Tackling My Fears... Homemade Biscuits

While I am in a mood to air all of my dirty laundry, I must tell you that I have been intimidated by biscuits for quite some time. I have tried to make biscuits and must say they never turned out the way I wanted.  I make a mean garlic, cheese biscuit, but it is dropped and not rolled. In the South, biscuits are the staple that appear on tables at anytime during the day. I think of biscuits as a breakfast food, but promise you they are just a delicious with any good southern meal.

You see, a few weeks ago I was visiting with my neighbor and she said that she made biscuits three times a day when her children were growing up.  She was so surprised when I confessed that I didn't know how to make good biscuits.  She said, "you can make anything, and you tell me you can't make biscuits?"  That's right, I can't make biscuits, so I guess I need to take myself back to Oklahoma where they will forgive me.   After picking her brain, I found out what I was doing wrong, or maybe, what I wasn't doing at all.

Here is her advice... You have to use self rising flour, a hot cast iron skillet or a crock pan, and butter.  Lots and lots of butter.

I was so excited to try biscuits, I ran to the store and bought self rising flour just like Mrs. Leslie told me to.  I used real butter that was really cold and buttermilk.  That is all.  Can they really be this easy?  I mean, don't they have a ton of ingredients?  And, mix them with your hands or a fork, but don't over-mix, or they will be tough and won't rise.

Add your self-rising flour to a bowl and cut your really cold butter into little pieces.

Blend with a pastry blend until it looks like coarse meal. 

I think it is ready now...

Add a little butter to a hot crock or cast iron skillet.

Pour buttermilk into a well in the middle.

Mix with a fork, or your hands until just combined.

I kneaded it to make a pretty little ball.

*Important step* Pat with your hand to about 1 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.

Cut your biscuits with a biscuit cutter or a glass, or a clean tin can... My Grammy used a baby food can and guarded it with her life! 

Place in the melted butter in the hot pan and flip so that the butter is on the top of the biscuit.

After about 10 minutes, they are ready to enjoy with a little butter and red plum jam!

I promise that these are really easy, and the key is not to work the dough too much.  Less is more, and this is obviously a great example of that.  I made a half batch, but a whole batch will make about 12 biscuits...

Here is the recipe:

Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup real butter, really cold
2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven and pan to 500 degrees.

In a large bowl, add flour and butter.  Using a pastry cutter, or two knives, cut in butter until it is the size of small peas. Blend in buttermilk with a fork until combined and dough leaves the sides of the bowl.  Don't over mix!

Remove pan from the oven and place 1 tablespoon butter in the pan to melt.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead gently 2 to 3 times.  Press dough to a thickness of 3/4 to 1 inch.  Cut using a floured 2 inch biscuit cutter, or glass, or a clean tin can.

Place the cut biscuits into the pan, and flip to coat the tops with butter.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Until next time, keep adventuring and looking for joy in the small details of life!

Sarah