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[Bentley]

I have been trying to cook biscuits from scratch for a lot of years.  Basically 5 ingredients, cold water or buttermilk, flour, fat, salt & baking powder.  I have tried many different forms, styles, techniques...call it what you want.  I cant get it.  I have given up many times.

I went to this cheat method, and it is pretty good!  Nice color, good rise, but a little flour tasting.

 

My latest foray has been nothing less then embarrassing!  Now mind you I have been a student of biscuit making for 15-18 years and I can not graduate. I have been told many things...1st it was I was using self rising flour, that was a no-no I was told, so I stopped.  Next I was working the dough to much, so I stopped.  Next I was twisting the biscuit cutter, can't do that, the biscuit wont rise, so I stopped. I was not using enough baking soda, I have to find "real" buttermilk, etc, etc, etc....So I have come to believe that most Grandmas's simply lie about their biscuits and they are using yeast with it.  So yesterday I look for a hybrid, yeast/buttermilk biscuit recipe.  I find one, problem is, you probably should throw out yeast that says use by 4/2014, or you end up with this...





Truly embarrassing...Ham biscuits that look like they were made with sugar cookies!

So, I have fresh yeast, I used half bacon fat and half butter, and after a 90 minute rise, this is what it looks like.  Then knocked down.  I will go roll out and proof them for 30 minutes, cook and see what we have.



 

[ZCZ]

Awesome!
You will be our official biscuit cooker at the Royal next year.
Z

[cookingjnj]

Hmmmm....ham biscuits on sugar cookies..... you might just be on to something there Bentley.

[Bentley]

After a 30 minute proof, they have almost doubled in size.  Dosed in butter, waiting for oven to hit 400° so they can go in and cook.  I am encouraged today!



If all goes well, I hope they will look like this!

[triplebq]

Wow I haven't had homemade biscuits in years. Nice job.

[ZCZ]

If you do not bake biscuits at the Royal next year you will be banned for life.
Z

[Bar-B-Lew]

Why aren't you making them on the Memphis?

[Bentley]

It will be a happy, joyous day once I get it right!  But that day ain't today!  Time to quit again!

 

[Bentley]

Just to easy to use the oven!  I guess the next thing I do is adjust the fat.  I need to get some shorting and get away from the bacon fat, see if that ole grandmas tale is just more BS...

[bregent]

What kind of flour are you using? I think that pastry flour is typically used for biscuits and will rise higher than AP.

[Bentley]

I am using AP, so I guess I have completely left the flour equation out.  So I will get some cake flour and see if that makes a difference!

[Mudflap]

This is the recipe I use for my homemade biscuits and Elk gravy.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/breads/best-ever-biscuits/

Step #2 was the key for me.
I tried and tried to make them then my wife ask me if I was using the pastry cutter in step #2. I said no I just cut butter sticks with knife and kneaded with my hands... She pulled the cutter out of the drawer and said use this next time. That changed my biscuits 100% for the better. I do take the butter sticks out to soften just a little before using.

I don't have any photos of them but my mom and wife recamended that I had to start making double batches so we could have some left for the next days.

Again step #2 made mine more fluffy/flaky.

Modified: Also don't leave out the cream of tarter.

Mudflap

[bregent]

I am using AP, so I guess I have completely left the flour equation out.  So I will get some cake flour and see if that makes a difference!

Cake flour got even lower protein than pastry flour. If all you can find is cake flour, maybe mix it half and half with AP and that should get you in the right ballpark. I'm no biscuit expert so all this may have no effect whatsoever.

[Bobitis]

This is the recipe I use for my homemade biscuits and Elk gravy.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/breads/best-ever-biscuits/

Step #2 was the key for me.
I tried and tried to make them then my wife ask me if I was using the pastry cutter in step #2. I said no I just cut butter sticks with knife and kneaded with my hands... She pulled the cutter out of the drawer and said use this next time. That changed my biscuits 100% for the better. I do take the butter sticks out to soften just a little before using.

I don't have any photos of them but my mom and wife recamended that I had to start making double batches so we could have some left for the next days.

Again step #2 made mine more fluffy/flaky.

Modified: Also don't leave out the cream of tarter.

Mudflap

^this^

Grandma was right when it comes to shortening. The pastry cutter is a valued tool. I've even read of chilled shortening being optimal. What you want is little balls/pieces before slightly rolling into a cutting shape.

Biscuits are nothing like bread. They live in a world of their own. When was the last time you ever heard of bread and gravy?
If yer desperate, I suppose it could be doable. 

[Mudflap]

This is the recipe I use for my homemade biscuits and Elk gravy.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/breads/best-ever-biscuits/

Step #2 was the key for me.
I tried and tried to make them then my wife ask me if I was using the pastry cutter in step #2. I said no I just cut butter sticks with knife and kneaded with my hands... She pulled the cutter out of the drawer and said use this next time. That changed my biscuits 100% for the better. I do take the butter sticks out to soften just a little before using.

I don't have any photos of them but my mom and wife recamended that I had to start making double batches so we could have some left for the next days.

Again step #2 made mine more fluffy/flaky.

Modified: Also don't leave out the cream of tarter.

Mudflap

^this^

Grandma was right when it comes to shortening. The pastry cutter is a valued tool. I've even read of chilled shortening being optimal. What you want is little balls/pieces before slightly rolling into a cutting shape.

Biscuits are nothing like bread. They live in a world of their own. When was the last time you ever heard of bread and gravy?
If yer desperate, I suppose it could be doable. 

I tried it once with extra gravy...tried toast...