbs.
2. With a wooden spoon, mix in 1 cup buttermilk. Check the bowl: there should not be dry flour sitting underneath the dough. If it still looks too dry, stir in the remaining buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, stopping when the dough comes together properly.
3. Dust your counter generously with white rice flour. Move the dough onto the floured surface and pat it into a rectangle about 7-inches wide and 1-inch thick. Flour your cutter, cut out rounds, and arrange the biscuits on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Collect the scraps and pat them out again; gluten-free dough will not turn tough from being handled again.
4. Bake the biscuits until they are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Take them out of the oven and move them to a wire rack to cool. Serve them warm or at room temperature. Biscuits are at their best soon after baking; if there are leftovers, split them and toast them the next day.