biscuits

Biscuits are 90% technique and 10% formula.

Here is a good recipe:

Pre heat oven to 400°

1 cup Flour, regular old flour. 1 tbl butter, shortning, or manteca (lard) per cup 1tsp (level) baking powder per cup

So, what ever, how many... A shortning cutter... that's a thing that you get at wal*mart or bed bath and beyond or something

or put a quarter of the flour in a food processor with the shortning and hit the button a couple of times put the flour/shortning in the rest of the flour. put the baking powder in the mix. whisk the dry mix. add some milk, half a cup per cup of flour. mix with a fork or spoon. The mix SHOULD be good. if it's too wet add flour, if it's too dry add more milk. with floured hands, on a floured board fold, once or twice mash. fold once or twice mash... Roll out to about 5/8 in. thick. I have biscut cutters sombody gave me, but more often than not, I just use a large glass to cut the biscuts. throw'em on a baking sheet putt'em in the oven for 10 min.

This will make good (Excellent) biscuts. I live at 5428' elevation. the recipe needs to be made several times to get it perfect.

In general, wetter is better. If your biscuits don't rise well, it's probably because you added too much flour. A friend raved about her mother's biscuits being awesome. We went to visit her parents, and the biscuits were awesome. Lighter, fluffier, tastier than I'd ever had before. I praised her mom's biscuits and mom spoke up, "Oh, these aren't much. I used a mix. I got tired of doing all that work, I have enough to do! I use either Bisquick or Pioneer - they're both OK. Most folks don't add enough liquid, so they can't rise right."

I added more liquid the next time, and sure enough, they rose better.

And that worked with a regular recipe too.

Here are two of my favorites...

-Begin Recipe Export- QBook version 1.00.14

Title: Home Economics Biscuits Keywords: Biscuits, Quick breads, Bread

Home Economics Biscuits

It is hard to imagine a breakfast better than Fried Quail, Quail gravy, and these biscuits. These biscuits are very light, tasty, and have never failed me yet, even if the recipe did come from a Home Economics course. (The only change has been to get away from the original recipes insistence on all-purpose, enriched, bleached white flour. There are endless nutrional debates on the subject, but I feel the unbleached product just tastes and handles better.)

INGREDIENT LIST

2 cups of all-purpose unbleached white flour, 1 TBSP baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 4 TBSP fat (Crisco, and etc.), 3/4 cup milk.

INSTRUCTIONS

Sift: 2 cups of flour.

I reccomend white unbleached flour, although I have used whole wheat pastry, all-purpose bleached white, or bakers flours with success. Resift with: 1 TBSP baking powder, and 1 tsp salt.

Cut in: 4 TBSP fat (Crisco, etc.)

with a fork or pastry knife, until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Stir in: 3/4 cup milk

with a fork to make a soft dough. (If the dough is made slightly more liquid the biscuits will rise higher and be a bit lighter. I have used as much as a cup of milk. This is a matter of preference, so experiment a bit.) Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 1/2 minute. Roll or pat out to 1/2 thick, cut and place on an ungreased sheet. Bake 10 minutes in a 450 F oven (or until nicely golden brown). 

-End Recipe Export- From the kitchen of Mike Avery ( snipped-for-privacy@mail.otherwhen.com)

-Begin Recipe Export- QBook version 1.00.14

Title: Buttermilk Biscuits (Joy Of Cooking) Keywords: Bisquits, Biscuits, Buttermilk, Bread, Quick, Joy Of Cooking

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (cake flour may be used) 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp double acting baking powder 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 lard or 5 TBSP butter 3/4 cup buttermilk

Instructions:

Because of the buttermilk, this recipe has a very tender dough. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift and measure:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (cake flour may be used).

Re-sift with:

1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp double acting baking powder, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp baking soda.

With two knives, a fork, or a pastry blender, cut in:

1/4 lard or 5 TBSP butter.

Add and LIGHTLY mix:

3/4 cup buttermilk.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead it gently for 1/2 minute. Pat the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter or jelly jar. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.



-End Recipe Export- From the kitchen of Mike Avery ( snipped-for-privacy@mail.otherwhen.com)

Enjoy! Mike

My biscuit making is/was hit and miss for no reason that I could find. I could make 3 batches the same, from same bag of flour, same temperatures etc and one batch would be great, the other two just eatable..

If you want it to be REALY fool proof...

I now use frozen biscuit dough and focus my efforts on the rest of the meal. Try different brands... these are not the same as "canned biscuit dough" You cook them while still frozen, and can cook exactly as many as you need. Using parchment paper is a must for the brand I use.. You would never suspect these were not made from scratch.

My biggest problem with home made biscuits is timing the rest of the meal to be done when the biscuits are.. (well.. that problem effects ALL my cooking) Cold food, overdone food.. I don't see how grandma' did it all..and without a measuring cup.. Chuck

Like I said before, biscuits are mostly technique. You won't improve your technique by using frozen dough. If that's what you like, then so be it but I can't see recommending that choice for people who post on a newsgroup about baking.

Biscuits take about 5 minutes to make and another 10-15 minutes to bake. Therefore, you start making them about 20 minutes before you want to serve them. While they are best if you can put them right into the oven after making them, with the use of double acting baking power, you can park them for a short time before baking them if need be.

I stand corrected... and no one should ever mention "store bought" filo dough on here either...

I'm just jealous of those (like my grandmother) who can make them by the look or feel of the dough as to what needs to be added.. and never have a bad batch.. She did have the benefit or curse of having to make them almost every day... I've never practiced that much.. Just made them till I got it right a few times to prove I could.. then quit. I was on a strict diet at the time..

These are not even remotely comparable items. One is a complex, time consuming process that is so unlikely to be used frequently that most people would never become accomplished in the technique. Making filo dough is something I did once just for the experience. Biscuits can be produced in a couple of minutes once you learn a few basic principles. I scarcely measure when I make them, which I do quite often.

Your grandmother probably produced a few batches of sinkers on the way to perfection.

Unfortunnately, when we are two in the house for breakfast...I would probably be around 500 pounds by now practicing!

I make a pretty good buiscut....but no longer. The frozen biscuits in the blue bag are very good as are their frozen dinner rolls. I don't think this is bad since many fine restaurants are serving frozen product and processed product. Many don't know how to make filo, puff pastry, etc.

The best thing about dating a homeless person is that at the end of the date, you can drop them off anywhere.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Chuck"

Should that 2 teaspoons of baking powder have been 2 teaspoons of baking soda?

no, it says 3 teaspons baking powder. just double checked

>

Mixing vinegar with milk just gives you "soured" milk...not buttermilk. Don't skip the buttermilk if you are making biscuits. The flavor is essential.

Also....I find that every baked product with buttermilk also has baking soda included. The buttermilk needs the soda to react.

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Classic Biscuits

breads

2 cup self rising flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon soda 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar 4 oz shortening 3/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450F.

Cut shortening into dry mixture with a blender. Add buttermilk and stir until combined.

Knead 15 times on floured board. Add more flour if too damp. Roll out and cut biscuits. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter after removal from oven.

Yield: 8 servings

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.66 **