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Respected Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

I cook biscuits in a cast iron skillet with a teaspoon of butter melted in it. my biscuits are tender on the inside with a browned, crunchy bottom. as shoekitty mentioned, I only use White Lily self rising flour and as Chickenbutt said, I freeze my butter and even put my flour in the freezer for about an hour before I make the biscuits. here's the recipe I use from Southern Living:

http://www.southernliving.com/food/how-to/perfect-buttermilk-biscuit-video

I couldn't add this as a link, but it would be worth the trouble to type or copy this to your browser.

“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” St. Julian of Norwich
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Registered: ‎10-21-2011

Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

You do, as has been mentioned, brush the tops with melted butter before baking. This allows the dough to crisp up.

Super Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

On 9/26/2014 kittymomNC said:
On 9/26/2014 GoodStuff said:
On 9/26/2014 rat2e said: To make the classic Southern 'cat-head' biscuit I use Crisco instead of butter. Whole milk for a sweeter tasting biscuit and buttermilk will give you a tangy taste. I also prefer self rising flour because it makes the biscuits flakier. I have been making biscuits since I was a small child. I do not use a recipe I just go by the feel of the dough. The ingredients are Crisco, self rising flour, and milk of choice. Good luck and keep on trying.

She knows whereof she speaks. Biscuits are absolutely simple. Self-rising flour (White Lily if you can find it), 1/6 as much Crisco as flour (eyeballed, not measured, and worked into the flour with your fingers), and just enough milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk for ultimate lightness!) quickly stirred in (stir as little as possible) to make a wet but cohesive dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured board or countertop, sprinkle/pat more flour on top, and gently press the dough to the thickness you want (1 to 1-1/2 inches). Cut out biscuits with a biscuit cutter or glass (dipped into flour before each cut) and place biscuits on a baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake in a 400 degree oven till golden brown. Done and delicious. Serve hot with butter and honey or jam. I can do this in my sleep.

This brings back memories of my mother making biscuits - she always did everything with her fingers - put flour in a bowl, put shortening in (I guess back in those days it was lard), worked it with her fingers, then put in the milk. She never measured anything. She told me in later years that she forgot how to make biscuits, so I never learned to do it that way.

But what is a Southern "cat-head" biscuit??? {#emotions_dlg.ohmy}

I think it's when you pull pieces off the dough in lumps, rather than making rounds with a cutter. The size of a cat's head, and sort of rough looking.

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Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

On 9/26/2014 Mochahoney said:

I cook biscuits in a cast iron skillet with a teaspoon of butter melted in it. my biscuits are tender on the inside with a browned, crunchy bottom. as shoekitty mentioned, I only use White Lily self rising flour and as Chickenbutt said, I freeze my butter and even put my flour in the freezer for about an hour before I make the biscuits. here's the recipe I use from Southern Living:

http://www.southernliving.com/food/how-to/perfect-buttermilk-biscuit-video

I couldn't add this as a link, but it would be worth the trouble to type or copy this to your browser.

I just watched this video, and I can do that! I've also heard of baking them in a cast iron skillet with butter. I've gotten so many good ideas from this thread, I think I'm going to be making biscuits a lot . But I'll probably have to give some away or freeze for later, or I'll be packing on the pounds! Thank you!

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Registered: ‎04-09-2010

Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

AW. biscuits. I like the King Arthur Flour self rising flour but have been using regular flour plus baking powder and salt to equal how many cups of self rising a recipe calls for. You can google the recipe for self rising flour.

And I do like the ease of just putting cream into the flour. It's the fat and liquid all in one. But instead of a biscuit cutter, I like to us my ice cream scoop and make drop biscuits or flatten the dough into a rectangle, then cut into squares with a sharp knife, but found my pizza cutter does a great and fast job And they fit nicely on the baking sheet. If I make the drop biscuits, I butter my fingers and flatten them out some. Don't have to, I just like to.

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Registered: ‎03-17-2010

Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

Sometimes brushing butter on the top of the biscuits will brown them and produce a nice crispy top....

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Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

I have Hardee's biscuit recipe somewhere in my recipe files.. will have to dig through it and find it; I do know that it uses a lot of Crisco and buttermilk and White Lily

Remember not to handle the dough more than you have to; it makes the biscuits tough instead of light, but if you put enough gravy on it, DH doesn't mind!

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Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

As Nathalie says in her cookbook Southern Biscuits, this recipe has been around forever. It was even included in the Joy Of Cooking, 1964. I believe it will produce the biscuit you are looking for

Here goes

2 1/4 cup commercial or homemade self rising flour, divided. (IMO, ya gotta use White Lily)

1 1/4 cup heavy cream, divided

preheat oven 450

Select the pan by determining if you want soft exterior, or crispy exterior.

For soft, use 8-9 inch cake pan or skillet where biscuits will nestle together snugly.

For crispy exterior, use baking sheet where biscuits will be far apart

Brush all pans liberally with butter.

To make biscuits: in a bowl, preferably wider than it is deep, whisk or fork sift 2 cups flour. Set remaining 1/4 cup flour aside.

Make deep hollow in center of flour with the back of your hand. Pour 1 cup cream into the hollow, (reserving 1/4 cup cream). Stir with a rubber spatula or large metal spoon, using broad, circular strokes to quickly pull the flour into the cream. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened and sticky dough pulls away from side of bow. Just a few seconds! If there is remaining flour on bottom of bowl, stir in 1-4 T of reserved cream.. Just enough to incorporate the remaining flour into the wettish, shaggy dough. If dough is too sticky, wait to use more flour when shaping.

Lightly sprinkle a board or clean surface with some of the reserved flour. Turn dough onto board, sprinkle dough lightly with flour. With floured hands, fold dough in half, and pat into a 1/3 to 1/2 inch round. Using a little flour ONLY IF NEEDED. Fold a second time. If the dough is still clumpy, pat and fold third time.

<h1>Now pat dough lightly into a 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch round. You can go 1 inch thick for giant biscuit. Brush off any visible flour from top. FOR EACH BISCUIT dip a 2 1/2 in cutter into flour , then dough. Start at outside edge, and work your way in, cutting close together. Be careful not to twist the cutter.</h1>

Scraps may be used to make more biscuits, but these will be tougher.

Use metal spatula to remove biscuits to pan, or baking sheet. Bake biscuits on top rack of oven for total of 10-14 mins until light brown. Rotate pan after first 6 minutes so that front of pan is turned to back. At this time check gently to see if biscuits are browning on bottom too quickly. If browning too quickly place another pan underneath.

You can brush tops with butter, place upside down. The turn right side up to serve.

I know this sounds complicated, it is not. It is just the verbal instructions. I keep a heavy whipping cream that comes in a box from Trader Joes. It is in the baking aisle. It s fabulous, and keeps for months, and is about 1.50 for an 8oz box.

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Registered: ‎03-18-2010

Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

I am from NC (Raleigh) and my favorite biscuits out in a restaurant are probably Biscuitville.

When I make biscuits which is pretty rare, usually only Thanksgiving and Christmas, I use buttermilk, a combo of leaf lard and butter (both chilled)r. Butter for taste and leaf lard gives them the best texture, slightly crunch on outside. I also only use White Lily flour. I really like this recipe and I have given it to many people because it gets a lot of compliments.

This was my grandmothers recipe and IMO she made the best southern biscuits. She used to put a piece of salty ham or a pork chop on them but I am just a butter honey type of person.

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
JFK
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Posts: 7,829
Registered: ‎03-18-2010

Re: Biscuits, please! Does anyone know the secret......?

On 9/26/2014 lovesrecess said:

I have Hardee's biscuit recipe somewhere in my recipe files.. will have to dig through it and find it; I do know that it uses a lot of Crisco and buttermilk and White Lily

Remember not to handle the dough more than you have to; it makes the biscuits tough instead of light, but if you put enough gravy on it, DH doesn't mind!

That is the only white flour I use.

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
JFK