Biscuits not rising

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lbb87

Cook
Joined
Nov 20, 2003
Messages
56
I've tried three times to make biscuits from scratch using a recipe from the Food Network. The first two times they barely rose and someone mistook them for cookies. The third time they did rise some but I don't think they came out right, plus, they don't even get light brown. It's not really a big deal as they taste good but it would be nice to know why they aren't coming out right.

I'm trying to figure out what the problem is. If it's an ingredient problem or if I'm overworking the dough.

I don't have access to the recipe right now but the ingredients are:
flour (all purpose, I think)
baking powder
baking soda
unsalted butter
buttermilk
salt (I think)
and heavy cream to brush on the top



The first two times I made it, I used an older flour (a year old). The third time I used a brand new one.

The baking powder I have is very old, a cheap brand, and sort of caked together (must remember to buy some at the store). The third time I made the biscuits I sifted the baking powder before using it to get out the chunks.

The buttermilk I used isn't real buttermilk. I just mix milk with a little lemon juice and let it sit 10 minutes and that's my imitation buttermilk. I also don't have heavy cream for the top so I make an imitation heavy cream.


Any ideas as to why the biscuits aren't rising and why they rose more the third time then the first two times?
 
Sounds like the old chunky baking powder is the culprit. Baking powder has a limited shelf life. Look for an expiration date on the can.

The buttermilk you made is OK and the age of the flour shouldn't make a difference.
 
Your recipe seems okay, having baking powder and soda in it. Try sifting the flour, baking powder and soda together twice and bake at 180 degrees C. If your biscuits still do not rise, replace the baking powder.
 
You can't do anything with a can of old baking powder except throw it out! You need tobuy a new one once a year, whether you've used it or not.

I never use butter in biscuits, however...

Pork fat rules! :D
 
1st - definitely 86 the old baking powder and go get a good brand of double action baking powder.
2nd - the old flour should be ok, but give it a whiff and check to see that there aren't any crawling things in it.

3rd - stick with the butter, but you can also use regular butter without any problems.

4th - buttermilk biscuits are good, but you can use regular milk too. instead of the baking soda, substitute 3 times the amount of baking powder. for example, if your recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, you'll use 2 t + 1 1/2 t = 3 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.

5th - are you preheating your oven? if the biscuits aren't rising it's your old baking powder, but if they aren't browning either the oven temp. is too low or you aren't cooking them quite long enough. most likely your oven temp should be between 400 - 450 degrees f. make sure it's up to temp. before throwing in the biscuits. too low a heat will also retard the rising somewhat.

6th - keep trying and good luck!
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Little doubt that as others have said, it's the BP. There's nothing wrong with using butter as the shortening--it is a shortening and gives a wonderful flavor.
The big "secret" to light biscuits, in addition to correct ingredients and fresh leavening is a light touch with the dough. Add your liquid carefully just until the dough all comes together. "knead" it a few turns on your counter, just combining, folding and turning only 2 or 3 times to get it all together.
I pat my dough out to about 1/3"--or maybe a little more. If the beginning depth isn't enough, they come out pretty thin even after rising. Cut by pushing straight down on your cutter--not twisting.
Put in the pre-heated oven and enjoy 10 minutes later!!
A way we like to have biscuits for a big breakfast is to bake them, split and butter the sides and put back in the broiler to brown the buttered top.
I do not use BP a lot so replace it often--it is cheap and there is no reason to have failures because it is inactive. You can test by putting some in water to see if it foams up.
The soda in your recipe is to counteract the baking soda. Buttermilk biscuits are the best, I think.
 
ditto on what the others have suggested

Dump the old baking powder and buy a good quality fresh can.

Milk set with lemon juice or vinegar works well as a buttermilk substitute for biscuits.

use a light hand when making the biscuits

preheat to a hot oven

Buttermilk biscuits are the best!! Good luck......
 
My first husband's Aunt Gert made the best biscuits I ever ate, using self-rising flour, powdered milk, and lard as the shortening. She kneaded them lightly, then patted them out by hand and packed them side-by-side into a heavy baking pan.

If you haven't checked it out before, self-rising flour already has the proper amount of baking powder, soda & salt.
 
Constance is correct about the self rising flour--MUCH used in the South. But, it also will go out of date so should be bought fresh. If you can find White Lily brand flours, they are de rigeur for southern biscuit making--a very soft flour.
 
The biggest problem I've found with biscuits is the exact right amount of kneading. All the recipes kept saying, "Work it as little as possible". Well, I can work a completely mixed dough very little. And it won't rise worth a darn.

I can't describe the exact amount to knead a dough. It depends on your technique for mixing the dough and kneading it. But try working the dough a bit more each time until you get good results.

One last trick. A cut edge will rise higher than a formed edge in biscuit dough.

thymeless
 
Kneading builds up gluten which is what you want in bread but not in biscuits. Gluten does not make for flaky tender.
You basically don't need to knead biscuits at all--you can drop them from the mixed batter.
If biscuits don't rise it just about has to be the leavening that is failing (or being too heavy).
As I said in a previous post, I have also found that if the biscuit is not thick enough to begin with (before baking) it does not rise adequately. Of course, it (the thickness of the cut biscuit pre-baking) has to be in a relative size to the diameter of the biscuit.
 
stopped by again to mention not overworking the dough, but i see that gretchen's got that covered. add your milk all at once and, rather than stirring with a wooden spoon, fold it together with a fork just to where it all holds together and then turn it out onto a well floured board. if you like the crumbly(maybe not the best word, ...cakelike? muffinlike?) type of biscuit, just pat it out and cut out your biscuits with a biscuit cutter. using something like a glass, that doesn't have a sharp edge, pinches the edge together and will inhibit the rise somewhat.

i prefer a flakey biscuit, so i pat it out rather thick, cut it into quarters with a dough cutter, layer them and repeat about 2 times. i also pat them out rather thick, maybe 5/8" or better perhaps. they come out quite tall, moist but with a good crispy crust on top and bottom.
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I just use self rising pre-sifted flour"Martha white"
3 tbs crisco
2/3-1 cup milk,mix till dough is stiff
roll out bake in 450 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes,thats How I make mine :)
 
are you cutting the butter in cold? That might help--use a pastry cutter, a fork, or even better, a food processor to first mix the dry ingredients with the butter until it looks like coarse meal.

Then, I don't use a spoon to mix--hands all the way. Just BARELY moisten the dry ingredients, flop it out on the counter, and manipulating as little as possible, flatten it out for cutting. and use a good sharp stainless biscuit cutter. Cut dough will rise better, and the cleaner the cut the better.
 
1bb87, Biscuits MUST HAVE Baking Powder that is fresh. For tender,flaky biscuits, cut in the shortening with two knives,a fork or a pastry blender. Knead the dough gently,but do knead it- this improves the texture of the biscuits. What to try a different recipe? Let me know. I can give you one.
Try again.
 
Fresh Baking Powder

I opened a new can of baking powder (expires 6/17) and my biscuits didn't rise.

The recipe called for folding the dough in thirds and rolling out twice. Is this too much?
 
I opened a new can of baking powder (expires 6/17) and my biscuits didn't rise.

The recipe called for folding the dough in thirds and rolling out twice. Is this too much?

Yes, this develops the gluten too much and your biscuits will not rise. I prefer patting out the dough and cutting the biscuits. Gather the trimmings and pat together...no rolling needed.
 
Sounds like the old chunky baking powder is the culprit. Baking powder has a limited shelf life. Look for an expiration date on the can.

The buttermilk you made is OK and the age of the flour shouldn't make a difference.

I agree Andy. Certainly sounds like the baking powder. Also, don't work the dough too much. Once the buttermilk is added, stir quickly until all ingredients are moist. Then gently pat or roll out the dough and cut biscuits. DO NOT twist the cutter. This will only compress the edges to stick to each other and prevent them from rising. Hope this helps. Fresh baking powder is definitely needed. :angel:
 
What makes a biscuit?

Flour - contains the starches, gluten, and proteins that make up the body of the biscuit.

Milk, or butter milk - contains the water to hydrate the flour, and with milk, adds milk sugar and protein which flavor and help bind the flour into a plastic state (dough). With buttermilk, the sugars are gone as they are consumed by the culture that creates the buttermilk. These organisms produce acids that give buttermilk its characteristic flavor.

Butter, lard, or shortening - adds moisture to the end product and creates a tender and flaky biscuit. Butter adds flavor. Shortening and lard do not add any flavor.

Salt - enhances the flavor of the biscuit.

Baking soda - is an alkali that reacts with the acid of buttermilk to leaven the biscuit dough. The sour flavor of the buttermilk is neutralized when the baking soda and reacts with it.

Baking powder - a product containing both a dry acid, and a dry alkali. The two ingredients react with each other when liquid is added.

Double acting baking powder - same as baking powder, but with on set of ingredients that start reacting when liquid is added, and another that won't react until heat is applied. This results in more foolproof baking as the reaction times for acid and alkali are limited. If the batter or dough sits too long, the initial reaction will stop and the leavening will not occur. Having ingredients that won't react until heat is applied is like a backup plan. If the dough is formed in a relatively short time, the dough benefits from both leavening agents, creating more loft.

Kneading, develops the gluten into an elastic protein that captures the gasses produced by the chemical reactions of alkali and acid. Little bubbles form throughout the dough causing it to rise.

Baking soda doesn't lose its potency due to age. However, moisture in the air will cause the ingredients in baking powder to react with each other, as will time, rendering it useless when old. For baking powder to do its job, it must be fresh and dry in its container.

If using buttermilk, or buttermilk substitute in you biscuit recipe, the reaction of baking soda and the acidity of the buttermilk provide the main leavening reaction. Adding baking powder enhances the leavening power in the biscuit dough.

Combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl and whisk together. Add the buttermilk, or milk and stir just enough to create you dough. Transfer the dough to a floured working surface and roll out to a 1/4 inch thick round. Fold the dough into thirds and roll out again. cut into biscuits and brush top with milk, or butter.

Place onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and into a preheated 400' F. oven, and bake until lightly browned.

When you understand what each ingredient and procedural element does in baking, you will develop an intuitive ability to create better biscuits, cookies, cakes, and pie crusts. Hope this helps.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I've tried three times to make biscuits from scratch using a recipe from the Food Network. The first two times they barely rose and someone mistook them for cookies. The third time they did rise some but I don't think they came out right, plus, they don't even get light brown. It's not really a big deal as they taste good but it would be nice to know why they aren't coming out right.

I'm trying to figure out what the problem is. If it's an ingredient problem or if I'm overworking the dough.

I don't have access to the recipe right now but the ingredients are:
flour (all purpose, I think)
baking powder
baking soda
unsalted butter
buttermilk
salt (I think)
and heavy cream to brush on the top



The first two times I made it, I used an older flour (a year old). The third time I used a brand new one.

The baking powder I have is very old, a cheap brand, and sort of caked together (must remember to buy some at the store). The third time I made the biscuits I sifted the baking powder before using it to get out the chunks.

The buttermilk I used isn't real buttermilk. I just mix milk with a little lemon juice and let it sit 10 minutes and that's my imitation buttermilk. I also don't have heavy cream for the top so I make an imitation heavy cream.


Any ideas as to why the biscuits aren't rising and why they rose more the third time then the first two times?
Definitely the baking powder. It's the only "sell by" date I stick to rigidly.

I wouldn't think the stuff you brush on top would make much difference. I use yoghourt instead of buttermilk as I make my own so always have it in the 'fridge. Rather oddly, I find the set kind works better than the stirred kind.

Over-handling can also result in disappointing scones/biscuits
 
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