Buttermilk Biscuits Gone Awry

[KLogan8388]

I have recently been trying to make biscuits and I just can't seem it hit the mark. I have tried twice with two different recipes and two different flours. The results both times were nearly the same, with slight flavor differences. The biscuits look right, but the flavor, texture, and smell is off. The texture of the biscuits is crumbly instead of flakey. The texture is more cake like than biscuit like. The taste is slightly bitter with a noticeable wheaty taste.
And the smell is also wheaty. Below are the two recipes I've tried.

2 C. Flour (Unbleaced, Unenriched All Purpose Hodgson Mill Brand)
4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
3/4 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Crisco
1 C. Buttermilk

450 15-20min.

2 C. Flour (Bleached All Purpose Gold Medal Brand)
2 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/2 C. Crisco
3/4 C. Buttermilk

500 8-10min.

With both of these I first throughly mix the dry ingredients. Then I add the crisco/butter which I work together with my hands until it is nearly worked together. Then I add the buttermilk and work together just until I can from the batter (maybe 20-30secs.) After that I throw that batter on my floured countertop and push it together for maybe 30-45 secs. I don't knead it I just push it into a big ball then I roll it out to about an inch thick. Then I cut the biscuits out and throw them in the oven.


Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,
K.

 

[sattie]

I too have been learning to try and make biscuits from scratch. So far my attempts have failed because my biscuits turn out flat. They taste good and have the right texture, but flat. Perhaps we both can learn something from the biscuit experts! Sorry that I am of no help to you, but do intend to watch this thread for tips!

 

[sattie]

Is your Crisco/butter cold when you cut it into the mixture?

 

[KLogan8388]

The butter is cold but the crisco is not

 

[sattie]

I could be wrong (like I stated, I'm still learning the techniques myself) but I do believe you want the Crisco to be cold as well. That may be the problem with your biscuits. Is your Crisco the stick type or actual oil? If you are using the stick type, try freezing or chilling it before cutting it into your dry mixture. That is the only thing I can think of that may be going wrong for you.

 

[KLogan8388]

I've got the 2 pound tub variety of crisco

 

[sattie]

(I was hoping someone would chime in here, I could be leading you down the wrong path!) I would take out the amount of Crisco that you need for your recipe and chill it. Cut it into your dry mixture and see if that helps. (I would even try making mini batches of biscuits and experiment.) That is something I need to try and do myself until I get my biscuits coming out right.

I think you have inspired me to try and make biscuits again this morning!

 

[LEFSElover]

the last biscuits I made a couple of weeks ago were dry and hockey puckish. I too am in the search of perfect biscuits. I've run into wonderful ones at a local breakfast restaurant we've gone into for years, and an old friend of mine's husband worked there, if I could find her, as it's been years, I'd ask her to get that recipe out of him and pass it on to me.

 

[mozart]

I will give you a few suggestions based on my experience.

First, I don't think it matters if the Crisco is cold. The butter must be cold to prevent melting. Crisco melts at a higher temp so it isn't a problem.

The idea is to have small pieces (pea size) of butter/Crisco mixed in with the flour/dry ingredients. Working with your hands will often result in melting the butter and not result in the peas sized blobs.

I would suggest a pastry cutter or a fork instead of your hands.

When adding the liquid, again using one's hands will often lead to "over-working" that may result in the butter and Crisco losing their "blob". This is what makes biscuits tender.

Stir with a fork for about 10 seconds until it just comes together. Then turn it out on a floured surface and work in lightly with flour until it loses its sticky feel.

At that point, I just flatten mine out with my hand and cut. Then re-flatten the scraps and cut again.

I like mine a little over an inch high.

On cutting; use a biscuit cutter and push straight down without turning at the end. Turning seals the sides and the biscuits will not rise as well and may turn out flat.

I like using White Lily self rising flour. It looks like your "cakey" texture may be due to too much liquid/and or too soft butter in the end product.

1/4 cup butter and 2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk in 2 cups flour are the amounts I use with good success.

 

[sattie]

Is the dry ingredients measured by weight or by volume?

 

[KLogan8388]

The dry ingredients are measured in mixing spoons for dry ingredients. So, I suppose that would be by volume?
Thank you for your suggestions Mozart. I'll definately give that a try. Getting the pea sized blobs has not been a problem when working with my hands. However, I can see how working in the buttermilk with my hands could lead to overworking. I think I'll also give the flattening out by hand thing a try. I've used a roller both times and when baked seem to have to 'perfect' of a top on them. But, the ones I make from the scraps by hand seem not have more of a ragged top. With the biscuit cutter (a three inch cookie cutter) I generally punch it straight down through and slide it away so I can pick up the biscuit.
Where do you think the bitterness is coming from? Do you think it is the harder flours that I'm using? The flours I've used have both been 10% protien. I've heard that the white lily is softer so I think that might help the bitterness. Also, do you think I could reduce the baking soda or omit it from those recipes. I've read or heard somewhere that soda can make things a little bitter.

 

[lyndalou]

I mix my dough in the food processor. Works great. Just pulse a few times and you've got just the right texture. I agree that you should not twist whatever you are using to cut the biscuits.

 

[mozart]

The dry ingredients are measured in mixing spoons for dry ingredients. So, I suppose that would be by volume?
Thank you for your suggestions Mozart. I'll definately give that a try. Getting the pea sized blobs has not been a problem when working with my hands. However, I can see how working in the buttermilk with my hands could lead to overworking. I think I'll also give the flattening out by hand thing a try. I've used a roller both times and when baked seem to have to 'perfect' of a top on them. But, the ones I make from the scraps by hand seem not have more of a ragged top. With the biscuit cutter (a three inch cookie cutter) I generally punch it straight down through and slide it away so I can pick up the biscuit.
Where do you think the bitterness is coming from? Do you think it is the harder flours that I'm using? The flours I've used have both been 10% protien. I've heard that the white lily is softer so I think that might help the bitterness. Also, do you think I could reduce the baking soda or omit it from those recipes. I've read or heard somewhere that soda can make things a little bitter.

Not sure because I've never had bitterness in mine, but like I said, I use self rising flour so not baking power or baking soda is added. If you don't want to use self rising then you may have to play with the soda. That recipe seem like a lot to me when you gave it, but I don't use it so am not sure.

Oh, and always brush the tops with plenty of melted butter as they come out. Crisco imparts zero taste and the rest have very little. Only the butter really adds flavor along with the buttermilk. For that reason, I would never use all Crisco.

Actually, I've heard that pure lard will produce the best combination of taste and texture, but I have never used it.

 

[KitchenScrapbook]

Ah, biscuits... I struggled with them for years, and in the last month, I got a recipe that works great every time. It's allegedly the original Red Lobster biscuit recipe and it's got butter (not Crisco) and Bisquick in it.

I think one secret to it is to beat it with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds. That's hard work, but the dough gets light and airy. I'm sure the melted butter in the batter is partly what keeps them from getting dry. Plus, the tops get brushed with melted butter, like mozart mentioned above. And the finished product is melt-in-your-mouth.

 

[Chef Mark]

Mamas-Southern-Cooking.com...buttermilk biscuits and more---also Mary B's frozen biscuits are excellant...from lit'l. ol' Bagdad, FL...we used to make 'snake' biscuits when I was young and in Cub Scouts...Mayo(yes)-Milk & self-rising flour--rolled them out long(hence 'snake') & cooked them over the campfire...best advice-don't overmix!

 

[Little Italy]

something I can help with! I learned how to make my buttermilk biscuits from my granny, since we are from GA i think hers are out of this world. ( REAL SOUTHERN)

2 cups of self rising flour ( i like white lilly)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/3ish cups of marginuine, or crisco
3/4 cup of buttermilk

Mix together,

You can use a glass, cookie cutter, biscuit cutter if you want. But what i do is just make them about how big i want and then put them on a cookie sheet

Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes

At about 6 minutes i take them and put butter on top of them that way there is no flour left of top