Ingredients
2 cups of soft flour (White Lily)
scant teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder (sift)
3 tablespoons of sugar
Stir this together
add
4-6 tablespoons of Crisco shortening
Cut into the flour with the side of a fork until the shortening is about the size of a pea throughout. The flour will be crumbly – music helps
add
Barely 3/4 cup of milk. Pour into a well made in the center of the flour/shortening mix
Stir together quickly, dough will likely be wet-ish. More humidity, more wet.
Remove jewelry/watch.
Sprinkle some flour over the dough, and smooth some onto the pastry cloth (essential for less sticking/mess). Turn dough onto cloth, flour hands, and sprinkle more flour over dough. Fold dough over on itself, turn a quarter turn, fold again, turn a quarter turn, fold again, until you have done this nine times. Add flour as needed to keep from sticking - handle as lightly as possible.
The secret to a flaky biscuit is the shortening. The secret to a light biscuit is a 'light had,' that is to say minimal handling (which develops less gluten, the stuff that makes bread hold together)
Roll out using a rolling pin with a cloth sleeve (much less sticking) until it is about 1/2 inch thick, then fold over and roll out again to 3/4 inch thick- this gives the biscuits a natural 'split'. cut with a biscuit cutter or water class with thin edge. Flour the rim and don't twist when you pull up or the biscuit will rise lop-sided
brush tops with milk for a nice brown crust
back at 425 for 25-20 minutes (watch them and take them out when they are brown)
serve with soft butter and honey.
2 cups of soft flour (White Lily)
scant teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder (sift)
3 tablespoons of sugar
Stir this together
add
4-6 tablespoons of Crisco shortening
Cut into the flour with the side of a fork until the shortening is about the size of a pea throughout. The flour will be crumbly – music helps
add
Barely 3/4 cup of milk. Pour into a well made in the center of the flour/shortening mix
Stir together quickly, dough will likely be wet-ish. More humidity, more wet.
Remove jewelry/watch.
Sprinkle some flour over the dough, and smooth some onto the pastry cloth (essential for less sticking/mess). Turn dough onto cloth, flour hands, and sprinkle more flour over dough. Fold dough over on itself, turn a quarter turn, fold again, turn a quarter turn, fold again, until you have done this nine times. Add flour as needed to keep from sticking - handle as lightly as possible.
The secret to a flaky biscuit is the shortening. The secret to a light biscuit is a 'light had,' that is to say minimal handling (which develops less gluten, the stuff that makes bread hold together)
Roll out using a rolling pin with a cloth sleeve (much less sticking) until it is about 1/2 inch thick, then fold over and roll out again to 3/4 inch thick- this gives the biscuits a natural 'split'. cut with a biscuit cutter or water class with thin edge. Flour the rim and don't twist when you pull up or the biscuit will rise lop-sided
brush tops with milk for a nice brown crust
back at 425 for 25-20 minutes (watch them and take them out when they are brown)
serve with soft butter and honey.
Photo courtesy of Virginia Parker