Garlic Bread Buttermilk Upside-Down Biscuits

When I first began this blog, I was terrified to look at other food blogs.

So monstrous was the magnitude of self-doubt that my passion to write, cook and share was in danger of being sucked out to sea by the strong undertow of insecurity.

My early photographs are unappealing, and there's a large part of me--that pride-controlled portion which strives to project unwavering perfection to the world--that wants to delete every post prior to 2012.

Other bloggers seemed to have it together:  mouth-watering photos, magazine-worthy styling, and devoted followers who just couldn't wait to scroll to the bottom of posts to comment.

As for me & my blog?  Not so much.  

But solitude and isolation are lonely, barren, and ultimately unfruitful places to remain.  I eventually began to peruse other blogs, leave genuine comments, and develop relationships with the hearts behind the blogs.  And I soon realized that the thing I so deeply desired for myself and for this blog wasn't perfection but community. 

Community doesn't just happen. 

It has to be pursued.

And the fruit of this pursuit has been involvement with people who love the combination of beautiful food and beautiful photographs as much as I do.  Connection.  A sense of belonging somewhere in this vast online world.

This recipe is the result of my throwing the "I can't look at other food blogs" blinders into the ravine behind my house.  I found these buttery, garlicky biscuits on the beautiful site of Katherine Martinelli; she prepared it from another food blog for our recent Secret Recipe Club reveal day.

And all of these connections serve as confirmation that stepping out of insecurity and into a circle of community is a wonderful thing.

Arriving at comforting, bread-y goodness couldn't be any easier (or faster) than this.  It's like upside-down cake in biscuit form.  Melted butter, minced garlic, and dried thyme pool in the bottom of a baking dish and welcome the biscuit dough.  Once baked, the biscuits are inverted onto a serving dish, revealing the gorgeous browned color of the biscuits and the toasted perfection of the garlic.  A food marriage made in heaven.  The recipe takes about 35 minutes from melting the butter to removing the finished product from the oven.

Garlic Bread Buttermilk Upside-Down Biscuits
About 14-16 servings

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoons dried oregano (I substituted thyme)
2 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour can be also be used)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 and 3/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease an 8x8 baking dish (an 8- or 9-inch cake pan works well, too).  Combine the melted butter, minced garlic, garlic powder, and dried oregano (or thyme) in the baking dish.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Pour in the buttermilk and mix until smooth.  The batter will be thick.  

Spread the biscuit dough on top of the melted butter/garlic mixture, using an off-set spatula to get it as smooth and even as possible.  

Bake biscuits for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Let biscuits rest in baking dish for 5 minutes after removal from oven.  Then invert onto a serving dish, slice, and serve.