A biscuit question/complaint

[NoraC]

Biscuits have leavening. Pie crust does not.

In general that is true, but I have had some extraordinarily good pie crusts made with baking powder - not a lot, but enough to lift the flakes noticeably apart.

 

[pengyou]

Wow! good advice. You people are pretty sharp! I have tried a few different recipes over the years. I think your advice about not overworking the dough will take care of the problem. Has anyone ever made biscuits in a mixer with a dough hook?

Related to this...is biscuit dough a suitable dough to make pigs in a blanket?

 

[cmarchibald]

I'm glad to share this with you! It's nothing fancy, but its quick and easy. From beginning to end (including cleanup while baking) I can have hot biscuits in about 30 minutes.

Note: Being single I don't need a lot of biscuits hanging around, so this recipe makes only 4, 2 for breakfast and 2 with peanut butter and jelly for lunch. You can easily double it.

Southern Biscuits

1 cup All Purpose Flour
2 Tbls. Very Cold Cubed Lard or Butter (Lard is better!)
1/2 cup Buttermilk (or 1/2 cup of whole milk mixed with 1 tbls. of white vinegar and let set for 5 minutes before using.)
1 Tbls. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. baking Powder
2 Pinches (1/8 tsp.) of Baking Soda
Flour for kneading


1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.) Into a food processor add the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and lard or butter. Pulse a few times until it resembles coarse crumbs.

3.) Empty food processor mixture into a mixing bowl. Blend in buttermilk with a spatula just until the dough comes together. The dough will be sticky. Let it set for 5-10 minutes to hydrate all of the flour.

4.) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently by folding the dough 5 to 6 times. (DO NOT overwork the dough!)

5.) Using your hand, press the dough until it's about 2 inches thick.

6.) Cut out biscuits with a 2-1/2 or 3 -inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Do not twist the cutter. (Twisting the cutter will cause the biscuits not to rise straight up).

7.) Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. (I use a cake pan)

8.) Brush the tops with milk.

9.) Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Makes four (4) biscuits.

Thanks for sharing the recipe! My husband loves biscuits but they never come out as well as I like. If I have time I'm going to try this in the morning!

 

[CraigC]

Has anyone ever made biscuits in a mixer with a dough hook?

You would really overwork the dough trying to do that.

Craig

 

[sparrowgrass]

I always had trouble with my biscuits coming out dry, and I got a tip from a Kentucky cook. Bake them at 400 for about 15 minutes, then put them under the broiler just long enough to brown the tops.

 

[ChefJune]

I've kept yeast in the freezer for up to a year and it's been good.

I've kept it much longer than that in the freezer and it's still fine. I think KA isn't comfortable giving timelines that sound too outlandish.

 

[pacanis]

Good info. I'll make sure I always test the yeast before just tossing it.

 

[LAJ]

I love White Lily flour for biscuits and cakes.

 

[ChefJune]

I love White Lily flour for biscuits and cakes.

Ditto.

 

[cmarchibald]

I'm glad to share this with you! It's nothing fancy, but its quick and easy. From beginning to end (including cleanup while baking) I can have hot biscuits in about 30 minutes.

Note: Being single I don't need a lot of biscuits hanging around, so this recipe makes only 4, 2 for breakfast and 2 with peanut butter and jelly for lunch. You can easily double it.

Southern Biscuits

1 cup All Purpose Flour
2 Tbls. Very Cold Cubed Lard or Butter (Lard is better!)
1/2 cup Buttermilk (or 1/2 cup of whole milk mixed with 1 tbls. of white vinegar and let set for 5 minutes before using.)
1 Tbls. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. baking Powder
2 Pinches (1/8 tsp.) of Baking Soda
Flour for kneading


1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.) Into a food processor add the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and lard or butter. Pulse a few times until it resembles coarse crumbs.

3.) Empty food processor mixture into a mixing bowl. Blend in buttermilk with a spatula just until the dough comes together. The dough will be sticky. Let it set for 5-10 minutes to hydrate all of the flour.

4.) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently by folding the dough 5 to 6 times. (DO NOT overwork the dough!)

5.) Using your hand, press the dough until it's about 2 inches thick.

6.) Cut out biscuits with a 2-1/2 or 3 -inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Do not twist the cutter. (Twisting the cutter will cause the biscuits not to rise straight up).

7.) Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. (I use a cake pan)

8.) Brush the tops with milk.

9.) Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Makes four (4) biscuits.

I finally got a chance to try this and wanted to say thanks! These turned out great! I used butter because the only lard I had wasn't cold. These are very light and have a wonderful flavor. I doubled the recipe since I was feeding 3 of us and my husband is a biscuit hound, but I must have used a smaller cutter than you because I got about 18 biscuits out of my mix. Really really tasty!

 

[LAJ]

I love to bake biscuits and freeze them then stick the baked biscuits in toaster oven. great when i have overnight company or brucnh. no fuss no muss.