Yield: 12 biscuits

Does Baking Soda Go Bad? Test It, Then Bake Biscuits

Baking soda doesn't spoil like milk, but it can lose its lift. Run the 1 tablespoon vinegar fizz test, see what Kansas State says about shelf life, then bake buttermilk drop biscuits.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time14 minutes

Cooling on a rack5 minutes

Total Time29 minutes

Ingredients

Step 1: the fizz test (this sample is discarded)

• 1 tablespoon vinegar, 15 ml, standard conversion
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, food-grade and aluminum-free, 2.5 ml, standard conversion; measure the dough's soda separately

Buttermilk drop biscuits

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 284 g (10 oz)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder, food-grade and aluminum-free, 10 ml, standard conversion
• 1 teaspoon sugar, 5 ml, standard conversion
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt, 3.75 ml, standard conversion
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, food-grade and aluminum-free, 2.5 ml, standard conversion; use only if it passed the fizz test
• 1 cup chilled buttermilk, 240 ml
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 113 g; for the dough
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 28 g; for brushing the baked biscuits

Instructions

Step 1: test the baking soda

1. Run the vinegar fizz test. Pour 1 tablespoon of vinegar into a small glass and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. It should fizz right away and vigorously. Gentle or minimal fizzing means replace the box before you bake.

Bake the biscuits

1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 475 F (246 C) with a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl so the leaveners are spread evenly through the flour.
3. Mix the buttermilk and butter. Stir the chilled buttermilk and the 8 tablespoons of melted butter together until small clumps form.
4. Combine just until mixed. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined. Stop as soon as no dry flour shows.
5. Scoop the biscuits. Drop level 1/4-cup portions of dough onto the sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart.
6. Bake until golden. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the biscuits are golden and crisp.
7. Brush and cool. Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter, then cool the biscuits for 5 minutes on a rack.

Notes

Credit: the biscuit method and quantities are adapted from America's Test Kitchen drop biscuits, as published by WNYC. The wording is ours.

The fizz test amounts (1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda) come from King Arthur. The ml figures for spoons are standard conversions (1 tablespoon about 15 ml, 2 tablespoons about 30 ml, 1 teaspoon about 5 ml), not measured.

Times: the 12 to 14 minute bake and the 5-minute cool are the source recipe's. The 10-minute prep time is our estimate and includes the fizz test.

Yield: the source recipe makes 12 biscuits. The nutrition below is for one biscuit.

Nutrition values are estimates calculated from typical USDA FoodData Central values, with all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, lowfat cultured buttermilk, table salt and sodium aluminum sulfate baking powder. The spoon weights used are typical reference values, not from the source recipe.

Reheating: to refresh day-old biscuits, warm them in a 300 F (149 C) oven for 10 minutes, per the source recipe.