* Exported from MasterCook *
Biscuits, Southern-Style
Recipe By :Chef Diane Morgan
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Biscuits/Scones Bread-Bakers Mailing List
Posted Side Dish
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cups self-rising flour -- Southern
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt -- or sea salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening -- or packed ice-cold lard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter -- ice-cold, diced
2/3 cup buttermilk -- (to 3/4C)
All-purpose flour -- for dusting, see Notes below
Versatile as can be, these homemade biscuits can be served morning,
noon, and night. If you really want to save some time and cut down on
prep work while still baking homemade biscuits, then check out the
recipe author's suggestions for making these biscuits in advance,
located below the recipe's instructions. To achieve the most
authentic Southern-Style Biscuits, take a look at the suggestions for
brands of flour to use from the recipe's author.
Total: under 1 hour
Preheat the oven to 475F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet or 9" pan with
the cooking spray.
For light biscuits, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and sweep
the back of a table knife across the top to level the flour and get
an accurate measure. Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the sugar,
baking soda, and salt and Whisk to blend. Scatter the lard and butter
pieces over the top. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the lard
and butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal
with the bits of fat about the size of small peas. Make a well in the
center of the flour, and add the buttermilk, stirring just to blend well.
Dust a work surface with all-purpose flour and turn the dough out
onto the prepared surface. Fold and pat the dough gently to build up
the layers, making 5 or 6 turns, just until the dough holds together
and can be rolled out, using as little additional flour as possible
to keep the dough from sticking. Using your fingertips, gently press
the dough into a circle about 1/2" thick.
Using a 2 1/2", sharp-edged biscuit cutter, cut straight down without
twisting the cutter to form biscuits. (If you twist the cutter the
biscuits will be lopsided.) Reshape any remaining dough and out more
biscuits. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, 1" apart for
crusty-sided biscuits or almost touching for soft-sided biscuits.
Bake for about 12 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm, or rewarm
just before serving.
Do Ahead: Of course, biscuits straight from the oven are the ideal,
but that gets complicated on holidays. Here are some do-ahead options:
Make the biscuits early in the day and rewarm them just before serving.
Or make the dough, cut the biscuits, place them on a baking sheet,
and cover and refrigerate; then bake just before serving.
Or you can also make the biscuits a couple days ahead, underbake them
a bit, and freeze them. Then without thawing them, finish baking to
heat them through.
Notes: It is important to switch from self-rising flour to
all-purpose flour for shaping the biscuits because the leavener in
the self-rising flour would make the outside of the biscuits taste bitter.
The lightest, loftiest, and most tender biscuits are always made with
Southern flour, such as White Lily or Martha White brands, which are
milled from soft wheat flour. Though this flour is readily available
in the Southern states and Texas, it is harder to obtain in other
regions of the country. I order mine online from www.smuckers.com. An
alternative, though not quite as good, is to substitute 2 cups of
self-rising all-purpose flour and increase the baking soda to 1 teaspoon.
S(Internet address):
"https://www.cookstr.com/Quick-Bread-Recipes/Southern-Style-Biscuits";
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 135 Calories; 7g Fat (43.8%
calories from fat); 3g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber;
6mg Cholesterol; 345mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Non-Fat
Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : 2019 - 0514