Oatmeal Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

I've tried a few times to create a recipe for gluten-free biscuits that you pat out and cut, but no success so far.  Part of the problem is that I can only use a few of the gluten-free flours - oat flour and corn flour being my favourites - and I prefer to use them without additives like Xanthan gum etc.   I decided making drop biscuits might work better, and I am very happy with this recipe.  I used oat flour along with a little potato starch, and cut the amount of butter that would be in a regular recipe since gluten-free flours don't absorb fat the way wheat flour does.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups (200 gm) gluten-free Oat flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Method

• Put the oven rack in the upper middle, and heat the oven to 450º F.
• Weigh out the flour, or spoon it into a measuring cup.  Never scoop oat flour out of the package with a measuring cup.  It will compact, and you will get more flour than you need.  
• Mix together the buttermilk and melted butter.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until well combined.  Oat flour, baking powder and baking soda can all clump a bit.  Make sure to press out any of these clumps between your clean fingers.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until just mixed.
• Using lightly greased tablespoons, drop 1 tablespoon worth of dough per biscuit onto an ungreased cast iron frying pan (9 or 10"), or cake pan.  I found that the biscuits held their shape best in the cast iron pan.

• Bake until the tops are golden - 20 - 25 minutes.  Check after 20 minutes.
• Serve warm with butter.

These biscuits are very tender, and they freeze and reheat well.  I really enjoyed them with my soup, and they'd be great with stews or chilis.