Thread: Good buttermilk biscuit recipe?

On Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:17:39 -0600, zxcvbob <zxcvbob@charter.[email protected]>
wrote:

>I used to be able to make good biscuits, a long time ago, but I've lost
>the touch. One can buy really good *frozen* biscuits from Pillsbury,
>but that just makes it worse -- they are mocking me.
>
>Does anybody have a good recipe for biscuits that doesn't turn out dry
>or crumby? Maybe I've got the proportions wrong. BTW, I have a bag of
>White Lily flour (not self-rising )to use for this. I'd like to make up
>a bunch of them and freeze them raw, just like Pillsbury. In fact, I
>can probably get away with using more buttermilk that way, like a drop
>biscuit, and piping them onto parchment to freeze them.
>
>-Bob

I use this from Southern Living, but it calls for self-rising.


What makes this recipe work so well is the folding of the dough.

Boron

Ingredients

1/2 cup cold butter
2 1/4 cups self-rising soft-wheat flour
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Self-rising soft-wheat flour
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation

1. Cut butter with a sharp knife or pastry blender into
1/4-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle butter slices over flour in a large
bowl. Toss butter with flour. Cut butter into flour with a pastry
blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Cover and
chill 10 minutes. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients
are moistened.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 or 4
times, gradually adding additional flour as needed. With floured
hands, press or pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5
inches). Sprinkle top of dough with additional flour. Fold dough over
onto itself in 3 sections, starting with 1 short end. (Fold dough
rectangle as if folding a letter-size piece of paper.) Repeat entire
process 2 more times, beginning with pressing into a 3/4-inch-thick
dough rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches).

3. Press or pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured
surface; cut with a 2-inch round cutter, and place, side by side, on a
parchment paper-lined or lightly greased jelly-roll pan. (Dough rounds
should touch.)

4. Bake at 450° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven; brush with 2 Tbsp. melted butter.

Boron Elgar wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:17:39 -0600, zxcvbob <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> I used to be able to make good biscuits, a long time ago, but I've lost
>> the touch. One can buy really good *frozen* biscuits from Pillsbury,
>> but that just makes it worse -- they are mocking me.
>>
>> Does anybody have a good recipe for biscuits that doesn't turn out dry
>> or crumby? Maybe I've got the proportions wrong. BTW, I have a bag of
>> White Lily flour (not self-rising )to use for this. I'd like to make up
>> a bunch of them and freeze them raw, just like Pillsbury. In fact, I
>> can probably get away with using more buttermilk that way, like a drop
>> biscuit, and piping them onto parchment to freeze them.
>>
>> -Bob
>
> I use this from Southern Living, but it calls for self-rising.
>
>
> What makes this recipe work so well is the folding of the dough.
>
> Boron
>
> Ingredients
>
> 1/2 cup cold butter
> 2 1/4 cups self-rising soft-wheat flour
> 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
> Self-rising soft-wheat flour
> 2 tablespoons melted butter
>
> Preparation
>
> 1. Cut butter with a sharp knife or pastry blender into
> 1/4-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle butter slices over flour in a large
> bowl. Toss butter with flour. Cut butter into flour with a pastry
> blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Cover and
> chill 10 minutes. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients
> are moistened.
>
> 2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 or 4
> times, gradually adding additional flour as needed. With floured
> hands, press or pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5
> inches). Sprinkle top of dough with additional flour. Fold dough over
> onto itself in 3 sections, starting with 1 short end. (Fold dough
> rectangle as if folding a letter-size piece of paper.) Repeat entire
> process 2 more times, beginning with pressing into a 3/4-inch-thick
> dough rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches).
>
> 3. Press or pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured
> surface; cut with a 2-inch round cutter, and place, side by side, on a
> parchment paper-lined or lightly greased jelly-roll pan. (Dough rounds
> should touch.)
>
> 4. Bake at 450° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
> Remove from oven; brush with 2 Tbsp. melted butter.


Thanks. Seems like all that rolling would make them tough. And you
don't spread them with butter between folds and then chill?

Are they flaky?

-Bob

On Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:32:47 -0600, zxcvbob <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Boron Elgar wrote:
>> On Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:17:39 -0600, zxcvbob <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I used to be able to make good biscuits, a long time ago, but I've lost
>>> the touch. One can buy really good *frozen* biscuits from Pillsbury,
>>> but that just makes it worse -- they are mocking me.
>>>
>>> Does anybody have a good recipe for biscuits that doesn't turn out dry
>>> or crumby? Maybe I've got the proportions wrong. BTW, I have a bag of
>>> White Lily flour (not self-rising )to use for this. I'd like to make up
>>> a bunch of them and freeze them raw, just like Pillsbury. In fact, I
>>> can probably get away with using more buttermilk that way, like a drop
>>> biscuit, and piping them onto parchment to freeze them.
>>>
>>> -Bob
>>
>> I use this from Southern Living, but it calls for self-rising.
>>
>>
>> What makes this recipe work so well is the folding of the dough.
>>
>> Boron
>>
>> Ingredients
>>
>> 1/2 cup cold butter
>> 2 1/4 cups self-rising soft-wheat flour
>> 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
>> Self-rising soft-wheat flour
>> 2 tablespoons melted butter
>>
>> Preparation
>>
>> 1. Cut butter with a sharp knife or pastry blender into
>> 1/4-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle butter slices over flour in a large
>> bowl. Toss butter with flour. Cut butter into flour with a pastry
>> blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Cover and
>> chill 10 minutes. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients
>> are moistened.
>>
>> 2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 or 4
>> times, gradually adding additional flour as needed. With floured
>> hands, press or pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5
>> inches). Sprinkle top of dough with additional flour. Fold dough over
>> onto itself in 3 sections, starting with 1 short end. (Fold dough
>> rectangle as if folding a letter-size piece of paper.) Repeat entire
>> process 2 more times, beginning with pressing into a 3/4-inch-thick
>> dough rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches).
>>
>> 3. Press or pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured
>> surface; cut with a 2-inch round cutter, and place, side by side, on a
>> parchment paper-lined or lightly greased jelly-roll pan. (Dough rounds
>> should touch.)
>>
>> 4. Bake at 450° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
>> Remove from oven; brush with 2 Tbsp. melted butter.
>
>
>Thanks. Seems like all that rolling would make them tough. And you
>don't spread them with butter between folds and then chill?
>
>Are they flaky?
>
>-Bob


They are flaky. They are tender. They are yummy. I say try 'em just to
see. People vary quite a bit in how they like the mouthfeel and taste
of biscuits. It is like chicken soup or red sauce.

Boron

On Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:17:39 -0600, zxcvbob <[email protected]>
wrote:

> I used to be able to make good biscuits, a long time ago, but I've lost
> the touch. One can buy really good *frozen* biscuits from Pillsbury,
> but that just makes it worse -- they are mocking me.
>
> Does anybody have a good recipe for biscuits that doesn't turn out dry
> or crumby? Maybe I've got the proportions wrong. BTW, I have a bag of
> White Lily flour (not self-rising )to use for this. I'd like to make up
> a bunch of them and freeze them raw, just like Pillsbury. In fact, I
> can probably get away with using more buttermilk that way, like a drop
> biscuit, and piping them onto parchment to freeze them.
>
Try making cream biscuits first. After you recover your biscuit
making confidence, go for the buttermilk grail.



--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

"zxcvbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>I used to be able to make good biscuits, a long time ago, but I've lost the
>touch. One can buy really good *frozen* biscuits from Pillsbury, but that
>just makes it worse -- they are mocking me.
>
> Does anybody have a good recipe for biscuits that doesn't turn out dry or
> crumby? Maybe I've got the proportions wrong. BTW, I have a bag of White
> Lily flour (not self-rising )to use for this. I'd like to make up a bunch
> of them and freeze them raw, just like Pillsbury. In fact, I can probably
> get away with using more buttermilk that way, like a drop biscuit, and
> piping them onto parchment to freeze them.
>

The Betty Crocker recipe always produced outstanding biscuits.

Paul

On 2011-12-05, Paul M. Cook <[email protected]> wrote:

> The Betty Crocker recipe always produced outstanding biscuits.

I, too, have always had surprisingly good luck with BC biskies, using
Gold Medal flour and Crisco. I don't know if it's the ingredients or
not, but they DO seem to be almost foolproof with that recipe and
combination. Even faux buttermilk (lemon juice) works great.

Now that White Lily is shipping, again, I plan on trying true southern
biskies using real soft wheat flour. I recall 3-4 tips to perfect
Souhthern biscuits: Don't over knead the dough. Stop when mixture jes
comes together. Don't roll. Press dough out by hand to about 3/4"-1"
thick. Press --not twist!-- cut the biscuits with a metal cutter.
Crowd the biscuits in the pan. Make 'em go up, not out.

enjoy =D
nb

"zxcvbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> I used to be able to make good biscuits, a long time ago, but I've lost
> the touch. One can buy really good *frozen* biscuits from Pillsbury, but
> that just makes it worse -- they are mocking me.
>
(snip)
> -Bob

I lost the knack for making biscuits, too. I used to make really nice
fluffy biscuits from scratch. I thought maybe I just got heavy-handed with
the dough. Or the flour changed. Something. But it doesn't seem to matter
how much (or how little) I handle the dough, they come out like hocky pucks.
I'd rather cave in and buy the frozen biscuits. I buy Mary B's brand frozen
biscuits (I've seen the Pillsbury ones, too.) You have to pick your
battles. I'd rather not battle with biscuits.

Jill

On 12/5/2011 8:24 AM, jmcquown wrote:
>
> "zxcvbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]..
>> I used to be able to make good biscuits, a long time ago, but I've
>> lost the touch. One can buy really good *frozen* biscuits from
>> Pillsbury, but that just makes it worse -- they are mocking me.
>>
> (snip)
>> -Bob
>
> I lost the knack for making biscuits too. I used to make really nice
> fluffy biscuits from scratch. I thought maybe I just got heavy-handed
> with the dough. Or the flour changed. Something. But it doesn't seem to
> matter how much (or how little) I handle the dough, they come out like
> hocky pucks. I'd rather cave in and buy the frozen biscuits. I buy Mary
> B's brand frozen biscuits (I've seen the Pillsbury ones, too.) You have
> to pick your battles. I'd rather not battle with biscuits.
>
> Jill


I just made a batch using kind of a hybrid recipe:

2 C White Lily flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sugar
4 Tbsp cold bacon grease [this was a bad idea]
4 Tbsp cold butter, grated
3/4 C cold buttermilk

Combine dry ingredients and bacon grease until all grease is adsorbed
and the mixture looks like cornmeal. Stir in the grated butter and then
the buttermilk. Mix until it all comes together, then turn out on a
floured surface. Pat it out flat, dust lightly with flour, flip it
over, and press into a 3/4" thick rectangle. Cut into squares, and
round the corners a little with your fingers as you transfer to a cookie
sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake in a 425° oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

The texture is OK, but they didn't rise much. The bacon flavor is
overpowering (and not in a good way) but the dogs love 'em. I'll take a
couple to work tomorrow with a bowl of bean soup and they'll go good
with that.

At least they are not hockey pucks, and they are not too dry. Next time
I will increase the baking powder to 3 tsp, and use Crisco instead of
bacon fat. And maybe add a pinch of salt.

-Bob

"notbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On 2011-12-05, Paul M. Cook <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> The Betty Crocker recipe always produced outstanding biscuits.
>
> I, too, have always had surprisingly good luck with BC biskies, using
> Gold Medal flour and Crisco. I don't know if it's the ingredients or
> not, but they DO seem to be almost foolproof with that recipe and
> combination. Even faux buttermilk (lemon juice) works great.

Technique cannot be discounted. If you have a great recipe but bad
technique you get hockey pucks.

>
> Now that White Lily is shipping, again, I plan on trying true southern
> biskies using real soft wheat flour. I recall 3-4 tips to perfect
> Souhthern biscuits: Don't over knead the dough. Stop when mixture jes
> comes together. Don't roll. Press dough out by hand to about 3/4"-1"
> thick. Press --not twist!-- cut the biscuits with a metal cutter.
> Crowd the biscuits in the pan. Make 'em go up, not out.

Alton Brown's mom used White Lily and lard.

Paul

"zxcvbob" <>
>
> I just made a batch using kind of a hybrid recipe:
>
> 2 C White Lily flour
> 2 tsp baking powder
> 1/2 tsp baking soda
> 1/2 tsp sugar
> 4 Tbsp cold bacon grease [this was a bad idea]
> 4 Tbsp cold butter, grated
> 3/4 C cold buttermilk
>
> Combine dry ingredients and bacon grease until all grease is adsorbed and
> the mixture looks like cornmeal. Stir in the grated butter and then the
> buttermilk. Mix until it all comes together, then turn out on a floured
> surface. Pat it out flat, dust lightly with flour, flip it over, and
> press into a 3/4" thick rectangle. Cut into squares, and round the
> corners a little with your fingers as you transfer to a cookie sheet,
> about 1 inch apart. Bake in a 425° oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
>
> The texture is OK, but they didn't rise much. The bacon flavor is
> overpowering (and not in a good way) but the dogs love 'em. I'll take a
> couple to work tomorrow with a bowl of bean soup and they'll go good with
> that.
>
> At least they are not hockey pucks, and they are not too dry. Next time I
> will increase the baking powder to 3 tsp, and use Crisco instead of bacon
> fat. And maybe add a pinch of salt.
>
> -Bob

Try plain old Bisquick and buttermilk. To make them even better I stir in
some browned, crumbled sausage or shredded cheddar cheese. Maybe both. If I
remember to, dusting biscuits with smoky paprika is special. I place my
biscuits apart so they'll have a crusty edge; we don't like ours crowded
together. Never tried adding bacon fat but I'm sure the Yorkie would love
'em. Polly

"zxcvbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On 12/5/2011 8:24 AM, jmcquown wrote:
>>
>> "zxcvbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]..
>>> I used to be able to make good biscuits, a long time ago, but I've
>>> lost the touch. One can buy really good *frozen* biscuits from
>>> Pillsbury, but that just makes it worse -- they are mocking me.
>>>
>> (snip)
>>> -Bob
>>
>> I lost the knack for making biscuits too. I used to make really nice
>> fluffy biscuits from scratch. I thought maybe I just got heavy-handed
>> with the dough. Or the flour changed. Something. But it doesn't seem to
>> matter how much (or how little) I handle the dough, they come out like
>> hocky pucks. I'd rather cave in and buy the frozen biscuits. I buy Mary
>> B's brand frozen biscuits (I've seen the Pillsbury ones, too.) You have
>> to pick your battles. I'd rather not battle with biscuits.
>>
>> Jill
>
>
> I just made a batch using kind of a hybrid recipe:
>
> 2 C White Lily flour
> 2 tsp baking powder
> 1/2 tsp baking soda
> 1/2 tsp sugar
> 4 Tbsp cold bacon grease [this was a bad idea]
> 4 Tbsp cold butter, grated
> 3/4 C cold buttermilk
>
> Combine dry ingredients and bacon grease until all grease is adsorbed and
> the mixture looks like cornmeal. Stir in the grated butter and then the
> buttermilk. Mix until it all comes together, then turn out on a floured
> surface. Pat it out flat, dust lightly with flour, flip it over, and
> press into a 3/4" thick rectangle. Cut into squares, and round the
> corners a little with your fingers as you transfer to a cookie sheet,
> about 1 inch apart. Bake in a 425° oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
>
> The texture is OK, but they didn't rise much. The bacon flavor is
> overpowering (and not in a good way) but the dogs love 'em. I'll take a
> couple to work tomorrow with a bowl of bean soup and they'll go good with
> that.
>
> At least they are not hockey pucks, and they are not too dry. Next time I
> will increase the baking powder to 3 tsp, and use Crisco instead of bacon
> fat. And maybe add a pinch of salt.
>
> -Bob


As with the frozen biscuits, the trick to getting them to rise is to have
the sides touching. That way they rise UP, not out.

Jill