Previously: Recipe #1 - White Lily and Lard
The less said about this batch, the better. I rolled 'em too thin, left them in the oven a minute or two too long, used too little liquid, achieved little to no loft, and skimped on flavor by switching from lard to vegetable shortening. Perhaps in the hands of a master biscuit maker, these factors wouldn't matter, but perhaps at this point, I need some training wheels in the form of commercial baking powder or self-rising flour.
My other muck-up -- I fell prey to fear of touching the dough too much and barely allowed the ingredients to mingle either during the bowl mixing or the kneading. While I've heard from all and sundry that overworking the dough is the kiss of death, there's got to be a happy medium. And hopefully a few sky-high biscuits.
Tips and more after the jump, and as always, I'd love any advice you feel like sharing.
Tips culled from books and friends thus far:
- I favor the drop biscuit over the cut biscuit. The irregular edges and spiky bits get crunchy in the oven, which adds a third texture (the other two being the smooth shell and the fluffy insides).
- If you do make cut biscuits, crowd them in your baking pan. They rise better when they push off one another, plus you get the pleasant experience of pulling them apart like dinner rolls. (Thanks to Christopher Bonanos for both of these!)
Variables
Flour: White Lily All-Purpose
Fat: Vegetable Shortening
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 #2 (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 vegetable shortening
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.
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