Biscuit Recipe #1 - White Lily and Lard

by Kat Kinsman, Posted Jan 10th 2009 @ 9:00AM

I do not come from a biscuit making people. That's not to say that I led an entirely biscuitless youth -- just that the addition of water to a measure of Bisquick, and the joyless lumping thereof on a cookie sheet does not, what I consider a biscuit, make. Though this is a matter of great conjecture for folks from all walks, my particular biscuit paradigm is a balance of moist, fluffily layered, lard-laced innards and a crisped-up, nearly brittle top and bottom. A crunch through should grudgingly yield to a just off-sweet, pillowy, melting mass of deliciousness. With shards of salty country ham, a rich swipe of sweet butter, or just steaming hot from the oven, it's handheld heaven.

I can't make biscuits like that to save my life. In '09, that all changes.

With the aid of every cookbook, internet tip, and friends' advice at my disposal, I'm on a mission to perfect my biscuit making. I shall seek the counsel of Southern grandmothers and hound professional chefs until they begin to assail me with dough blenders. I shall become tiresome on the subject. I'm sure my husband would assert that I already have. 'Sokay -- he'll get fresh biscuits out of the deal, as will my colleagues, dogs, dog walker, friends, neighbors, cashiers, subway train drivers. Heck, I probably don't even know you, and you'll likely end up with a leftover biscuit from me.

I dig 'em with the tang of buttermilk and lard's sweet, creamy kiss, but for the sake of scientific exploration, I'll entertain alternate liquids and fats. I've been a good li'l stockpiling squirrel and plundered the shelves of several Harris Teeters and Food Lions during a recent sojurn to North Carolina so that the ingredients may possess the ideal terroir as borne by Southern flours like White Lily, Red Band and Southern Biscuit. I have chilled my lard, readied my sifting hand, and offered a small homage to the spirit of the dearly departed Edna Lewis. I am ready to begin.

This may not be my heritage, but it is my destiny.

Read on for the results of the first effort.

Not a promising start, but I am very modest in my expectations at this point. I've worked up a set of variables, which I'll document along the way in the hopes of honing in on the Biscuit X-Factor. This batch just plainly and simply didn't rise, and I shot myself in the foot by using all-purpose White Lily flour, rather than self-rising, and relying on baking soda that was perhaps just a shade past its prime. Lacking a proper biscuit cutter, I repurposed the open (and washed -- I promise) can from the previous week's dark journey into the land of brains 'n eggs, and the slicing edge was a shade dull, tamping the dough down rather than cleaving neatly through. These were biscuits with clipped wings, but hey -- I learned something.

The flavor was, on the whole, fairly pleasing, with a subtle lard-lended pork note, but two minutes too long in the oven slapped the kibosh on any chance at delicacy. Onward to vegetable shortening. Any and all advice is gratefully accepted in the comments below.

Tips culled from books and friends thus far:

- Don't overhandle the dough, as that'll result in unwanted toughness.
- 2 tbsp of baking soda added to 1/4 cup cream of tartar makes a baking soda that leavens without the slightly metallic tang of commercial baking soda. (Edna Lewis' tip to Scott Peacock from The Gift of Southern Cooking)
- Don't twist the biscuit cutter, as that will seal the sides, inhibiting rise.
- Make sure the oven is very hot -- 450 - 500 degrees.

Variables

Flour: White Lily All-Purpose
Fat: Lard
Leavening: Homemade baking powder
Sift: Yes
Liquid: Buttermilk
Treatment: Rolled and cut
Sides touching: No
Greased pan: No
Heat: 500
Time: 10 minutes

Biscuit Recipe #1 (adapted from White Lily's Light All-Purpose Flour Biscuit recipe)

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tbsp homemade baking powder*
1tsp salt
1/4 cup very cold lard
2/3 cups cold buttermilk

Heat oven to 500°F.
Sift flour and measure into large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or 2 knives until crumbs are the size of peas. Blend in just enough milk with fork until dough leaves sides of bowl.
Knead gently 2 to 3 times on lightly floured surface. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut using floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter.
Place on baking sheet 1 inch apart for crisp sides or almost touching for soft sides.
Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.

*Mix 1/4 cup cream of tartar and 2 tbsp baking soda and save in a glass jar for up to three months.

Filed Under: Recipes
Tags: baking, biscuit, biscuit mission, BiscuitMission, biscuits, grains, guilty pleasures, kat kinsman, KatKinsman, lard, lard biscuit, LardBiscuit, southern food, southern states, SouthernFood, white lily flour, WhiteLilyFlour

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-10-2009 @10:00AM Scott said... Angel biscuits. Try them! I was never able to make a good biscuit until I made the angel biscuits. There are a lot of minor variations on the recipe out there, but the basic idea is that there are multiple leavening agents: yeast, and baking soda/powder, and buttermilk. Personally, I don't cut them out with a cutter. I prefer to fold the dough over itself a few times and then just cut into rectangles to preserve the folding. But to me, the key is that recipe. Yeast makes a big difference.

Here's a sample recipe, though they're all a bit different. A bonus on this recipe is that it actually ASKS for the White Lily!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Angel-Biscuits-350535

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1-10-2009 @10:05AM dicus said... I am Northerner who wanted to make a good biscuit as well. My childhood was also plagued with Bisquick nonsense. I found the information on the Fine Cooking Forum to be the most helpful. I have settled on a good buttermilk and butter recipe from the tried and true archive there.
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1-10-2009 @10:11AM LinC said... I recommend Alton Brown's take on Southern biscuits. He did a whole episode of _Good Eats_ on the topic, featuring his grandmother Ma Mae. The transcript can be found online at the Good Eats Fan Page:

http://goodeatsfanpage.com/GEFP/index.htm

Look for the episode on biscuits "The Dough Also Rises". The transcript includes picture.

Link to AB's recipe on the Food Network website:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/southern-biscuits-recipe/index.html

I'm looking forward to hearing about your experiences.

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1-10-2009 @11:33AM Kat Kinsman said... dicus - I would love that recipe if you can share it.

Scott and LinC - thank you! Those are going into the queue. I can't wait to try 'em. And Scott - I think the yeast phase of the experimentation is going to be a lot of fun. I'm actually a half decent bread maker, and I'm looking forward to the yeast assist.

Keep the tips coming!

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1-10-2009 @12:54PM Colleen said... You might get a better rise with commercial baking powder, which is double acting, so you get rising action in both the bowl and the oven. Homemade baking powder is just single acting, I believe. If you're concerned about metallic notes in your baked goods, use an aluminum-free baking powder like Rumford. (Props to Alton Brown for both of those tidbits.)

Also, I don't think baking soda can get "past its prime" because there's just one chemical in the box. If you feel uncertain though, you can always test it by pouring some vinegar on a sample. If it bubbles, it's working. By the way, you can test whether your baking powder (which I've heard can stop functioning) still works by pouring water on it.

Another way to help ensure a tall rise is to buck the advice of most biscuit bakers and briefly knead your biscuit dough. The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book recommends 30 seconds of kneading on the countertop to make the dough uniform and develop the gluten. Gluten lends the dough structure and support for a taller rise. I was skeptical, but the biscuits I made with their recipe were the tallest I've ever produced. They actually looked like the pictures I've seen of others' biscuits for once.
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1-10-2009 @12:56PM Colleen said... Oh, and I nearly forgot: Good luck with the biscuit making! :-)
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1-10-2009 @2:33PM woostery said... Great luck on this. Good fresh biscuits are unsurpassed.

You are exactly right that southern flours (I insist on White Lily) are mandatory, and buttermilk is to my taste. Also, as one of your tipsters said, don't overhandle the dough.

A bit of practice is all you need and I bet you have spectacular biscuits in no time!
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1-10-2009 @3:20PM petrilli said... Growing up in the south, and with a regular dosage of biscuits, I have to say that Shirley Corriher's "Touch of Grace" biscuits are mind-bogglingly good. They're totally different in technique than anything you've ever seen before, but the results are by far the best I've ever had, and so far many friends agree. You can find them up on the Spendid Table: http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/bread_biscuits.html

You can cut the sugar back slightly if you're a true southerner, but otherwise, I find they're perfect.
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1-10-2009 @4:51PM Bailey Barash said... I don't feel comfortable using anything but White Lilly flour. I am a filmmaker in Atlanta. I read your blog with the mention of Edna Lewis and her recipes.

I just wanted to let you know I produced a 21 minute documentary about Miss Edna Lewis and its viewable in its entirety on Internet at a Gourmet Magazine website:

http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/video/2008/01/Edna

and at a Georgia Public Broadcasting website:

http://www.cforty7.com/film/theater?film_test=16

My documentary is called Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie.

My website, http://bbarash.com/bb_friedchicken.htm has more information about the film and the story of Miss Lewis.

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1-10-2009 @4:44PM bugga said... The fresher the eggs the harder they are to peel when they've been hard-boiled, so this was a great use of your nearly-too-old-to-use eggs!
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1-10-2009 @5:56PM Rt said... Hey now! I happen to be a Bisquick fan.

I make them with buttermilk by the dozen and freeze them. Perfect! I use the nuke to warm them (the number I wanted) and they were as moist as freshly made. The fact that I was going to slather it with butter didn't hurt. You have to try it to see what I am talking about.

I am certain all these recipes are better, but for an easy biskit Bisquick ain't bad.

For my two cents, a gooey dough is better than a stiff dough, but that means a 'dropped' biskit as opposed to a kneaded biskit. It seems to rise better.

'Ol Bailey and his gratuitous web sites. Will they never end?
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1-10-2009 @6:20PM kingking said... Colleen has some very good tips, I second most of them except for kneading for 30 seconds. Four or five turns on a lightly floured surface should be plenty. Pat them out with your hands (never a rolling pin) to about 3/4" thick, then cut with a 2-1/2 inch cutter. Place them in a buttered baking pan or a cast iron skillet, with the sides touching. Take your thumb and press down very lightly in the center of each biscuit - don't worry, it won't show after baking. Place the pan in a preheated 425 degree oven and IMMEDIATELY increase the heat to 450 degrees. This gives a burst of heat that will make them taller. Watch them closely, and remove when the tops are a nice golden color. Brush with melted butter and eat while hot with even more butter. I use self-rising flour, 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter (naturally) and buttermilk. I don't care for the taste of lard in biscuits, fried chicken is another story.

From a native Tennessean, good luck in your endeavor. Check Southern Living magazine or one of their cookbooks for some really excellent biscuit recipes and tips.
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1-10-2009 @10:10PM Katie said... Could anyone give me some tips on buying lard? I've only ever seen it for sale as in a package labeled "manteca" which is sold un-refrigerated. That's the part that freaks me out... shouldn't animal fat go bad?
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1-10-2009 @11:23PM Scott said... Katie: Morrell "Snow Cap" lard is found in most grocery stores, in the refrigerator case. In my store, it's near the bacon, not near the butter (where I thought it would be). It's got a very distinctive blue box, the exact size and shape of a 4-stick butter box.
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1-11-2009 @9:21PM Frank M said... This morning was my fourth time at biscuits, having had the same problems as everyone else, ut today they were great. I did not get the lift I had hoped for, but they were extremely light and fluffy! I did half butter and half shortening, but lard will be in my next batch!
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1-11-2009 @10:29AM Frank M said... This morning was my fourth time at biscuits, having had the same problems as everyone else, but today they were great. I did not get the lift I had hoped for, but they were extremely light and fluffy! I did half butter and half shortening, but lard will be in my next batch!
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1-12-2009 @11:17AM tom said... strangely enough, my chemistry teacher made some of the best biscuits i've ever had. he uses quite a bit of baking powder (aluminum free), but the secret seems to be in his technique. he used a cast iron pan with a glob of shortening or lard and preheated it in the oven (~500) until almost smoking and then dropped the biscuits in, waited about 10 seconds and flipped them over. i've made them before and they rise almost immediately and then continue to rise in the oven. honestly, some of the flakiest and tallest biscuits i've ever had

good luck!
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1-12-2009 @2:45PM Kat Kinsman said... Thank you so much to everyone who's writing in. It's killing me to be sitting here at my desk and not in my kitchen rolling dough.

A colleague did, however, just tell me that her family uses rendered fatback as the biscuit base, so I guess it did pay to come into work today!
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1-26-2009 @4:21PM Joel said... I am enjoying reading your posts... I watched my neighbor make delicious (and easy) southern biscuts this past weekend and wanted to share what I learned. Not to get off topic, but have you seen the Hardee's commercial with the punchline "Guys just don't make biscuits?" I think he wants to throw his shoe at the TV every time it comes on since we make fun of him so.

The ingredients were
1. Southern Biscuit SELF RISING flower (self rising is very important he told me). Just fill up the large bowl.
2. Margarine (2 sticks I think). Mushed into a reservoir on top of the flour. He says that lard would probably be better and butter is too rich.
3. Buttermilk. Fill the margarine reservoir.

He says then that you just fold over the edges of margarine and flour to absorb the buttermilk. Once fully absorbed, make another reservoir with the mixture and fill up with buttermilk and repeat until you get the right consistency. Baked at 420... Yes, the oven.

Enjoy!

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11-02-2009 @9:28AM Ken W said... I really enjoy your prose on the subject. I've never succesfully fixed a biscuit with a biscuit cutter I've found that they're inevitably dry, so I recommend my Great-Grand Mama's technique (without the lard or the bowl made out of the trunk of an old Pecan tree) drop biscuits, tossed gently in your hands with flour.

Follow the recipe (mostly) on the white lily (either self rising or AP) bag of flour.

Unless you live in the deep south or somewhere very humid you need to use 1 cup of buttermilk, not the 2/3 or 3/4 amount they call for

Work the fat into the flour with one hand, squeezing and sliding the flour into the fat. Instead of pea sized globs of fat-laden flour, your objective is grain-of-rice-sized shards of flat, fat laden flour.

Here's the part where you'll say, "way to wet, this won't work": pour that buttermilk in, and using a spoon gently work the mixture together. I live in Minnesota now and it's pretty dry here so I almost alway end up with a cup of buttermilk.

Now, using a ice cream scoop with a lever on it to help you remove the biscuit dough, use this to portion your buscuits. Take a scoop of dough out, roll it in enough flour to coat, then gently make a sligthy flattened ball, sort of a disc, maybe 3/4 of inch thick by about 1/5 to 2 inches wide and place in a circle on a pan with about 1/4 of an inch space between the biscuit.

Now in the oven they go, 500 degrees -- no cooler and bake until golden on top.

These biscuits are not easy to cut open and leave them in-tact for a bacon or ham biscuit -- but they have a wonderful taste and texture
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