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I have not cooked or baked in a while--maybe that is my problem. Everything I have tried recently from meringue cookies to rye bread has been less than what I expected. So last night I tried biscuits. They are 'not so bad' --tastewise but far from what a traditional biscuit should be. I understand that strawberry shortcake is traditionally made with flat, rather dry biscuits--if so I am ready. I froze the poor things--better than a 'tube' from Kroger but that is all I can say.
Does anyone have a no-fail recipe? The one I used called for 2 C flour, baking soda and powder, shortening and 1 C of buttermilk --which I thought was a lot and yes, indeed, I did get another dough that had to have almost another cup of flour added before it could be kneaded. The recipe warned that the dough would be 'sticky'--this dough was so soft I could hardly get into onto the board. Tired of being toyed with by recipes that either 'leave out' things like--'Be Sure your kitchen is 75.8 degrees' or some secret that eludes me.
At least I can make good cookies. I will console myself with that.
Ingredients are important, but method with biscuits is equally if not more important. For the amount of flour you are using, if the flour is plain, I would presume you are using about 1 tbsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. salt, plus maybe a small amount of baking soda to work with the buttermilk and generate more leavening. Once you combine the flour and dry ingredients you will next cut in your shortening. Again, with the amount of flour as your base you probably should have been using about 1/4 cup of shortening. Did you blend in the (unmelted, preferably chilled) shortening (with a fork, knives, pastry cutter, or your fingers) until you had a coarse meal-like mixture? Small pea-size granules would have been OK. The amount of buttermilk for the indicated portion of flour DOES seem way high. You should probably have used between 2/3 and 3/4 cup of milk.
Is it possible you overworked your dough? After cutting in the shortening, you stir in just enough buttermilk and blend it in by hand until the dough leaves the side of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead 2 to 3 times...not much more than that or you will toughen the dough. Roll the dough (or pat it out) about 1/2-inch thick and cut without twisting the cutter into biscuits...just press the cutter straight down. Place on a pan about an inch apart (if you want crisper edges) OR almost touching (if you want soft edges). Take dough scraps and work back together just enough so you have a sheet of dough to cut additional biscuits from. Brush tops with melted butter if desired. If cooking at 500°F, Bake about 8 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. If baking at a lower temperature, adjust your cooking time accordingly.
You will get much better biscuits if you use a soft-wheat flour. Standard Pillsbury, Gold Medal, King Arthur, Robin Hood, and other such flours use a blend of harder flours. White Lily, Red Band, Martha White, Adluh, and maybe Silver Cloud or Hudson Cream and a few others are made from soft wheat. Soft wheat has lower protein content and will yield softer biscuits that typically rise better.
I have several recipes written down that I can post, but for the most part I make biscuits by feel. They each have their own focus and considerations when being made. Some are even combination yeast and baking powder biscuits, between a roll and a biscuit. I'll post if there is interest.
Last edited by buckhead; 08-15-2008 at 11:32 AM..
Reason: Edited for content
I have a very simple biscuit recipe that I picked up from Marion Cunningham's "Lost Recipes" cookbook. It's very easy and fast to make and I'm not a great baker - by any stretch of the imagination. These are delicate and completely addictive! I use salted butter because it gives the exterior a nice, salty taste but unsalted works well too.
Cream Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups Heavy cream
1/3 cup (5 tablespoons) butter, melted.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have ready an ungreased baking sheet.
Toss together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, stirring with a fork to blend and lighten. Slowly add 1 cup of the cream, stirring constantly. Gather the dough together; when it holds together and feels tender, it is ready to knead. If the dough seems shaggy and pieces are dry and falling away, slowly add enough additional cream to make the dough hold together.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute.
Pat the dough into a square that is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 12 squares and dip each into the melted butter so all sides are coated. Place the biscuits 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes (peek at 10-12) or until the biscuits are lightly browned. Serve hot.
I use Bisquick but didn't have any. I will have to experiment a bit. I think I'm just out of practice. I can generally get fair to good results but haven't lately.
I can make pretty good sausage/cheese balls with Bisquick. I should be able to do this--I'll let you know.
I use Bisquick but didn't have any. I will have to experiment a bit. I think I'm just out of practice. I can generally get fair to good results but haven't lately.
I can make pretty good sausage/cheese balls with Bisquick. I should be able to do this--I'll let you know.
YEAH!!!! I love those things! I think they are called "Bermuda biscuits"!
Cut three tablespoons of shortening into enough flour where the three tablespoons make pea size lumps throughout the flour (roughly 2 to 1 1/2 cups of flour/self rising) add enough milk, or buttermilk to moisten and combine into a dough. Add enough flour to knead with fists (briefly) just enough to have firm dough and then roll flat with pin on floured surface. Use a jar or can or whatever handy to cut out dough. Hope that helps!
Cut three tablespoons of shortening into enough flour where the three tablespoons make pea size lumps throughout the flour (roughly 2 to 1 1/2 cups of flour/self rising) add enough milk, or buttermilk to moisten and combine into a dough. Add enough flour to knead with fists (briefly) just enough to have firm dough and then roll flat with pin on floured surface. Use a jar or can or whatever handy to cut out dough. Hope that helps!
That sounds like what I have been doing. I will keep trying. The last batch were less flat--I would not call them fluffy. I would like a fluffy biscuit --at least one that is lighter than what I have been producing.
I might put them on a chicken pot pie or something. They could soak up the juice--couldn't hurt, I guess.
Thanks.
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These are delicate and completely addictive! I use salted butter because it gives the exterior a nice, salty taste but unsalted works well too. 
