# FINALLY!! Biscuits I can be proud of.



## mdboatbum

Last weekend we were down in South Carolina for a friend's wedding. While there, I wandered into the Food Lion up the street from the hotel to get some beer. I not only found, much to my delight, Sweetwater IPA, but Cheerwine and most importantly of all, White Lily Flour. Hadn't seen Sweetwater anywhere but Georgia, and it's one of my favorites so I stocked up. Got some Cheerwine just because, but I'm not a big sweet soda drinker so I wasn't all that excited about that. The flour, on the other hand, was a HUGE find. I've been trying to perfect biscuits and pie crusts, and had decided my failures were due to one of 2 things, either a complete lack of cooking ability or the wrong flour. I kept hearing about White Lily, (especially from Kat here) but couldn't find it locally. Tried other brands and even cake flour, but nothing provided that perfect, light, melt in your mouth biscuit I've experienced only in the South.

Well, I'm here to tell you, today all that changed.













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__ mdboatbum
__ Oct 11, 2013






Like I said, I've been trying to perfect biscuits, so have looked at a LOT of recipes. I knew a couple things, I wanted to steer clear of Crisco and I wanted rolled biscuits as opposed to drop biscuits. Avoiding Crisco just because I've discovered I don't like it, and wanted rolled biscuits because I like to make sausage sandwiches and they seem to work better. The biscuits pictured above are actually rolled biscuits, though they may not look like it. I don't have a proper biscuit cutter so I used a coffee can. They're HUGE. That's a full sized dinner plate they're sitting on.

Anyway, I ended up coming up with a recipe based on a combination of a lot that I've seen (including Kat's).

2.5 cups White Lily AP flour plus more for rolling

1/2 stick cold butter cut into 1/4" cubes

1/4 cup cold lard

(this is the only thing I'm going to change. I used too much butter and lard. I think I can get by with a little over half the amounts I used, so maybe 2TB butter and 2TB lard)

3/4-1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1TB baking powder (I used Aluminum free to avoid the metallic taste)

1tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

I use a food processor because it makes it a lot easier, and more importantly it incorporates the fat much more quickly, allowing it to stay cold and solid.

Preheat oven to 500˚. This takes a while, at least in my oven.

Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into food processor and pulse to combine.

Then add the butter and lard and pulse until you have pea sized chunks, about 7 or 8 times with my food processor. You can also do this by hand, but if you do you'll be warming the fat, so refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes prior to rolling. A pastry blender will work too.

Once you have your fat incorporated, dump the mixture into a large bowl and add the buttermilk. This is really done by feel. You want quite a wet dough, so just keep adding buttermilk and mixing with your fingers until all the flour is moistened. The dough should be WAY too wet to even think about rolling at this point.

Now take another 3/4 of a cup to a cup of flour and dump it on your board. Spread it out to about a 12"x12" area and then dump your dough in the middle.

Now, VERY GENTLY with the side of your hand, start folding the dough over on itself incorporating some of the flour on the board with each fold. This is technically kneading I guess, but BE GENTLE. You'll want to do this 4 or 5 times until the dough is just dry enough to roll and cut. It will still be VERY SOFT. What you've done here is created layers, so you'll have flaky biscuits.

Now roll out to 3/4" thick and cut the biscuits and place shoulder to shoulder on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You can grease a sheet pan or cookie sheet but I've found this makes the bottoms of the biscuits a tad crunchy and over browned for my taste. You'll want the biscuits touching each other to promote an even rise and to prevent over browning of the sides.

Make a dent with your thumb in the middle of each one to avoid "the hump" in the middle. I put mine in the fridge for about 8 minutes while I waited for my oven to come to temp.

Bake 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your biscuits and how your oven works. For my ginormous biscuits, it took exactly 13 minutes. Tops should be brown and they will have risen a good bit when done.

I gotta say, these are the biscuits I've been trying to make for years. I'm so freaking happy I could bust!! After all my failures I really thought I'd never, ever, be able to make good biscuits. Even though I over did it on the fat, they're far and away the best I've ever made. They certainly aren't heavy, but I think with less fat they'll rise even higher and be a bit lighter. As is though, they're really light and tender.


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## pgsmoker64

Those look good my friend!

I use Kat's biscuit recipe and they come out perfect every time!!!  

Nicely done.

Bill


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## kathrynn

Send me one!  Those look great!  Making me hungry!  Just need some sorghum syrup to add!

Kat


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## daveomak

Great lookin' biscuits Md....  Congrats on your success......


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## mdboatbum

PGSmoker64 said:


> Those look good my friend!
> 
> I use Kat's biscuit recipe and they come out perfect every time!!!
> 
> Nicely done.
> 
> Bill


Thanks Bill! Her recipe is next on my list. I tried but didn't get the results everyone else seemed to, but I think it was just the flour.


KathrynN said:


> Send me one!  Those look great!  Making me hungry!  Just need some sorghum syrup to add!
> 
> Kat


Thanks Kat! The sorghum is a good idea. My brother gets it by the 55 gallon drum for his BBQ sauce, so maybe I'll snag a quart the next time I go visit.


DaveOmak said:


> Great lookin' biscuits Md....  Congrats on your success......


Thanks Dave! It was a long time coming but I'm really happy with the way they turned out. I'm thinking sausage gravy and biscuits might be on the menu tonight!


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## kathrynn

You have some lard now to make that "oily" gravy!  LOL

Kat


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## smokinhusker

Those look fantastic! I use a water glass turned upside down to cut my biscuits and they come out a perfect size.


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## disco

Biscuits? Sausage Sandwiches? You must be popular!

Disco


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## foamheart

KathrynN said:


> Send me one!  Those look great!  Making me hungry!  Just need some sorghum syrup to add!
> 
> Kat


Those look great and Kat, you grabs us a couple a biscuits I'll get the Steens. Course since in the smoking forum some "Back" bacon or belly bacon or ham or just snything smoked ...... Maybe not fish.

NIce looking Biscuits.

Oh NO.... I am seeing a glazed look in his eyes.... we maybe losing him to the dark side of the oven......... Next it will be french bread baguetes, then sweet rolls, then buns for homemade sausages.......


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## kathrynn

Alesia...I do too....when I roll mine...use a thin edged glass.

Kat


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## mdboatbum

Foamheart said:


> Oh NO.... I am seeing a glazed look in his eyes.... we maybe losing him to the dark side of the oven......... Next it will be french bread baguetes, then sweet rolls, then buns for homemade sausages.......


Too late.













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__ mdboatbum
__ Oct 11, 2013






Rye Bread













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__ mdboatbum
__ Oct 11, 2013






Sweet rolls and sandwich bread













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__ mdboatbum
__ Oct 11, 2013






Sandwich bread













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__ mdboatbum
__ Oct 11, 2013






Oatmeal bread













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__ mdboatbum
__ Oct 11, 2013






And even the dreaded French Baguettes.

I have even made homemade hotdog buns, but didn't get any pictures.

The sad reality is until I can convince my wife to move out of this damned apartment into a home with some outdoor space, my smoking adventures are going to be pretty limited and most of my cooking is sadly confined to the kitchen wattburner.


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## foamheart

I bow to the master, anyone who can make rye bread that looks like that I bow in humble humility to! I have not had a decent Reuben in nearly 20 years because good moist delectable rye bread is just not obtainable. Can't even order it in, its stale before  you get it. Rye is soooo tricky to achieve....... Forget I made any recommendations..... I should have just bit my tongue and listened.


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## kathrynn

I am bowing to the Prince of Bread!  Shamey on you...and you said you couldn't do Biscuits!  ohhhhmmmmm.......
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Kat


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## mdboatbum

Oh stop. I wasn't trying to brag, just pointing out that I've already been lost to the dark side of the oven. And what I didn't post was pictures of the dozens of doorstop loaves and hockey puck biscuits. I've been trying to become a decent baker for years and most of it hasn't been pretty.

As for biscuits, today's batch was literally the first time I've ever actually been  almost completely happy with them. I'd thought I'd gotten close before, but realized today how far off I really was.


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## mdboatbum

And yes, I do realize I'm a little (lot) OCD when it comes to trying to perfect something. It makes my wife nuts. The entire year of ribs 3 times a week nearly drove her off.


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## smokinhusker

Mdboatbum said:


> And yes, I do realize I'm a little (lot) OCD when it comes to trying to perfect something. It makes my wife nuts. The entire year of ribs 3 times a week nearly drove her off.


That alone would convince me to move out of an apartment!!! But I live in a small mobile home and I've been griping for several years now that we need a bigger HOUSE - falls on deaf ears for now. When he retires, I'll get my house, in Nebraska!!!!!


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## foamheart

I can make the milk gravey! So can I eat now?


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## kathrynn

The breads....and everything look amazing.  I am totally impressed!

Kat


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## DanMcG

those are picture perfect Md!

There's a couple Wegmans Grocery stores in the DC area, if you're near one, they carry the  Lilly brand Flour.


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## jarjarchef

Great looking food.......... I can hold my own in a bakery, but it is hit or miss mostly with breads.


I worked with a couple ladies over the years that would make what I call hand biscuits. They measure everything by their hands, no measuring cups or spoons...... I tried one day to measure what they put in and repeat it.......well not the same by any means..........they also would use a knife to cut the biscuits out.........when I asked why they did it that way...... They just looked and smiled and said " you want them all to be the same. If I cut circles I will have scraps and if I work them again they will be tough. Now we would not want some to get good biscuits and others get tuff biscuits would we?" I would stop asking questions because I knew if I pushed it, I would not get a fresh one out of the oven. That was in the very beginning of my career over 23 years ago when I worked in a hospital kitchen. To this day I have never had biscuits like theirs. Both ladies have passed and I have never had any biscuits that even came close to theirs. What they made IMHO is the true essence of "soul food". They put so much love into their food every day. I don't know if they rubbed off on my Grandmother or she on them, but for their generation and the relationship they had for the times, it was not common. I was blessed to experience their love for friends, family and food. I cooked for many years and did pretty well, but had no reason why I was doing it. Then when I went through some life changing events. I realized I was trying to be and cook something that I was not. I went back to cooking for the love of family, friends and bringing that fresh from the oven biscuit feeling to my guests. It is nice to play with some of the things we do at work, but my passion will always be simple comfort food made with love.



Ok, ok, ok I will stop now. It was just when I saw the recipe, the ingredients and the cutting discussion it brought back many memories. Not many recipes have lard in them anymore.

Jeramy


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## mdboatbum

Jeramy, I think your post pretty much sums up why most of us love cooking. It's not about the food, but about the emotions that are served with it. In today's narcissistic world, that idea of putting all your love into a simple biscuit to be served to patients and staff at a hospital might seem quaint and almost silly, but it's that kind of unselfish dedication to others which we desperately need! Soul food isn't about black or white, it's about caring for others and meeting the most basic, elemental human needs, food and comfort. Some of my fondest memories from my early years were of hanging out in my Aunt Mary's kitchen on holidays while she flailed around like a mad woman doing her best Julia Child impression and juggling 27 things at once. Most wouldn't consider what she was preparing soul food, but it was. It was about loving her family and nourishing them. Whether it's hog jowls, greens and black eyed peas in a tenement kitchen or beef tenderloin and roasted asparagus with Hollandaise in a penthouse apartment, the warmth and love is the same.


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## kathrynn

jarjarchef said:


> Great looking food.......... I can hold my own in a bakery, but it is hit or miss mostly with breads.
> 
> 
> I worked with a couple ladies over the years that would make what I call hand biscuits. They measure everything by their hands, no measuring cups or spoons...... I tried one day to measure what they put in and repeat it.......well not the same by any means..........they also would use a knife to cut the biscuits out.........when I asked why they did it that way...... They just looked and smiled and said " you want them all to be the same. If I cut circles I will have scraps and if I work them again they will be tough. Now we would not want some to get good biscuits and others get tuff biscuits would we?" I would stop asking questions because I knew if I pushed it, I would not get a fresh one out of the oven. That was in the very beginning of my career over 23 years ago when I worked in a hospital kitchen. To this day I have never had biscuits like theirs. Both ladies have passed and I have never had any biscuits that even came close to theirs. What they made IMHO is the true essence of "soul food". They put so much love into their food every day. I don't know if they rubbed off on my Grandmother or she on them, but for their generation and the relationship they had for the times, it was not common. I was blessed to experience their love for friends, family and food. I cooked for many years and did pretty well, but had no reason why I was doing it. Then when I went through some life changing events. I realized I was trying to be and cook something that I was not. I went back to cooking for the love of family, friends and bringing that fresh from the oven biscuit feeling to my guests. It is nice to play with some of the things we do at work, but my passion will always be simple comfort food made with love.
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, ok, ok I will stop now. It was just when I saw the recipe, the ingredients and the cutting discussion it brought back many memories. Not many recipes have lard in them anymore.
> 
> Jeramy


Jeramy....that sums how I feel 100%....I cook because I love my family and I hope that they know that and think of the memories in the kitchen was after I am gone!

Kat


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## mr t 59874

Great looking breads.  Aren't those Baguettes fun.

Tom


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## gringodave

I can't tell you how happy I was to find this recipe - and now that I've actually done it, I couldn't be happier.

Truth be told, I've never made biscuits before... ever! So my technique needs work. That said, the texture, flavor and buttery goodness is spot on.

After I 'nuked' the kitchen preparing these, she said, "these better be good." After breakfast she declared, "they were worth the disaster. 

Mize en Place













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__ gringodave
__ Nov 3, 2013






I followed the instructions to the letter... well almost.













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__ gringodave
__ Nov 3, 2013






I rolled them way too flat so that why they were... well... flat. This one was a ball of leftover dough and it was awesome!













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__ gringodave
__ Nov 3, 2013






No matter how flat my biscuits were - they were terrific! Pictured with my homemade sausage.

Thanks for posting the recipe!!! We truly enjoyed it.


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## leah elisheva

Such bread skills! This is really impressive and it was fun to read of all different flours, stories, passions, people, and the south, and so it goes! Terrific thread! Cheers! - Leah


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## foamheart

Never roll a biscuit, never work a Biscuit. The more you touch them the harder/flatter they become. Mix a biscuit with a rubber spatula, using a cutting motion, gently. Don't over mix. When you turn the dough out, with a floured hand gently press down the dough to the desired thickness for cutting.

Your biscuits will be so light and fluffy they will float off the biscuit pan.

Those biscuits look might tastee though..... Next stop is making jellys and jams.....LOL

I just noticed, eggs, grits, sausage, biscuits, gravy! That must be SOUTHERN Az. <Big Grin>


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## gringodave

Foamheart said:


> Never roll a biscuit, never work a Biscuit. The more you touch them the harder/flatter they become. Mix a biscuit with a rubber spatula, using a cutting motion, gently. Don't over mix. When you turn the dough out, with a floured hand gently press down the dough to the desired thickness for cutting.
> 
> Your biscuits will be so light and fluffy they will float off the biscuit pan.
> 
> Those biscuits look might tastee though..... Next stop is making jellys and jams.....LOL
> 
> I just noticed, eggs, grits, sausage, biscuits, gravy! That must be SOUTHERN Az. <Big Grin>


Thanks for the tips Foamheart! I'm new to this biscuit thang.

Saguaro and prickly pear fruit jelly perhaps?

Southern? Just moved (back) to the Old Pueblo from Kentucky (17 years) and Alabama (8 years) before that. The moniker Gringo is Sonoran code for 'red neck'. (grin) (I was KYDave on here before.)


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## mdboatbum

GringoDave said:


> Truth be told, I've never made biscuits before... ever!
> 
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> IMG_0855fx.jpg
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> __ gringodave
> __ Nov 3, 2013


Looks awesome!! So glad you enjoyed it. One thing though, save that bread flour for bread. Get yourself some White Lily AP and the difference will astound you. If you can't find White Lily you can mix cake flour and regular AP flour and come close.


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## gringodave

Thanks MDBoatBum! I will look for the Lily AP flour. Truth be told, all I had was King Arthur bread flour. Seemed to work just fine - though the AP could be significantly cheaper. Thanks again for the tips!!!


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## mdboatbum

Well I've reached a point where I think I can add this one to my recipe book and never change it. The basic recipe is the same, with a couple minor tweaks.

Here is the revised, final, never to be changed, best damn biscuits I've ever made, recipe.

*2 cups White Lily AP flour plus more for rolling*

*3TB cold butter cut into 1/4" cubes* *(about 1.5 oz)*

*2.5 oz. cold lard* *(Total shortening between the butter and flour is 4oz)*

*3/4-1 1/4 cups buttermilk* *(plus more for brushing the biscuits)*

*1TB baking powder (I used Aluminum free to avoid the metallic taste)*

*1tsp salt*

*1/4 tsp baking soda*

*Preheat oven to 500˚*

*Combine dry ingredients in food processor and pulse to combine. *

*Add shortening and pulse just until you have roughly pea sized pieces. *

*Dump mixture into large mixing bowl and add buttermilk. Mix with a wooden spoon just until all flour is incorporated and you have a wet, sticky dough. *

*Turn mixture out onto a generously floured board and fold it over onto itself, incorporating a little flour each time, until it just comes together and is no longer sticky. *

*Dough will be VERY SOFT. *

*Pat into a circle about 1" thick and cut with a floured biscuit cutter. *

*CAREFULLY place biscuits on oiled or parchment lined baking sheet so that the sides are touching each other. *

*With your thumb, make a 1/4" dent in the center of each biscuit. *

*Brush tops of biscuits with buttermilk and bake for 12-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and biscuits have risen to about double original height.*

*OPTIONAL: Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter when you remove them from the oven. *

*Let rest for 3-4 minutes before eating so A) you don't burn your mouth, and B) what little protein there is has time to set so they don't fall apart. They're THAT tender. *













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__ mdboatbum
__ Nov 8, 2013


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## mdboatbum

Since it's now egg nog season, I just made up a batch using egg nog instead of buttermilk. Added about a tablespoon of sugar and a half teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg and skipped the baking soda. Haven't tasted yet, but they sure smell good!! I'm thinking they'll be delicious with some fruit compote, maybe dried cherries, cranberries apricots and figs.













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__ mdboatbum
__ Nov 21, 2013


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## leah elisheva

Now you should own a restaurant, or bakery or B & B! Maybe you already do??? So professional your creations are!!! Wonderful!! Cheers! - Leah


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## mdboatbum

Haha!! Not so fast!! I just tasted them and they taste like dishwater! Not sure what went wrong but something sure did.


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## waywardswede

Had to laugh, as you apparently forgot to reference the post you make just prior to this one, where you said:


> Well I've reached a point where I think I can add this one to my recipe book and *never change it*.


You made it almost 2 weeks.  For the record, I should be the last one laughing, as I have yet to make an edible biscuit.  Still struck me as funny.


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## mdboatbum

Well I guess I should have listened to my earlier post. These were not a success.


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## daveomak

md, afternoon..  I do hope you are still around....  I had saved your recipe since you posted it...   I just dug it out....   
Your biscuits recipe is heading to trial....  "soon"....   I'm tired of "cardboard tubed" biscuits...    
I hope to report back when I get around to making them.....
Have a great turkey day....

Dave


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## BGKYSmoker

Yes yes

Looks awesome they do.


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