What's the secret to making good biscuits?

[JudiB]

I'm not a baker... the few times I've tried to "roll out" anything it's ended up being a disgusting mess that had to be scraped off the counter top, lol!

Well, this week I tried again, and after a few tips from friends, actually got the biscuits to LOOK good... but, they really didn't taste good. (too dry)

I have a fabulous recipe for sage biscuits, (soooo good, almost like having some sausage in there!).... and would love to reproduce them.

Any tips would be appreciated!

[kcdixiecat]

Here is an estimated recipe for how I make my biscuits. I watched Mom make them for years....it's how she does it. Everyone seems to like them.


2 cups self rising flour,
2 Tbsp oil
about a cup of milk and buttermilk.....mixed...

mix up....pat them out on floured board....cut them out.

Bake at about 375

[ChefGuy]

Here's a recipe that never fails, the secret is not to over mix or work too hard. Don't roll them just press with your hand until its about as thick as your hand, makes 16 biscuits. For a better flavor sub half the crisco with unsalted butter. DON'T OVERMIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:
6 cups self rising flour
1 cup Crisco
2 cups buttermilk

Procedure:
Pulse flour and Crisco in blender until mixed, remove and place in a bowl. Pour the buttermilk over the mix and gently fold in the buttermilk being careful not to over mix. Place mixture on a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough gently until it comes together and is a smooth dough.
Roll out dough to 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) thickness. Cut out biscuits with a round cookie cutter. Place on parchment lined baking paper and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the biscuit comes out clean. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter and place on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter.
Yield 24

[JudiB]

Thank you all so much for the recipes and tips. I'm going to try again later in the week!

One question... I don't have Crisco, does it matter if I just use butter? (That's what I used the last time... but like I say, they were dry).

[hungryone]

1/4 cup crisco
2 cups White Lily self-rising flour
3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 500 (it takes longer to heat the oven than to make the biscuits). Cut the crisco into the flour with two knives or a pastry blender, be sure to leave some english-green-pea-sized lumps. Stir in the liquid until all flour is moistened. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured countertop or pastry board. Sprinkle flour generously over lump of dough. With the heel of your hand, knead the dough with a smearing motion one time, spreading it out. Lift it off of the board, sprinkle some more flour underneath, fold the dough in half, and repeat smearing/kneading motion (be sure to flour your hand so it won't stick). Cut with a sharp-sided cutter (a metal frozen OJ or baking powder can with the ends cut out works fine if you don't have a biscuit cutter). Don't use a drinking glass, as the edges of the biscuit will seal and it won't rise nearly as high.

Place biscuits with sides nearly touching if you like crunchy sides, or completely touching if you like softer biscuits. If the sides touch, they'll rise higher because of the mutual support. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until as dark as you prefer.

You can skip all of this fussiness if you make cream biscuits. Two cups of WL self-rising and 3/4 cup to 1 cup heavy cream--stir until blended and drop from a spoon onto a baking sheet. Decadent, and good for shortcake if you add a little sugar to the dough and sprinkle a little on top of each one. Bake as noted above.

[BTG]

My grandmother used to coat her dough with some grease(crisco and a little bacon grease) on each side before sticking them in the oven.

[Hadacol]

I make biscuits pretty regularly.

Like this:

2 cups a.p. flour
1 tbls. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbls. sugar (you can skip it, but I like it)
1/3 cup FROZEN, SALTED butter (you can also use lard, or shortening, but better is better
1 cup buttermilk (I use 1/2 milk, 1/2 yogurt, as often as not)

SIFT dry ingredients into a large bowl (sifting makes them much lighter and mixes the ingredients-which is important, as after this, the less handling the better)

GRATE the frozen butter through the large holes on a grater (do a little at a time and mix into the flour for good, even distribution). Cold is good. It also helps if your flour came out of the freezer.

Add 1/2 the milk and mix

Add the other 1/2 of the milk and mix til it's all sticking together

Dump onto a floured surface (I use one of these, that is probably 50 years old-I love this thing. Can't reccomend it highly enough) and roll until it will form a ball-just enough-less smooshing is better.

At this point, you can roll out (I usually do them a bit thin, like 3/4 of an inch, but these make great giant biscuits, as well), but I normally put the doughball into a stainless bowl, cover loosely with saran wrap, and refrigerate for an hour or so. I get a much fluffier biscuit that way.

Cut with biscuit cutter straight down-DO NOT TWIST CUTTER-and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness, at 425F.

Eat.

After a few go-rounds, they get to be second nature and take all of 5 minutes to put together.

[JudiB]

Ah.. this is terrific Hadacol.. thanks!!

I made another round today... and they were much better... but still not great.

Ok, I'm going to try your suggestions of freezing the butter and flour.. then refrigerating for a bit before baking. Thanks again!

[Isabella Maja]

You can skip all of this fussiness if you make cream biscuits. Two cups of WL self-rising and 3/4 cup to 1 cup heavy cream--stir until blended and drop from a spoon onto a baking sheet. Decadent, and good for shortcake if you add a little sugar to the dough and sprinkle a little on top of each one. Bake as noted above.

I think I will try this method. I am not a baker & do not really like biscuits very much anyway. But it would be nice to invite friends over for breakfast on the porch after the Farmer's Market & this would be easy. I am not into rolling dough. Thanks HO!

[LauraMc]

The trick is not to handle the dough too much. Don't play around with it after it's mixed. I'm sure you know but be sure to sprinkle some flour on your board and your rolling pin to keep it from sticking.
My aunt taught me this trick after I insulted her cooking. I must have been in first grade and she made biscuits while I was at her house. I was about to make my first communion and I asked her if they were unleavened bread because they were so flat. Turns out she hadn't put enough baking powder in and she didn't have self-rising flour.