Why do you use cold butter to make biscuits and scones?

You use cold butter to make biscuits and scones because it helps create flaky, tender textures. Here's why:

* Fat Distribution: Cold butter is firm and doesn't melt easily. This allows you to work it into the flour in small pieces, creating layers of fat within the dough. These layers of fat separate the gluten strands, preventing them from forming a tough, chewy texture.

* Steam Creation: When the biscuits or scones bake, the cold butter melts and creates steam pockets within the dough. This steam expands the dough, resulting in a lighter, airier texture.

* Flaky Layers: The layers of fat, separated by the steam, create the distinct flaky texture that we associate with good biscuits and scones. The flaky layers also contribute to a delicate melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Here's how cold butter works in practice:

1. Cutting in: You use a pastry blender, fork, or your fingers to cut the cold butter into the flour. This creates small pieces of butter, rather than melting it into the dough.

2. Baking: When you bake the biscuits or scones, the small pieces of butter melt and create steam.

3. Flaky Texture: The steam causes the dough to rise and separate, resulting in the characteristic flaky layers.

Key takeaway: Cold butter is crucial for achieving the perfect flaky texture in biscuits and scones. By keeping the butter cold, you ensure that it melts evenly and creates steam pockets for a light, airy texture.