BISCUIT RECIPE???

[FourBee]

FOURBEE. We used to render our own lard when we had hogs and butchered them ourselves. We are going to get some lard but what this store had was way too high. BTW, the info on the bucket of lard said it had 28 % sat fat. POWDERMAN.  

Storebought Lard is partially hydrogenated to keep it from turning rancid at room temperature. But it's still better to cook with.  Just get the freshest, and refrigerate it so it doesn't spoil.   It can be kept in the freezer for up to a year.  Fresh Home Made Lard is full of vitiman "D", something we all need.

[AtlLaw]

This has been a great thread!  I have never been able to make good bisquets...    So, when I discovered the frozen ones in the store that Bill was talking about, which were better then anything I could make, and a whole lot easier, I stopped making them altogether.

Hi-ebber, and day always be a hi-ebber, I have copied all the p's posted here and will try them all or come up with my own based on them!

Best of all these all look like rolled out bisquets, not drop bisquets, which were the only ones I ended up making...   

[powderman]

HEH. Breakfast took the last of them. Time to make more. We enjoy trying different recipes. We ate in a little restaurant close to Stearns KY last year. They had some of the best biscuits I ever had. They were home made and they would not share the recipe. Golden brown on top, moist, delicious. Next batch we'll try a different recipe til we try em all.  POWDERMAN. 

[AtlLaw]

For store made I always liked Church's Chicken the best.  Wish I had their recipe.  The chicken ain't as good since they stopped fryin it in lard... 

[Oldshooter]

Those Church's chicken biscuits are good!

dunno the recipe but the Popeye biscuits are a mighty tasty as well.

I've heard that the 7 up and sourcream will duplicate the popeye biscuits, buttermilk and lard will make darned gooduns.

Bisquick and buttermilk will make a biscuit worth writing home about! Had some this mornin with sausage gravy.

[scootrd]

Biscuit report

Tonight I preheat oven to 450, I sifted 1 cup low Gluten self rising flour and I sifted 1 cup cake flour.
added 2 teaspoons baking powder , cut in 1/4  cup butter , added roughly 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup
butter milk . mixed till moist (pulled away from side of bowl).

using a coffee cup (I like big Biscuits ) I stamped out 7 big biscuits 1/2 inch thick.
12 -18 minutes in oven.

Results

Biscuits rose but I would have liked them to have risen higher
Biscuits retained a white flour color (was hoping for a golden brown)

Over all they were very light with lots of air pocket nooks. I think sifting the flour with my grandmothers old hand crank sifter helped with that.  The taste was very good and buttery. I think now I need to concentrate on height and color.
once I get them to rise to the correct height and achieve a good color ,  I will begin experimenting with adding additional ingredients ie;cheese, sausage etc..

Any suggestions on how to obtain more height and color I should try?

[subdjoe]

Try adding a touch of baking soda, maybe 1/4 tsp. and make it 1/2 cup cake flour and 1/2 cup AP.  And add maybe 1 TBS rice wine vinegar (neutral flavor).  Also, roll them thicker - 3/4 to 1 inch. There is only so much rise they can get.  In fact, try that first before changing anything else other than baking time.   If they are too light in colour, leave 'em in a few minutes longer. 

Biscuit report

Tonight I preheat oven to 450, I sifted 1 cup low Gluten self rising flour and I sifted 1 cup cake flour.
added 2 teaspoons baking powder , cut in 1/4  cup butter , added roughly 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup
butter milk . mixed till moist (pulled away from side of bowl).

using a coffee cup (I like big Biscuits ) I stamped out 7 big biscuits 1/2 inch thick.
12 -18 minutes in oven.

Results

Biscuits rose but I would have liked them to have risen higher
Biscuits retained a white flour color (was hoping for a golden brown)

Over all they were very light with lots of air pocket nooks. I think sifting the flour with my grandmothers old hand crank sifter helped with that.  The taste was very good and buttery. I think now I need to concentrate on height and color.
once I get them to rise to the correct height and achieve a good color ,  I will begin experimenting with adding additional ingredients ie;cheese, sausage etc..

Any suggestions on how to obtain more height and color I should try?

[Dee]

You guys tryin to make biscuits, or a pie? Your supposed to put that sausage, and butter, and WHIP CREAME???, on "after" you make the biscuit.

[mechanic]

If my grandma was here to read these recipes, she would laugh herself silly.  She got up about 5:00 am every morning until well into her 90's and made a great big pan of biscuits for us, the dogs and chickens.  I wish I had a pan now............

[subdjoe]

You guys tryin to make biscuits, or a pie? Your supposed to put that sausage, and butter, and WHIP CREAME???, on "after" you make the biscuit.

Not whipped cream -

1/2 cup whipping cream

that is, heavy cream.  Personally, I would leave that out and just increase the buttermilk.  But then, I'll also use plain yogurt and whole milk if I don't have buttermilk.

[Oldshooter]

Somebody say sausage and biscuits?    or  sausage in da  biscuits  heck pass me some I'll try em!  yea and pass some of that WHIP CREAME and Pie too!

[powderman]

Still experimenting here. Yesterday we used lard and buttermilk. Made them about an inch before cutting them out. Still used all purpose flour and 3 tbs baking pwdr like Dee said.  They rose beautifully but didn't get brown on the top. Texture and taste was great. Our first batch didn't hold together real good but were very good, these held together very well. I could only vaguely taste the  buttermilk, that was a bit disappointing, I was hoping for a kind of sourdough effect in taste. Couldn't tell much difference in taste using the lard, but they were a bit heavier. We are keeping track of everything. Looking forward to trying some more. POWDERMAN. 

[AtlLaw]

Still experimenting here.

Keep it up pal!     I printed out all the recipes but haven't got a chance to try any yet so you are saving me a lot of effort!   

[subdjoe]

Where in the oven do you have them?  Bottom?  Middle? Top? That will make a difference.  Try the top 1/3 of the oven.

Still experimenting here. Yesterday we used lard and buttermilk. Made them about an inch before cutting them out. Still used all purpose flour and 3 tbs baking pwdr like Dee said.  They rose beautifully but didn't get brown on the top. Texture and taste was great. Our first batch didn't hold together real good but were very good, these held together very well. I could only vaguely taste the  buttermilk, that was a bit disappointing, I was hoping for a kind of sourdough effect in taste. Couldn't tell much difference in taste using the lard, but they were a bit heavier. We are keeping track of everything. Looking forward to trying some more. POWDERMAN. 

[powderman]

My wife sets the rack about 1/2 way up with the temp at 400. They were not golden brown, but well done. I fear more time would dry them out. Really like the buttermilk. Next will substitute crisco for the lard. POWDERMAN. 

[Dee]

Set your oven at about 430, and pre-heat.

[Oldshooter]

You have to keep in mind that all ovens aren't the same, some may need to be set higher to get the same temp. from my experience a little higher temp will make darker biscuits. this is a good thread!

[subdjoe]

My wife sets the rack about 1/2 way up with the temp at 400. They were not golden brown, but well done. I fear more time would dry them out. Really like the buttermilk. Next will substitute crisco for the lard. POWDERMAN. 

What Oldshooter said - crank it up some. Also, get a few oven thermometers and calibrate your oven.  There may be hot and cold spots.  But you want at least an honest 425. And in the upper third of the oven. If you want that 'tang' try using some plain yogurt.

[powderman]

Next batch we will move the rack up, and the temp too. I don't have an oven thermometer but we'll move the temp up to 430. Good exchange here. POWDERMAN. 

[Empty Quiver]

For more rise you might need a bit more liquid, it takes moisture to create the bubbles that give the rise. Then if they are falling apart, you are needing to strengthen the dough, a bit more kneeding, and/or, more glutten in the flour. I'll assume the flour is Low Glutten, meaning it isn't meant for bread. If it is a dietary low glutten that may be some of the problem. If the dough is so weak it can also effect the rise because it can't contain the air bubbles, again sorta unlikely.

The heavy cream adds lots of microscopic butterfat, that also might be inhibiting that toughness. I go a bit dryer on the lard when I mix, which I also believe helps the rise. But putting the cream in there puts the fat right back in, so it's probably a wash. Center rack and hotter oven. At the extreame you would get burned on the outside raw in the middle, like a nice ribeye on hot charcoal vs. prime rib in a 275 degree oven for three hours. I go with 450 ten minutes on a stone/ or insulated cookie sheet. That might just equal top third of oven too by the way. A thicker biscuit will take longer to cook through and brown up more in the process. The thicker will need less temp than the thinner to get it all to come together at the same time, that is, done in the middle and nicely browned on the outside.

[Dee]

Gentlemen, all these EXTRA ingredients is killing your yeast. It's the same thing when you put pudding mix in a cake mix. Don't expect it to rise as much as it does without it. Lots of people use buttermilk to make biscuits but, all these other Extras is hard for the self-rising flour and baking powder to defeat.
It's just my opinion but, the basics is how you get good biscuits.
If everyone knew what folks like Popeye's and other fast food folks put in their biscuits, they might not eat them. Now I not sayin they do, but fast food is made fast, and most of the time you need a little "kicker", to get things goin in a hurry. Kinda like growth hormones in ole bossy the cow. Her milk and meat may kill you in the end, but damn it shore tastes good goin down.

[AtlLaw]

Gentlemen, all these EXTRA ingredients is killing your yeast.

Hey Dan!  Tell me, you said you did your bisquets in a dutch oven.  That got me to thinkin!   

Since a crock pot is kinda modern dutch oven, how do you think it would do?   

[Dee]

Nope! I don't think so Richard. When I do dutch oven biscuits their done faster than the home oven, the heat has to be 400+ degrees. I think they would rise, and eventually cook, but bake? I don't think the would. Just buy you a dutch oven, and build a fire in your back yard. Your neighbors are probably like mine, and already think your crazy anyway. They still come and ask questions about how to do something every now and then, so evidently they don't think I'm dangerous yet.

[AtlLaw]

Just buy you a dutch oven, and build a fire in your back yard.

You're right, I been thinking about getting one all my life.     Even got a printout of how many coals on top and bottom to use to get the desired temperature...  I'll get one this weekend!   

Your neighbors are probably like mine, and already think your crazy anyway.

Ain't dat da trufe!    

 

[subdjoe]

Gentlemen, all these EXTRA ingredients is killing your yeast.

Hey Dan!  Tell me, you said you did your bisquets in a dutch oven.  That got me to thinkin!  

Since a crock pot is kinda modern dutch oven, how do you think it would do?  

NONONONONO!  Well, if you want it to take 3 hours and give you a fishbelly white biscuit. Kinda a dry dumpling.

Building on what Dee wrote about dutch ovens in the back yard - iffn you got a fire place, take the grate out, build your fire, and you can dutch oven cook there.

[AtlLaw]

iffn you got a fire place, take the grate out, build your fire, and you can dutch oven cook there.

What a heck ofan idea!     I was thinking about doing that in the grill on the deck, but I can see me now, pullin the ol' dutch oven outa the fireplace!   

Kathie might not think it's such a good idea though...    The woman ain't got no spirit of adventure.   

My neighbors ain't the only ones that think I have a ... unique personality there Dan... 

[Dee]

I get along good with all my neighbors but, one, and that was over a damn pit bull. I think though, most see me as an es-ca-pee from the past, but when it comes to growin stuff, repair stuff, and guns, the come over and ask how to.
We're the oldest here on the road, and they kinda watch out for us, as much as they dare, as we're pretty independent. When we're gone and someone strange come around the house, they call the cops, and since the cops all know me, they come runnin, and such.
I don't think the see me as much unique, as more of no nonsense, or foolishness. I'm just an ornery old fart. But I make good biscuits, and cornbread, and I hit what I shoot at.

[powderman]

Last batch the rise was just right, started out with about a 1 in dough. We really like sourdough but I've forgotten how to make it so the next batch we are going to use unflavored yogurt, my wife says it's more flavorful, or sour, than the sour cream. If it works We'll have a lazy day sourdough biscuit.
Glad to see MEN get involved in cooking and experimenting with foods. Several years ago a new family moved in down the road. We got to know them quite well and the wife said that John liked to cook. Then she acted like she shouldn't have said it. She said, please don't tell anybody, somebody might think John wasn't manly. I told her that I occasionally enjoyed cooking and that dared anybody to tell me I wasn't a man. John worked hard every day but enjoyed cooking as a way to relax. Good thread, I'm enjoying this. UHHHH, manly enough for you??? POWDERMAN. 

[AtlLaw]

Wellll, just take notice, all the great chefs in the world are men!  Modern wimmins do alright with the basic fare, but when you wants something with a certain Jenny Say Qua ( I loves french...  ) it's just outa they league.

Take my wife-mate for example.  She's a wonderful woman, the perfect woman for me, but she is a disaster in the kitchen!     Fortunately I like to cook and have done the majority of the cooking throughout our marrage.  It's another creative outlet that one as talented in all things as I am needs... 

[Dee]

And my wife wonders why I wear boots while on the computer.