Simple Southern Biscuits

Southern Biscuits

Biscuits, here in the United States, are a basic bread.  Nearly as simple as you can get, in fact. 

All you need is flour, some leavening such as baking soda and baking powder, salt, a fat such as butter, lard or shortening and milk. 

Use self-rising flour and you don’t need to add leavening or salt. 

Use heavy cream and you can drop the fat, which simplifies the recipe to two ingredients.

I’ve seen recipes as simple as two ingredients and as complicated as seven or twelve. Leave it to my fellow countrymen, some here have a deep need to complicate things, but keep it simple. In that vein, I present to you the simplest recipes I can find.

For the curious, biscuits are not scones. Scones are sweetened, biscuits are not. Beyond that, biscuits and scones are very much alike. For reference, what the English call biscuits, we in the United States call cookies, but that’s enough trivia.

Biscuits for two with whole milk (Makes four or five biscuits)

Ingredients:

1 cup All Purpose flour (149 grams)    

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cold, regular, salted butter (42 grams)

A little less than 1/2 cup of whole milk (100 grams)

Biscuits for two with whole milk- Version Two

1 cup self-rising flour (149 grams)    

3 tablespoons cold, regular, salted butter (42 grams)

A little less than 1/2 cup of whole milk (100 grams)

Biscuits for two with whole milk- Version Three

1 cup self-rising flour (149 grams)

3 tablespoons (42 grams) Fat- 

      Straight butter can make for a heavy biscuit, so some combination of

        Butter, Lard, Shortening, bacon grease, Avocado puree, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil or some

        other fat substitute can be used (Now you have a good excuse to make more biscuits)

A little less than 1/2 cup of whole milk (100 grams)

Simpler still is this ingredient list I found on youtube from Cowboy Kent Rollins:

Two Ingredient Biscuits

1 Cup self-Rising Flour (This recipe modified for a batch of four or five biscuits)

¾ Cup Heavy Cream

I know it feels like there should be more ingredients, but those two are it… 

The directions for making biscuits are much of a muchness. Some bake at 450 F, some at 400. Some will say ten to twelve minutes, others twelve to fifteen. Some say to grease the cooking pan with butter, others with lard, shortening or something else.

This is where baking becomes as much art as science. Basically, so long as you’re close, it should come out pretty good.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400-450 degrees F. 

Grease a cast iron skillet or baking dish. Butter, lard, shortening or bacon grease can be used. Bacon grease makes for a bit of crust on the bottom and adds flavor. Shortening doesn’t really bring any flavor to the process, but works very well. I’ve been known to use some cooking spray. Use what you prefer or have to hand…it should be alright.

Flour- put flour into a medium bowl. If using butter or other solid fat, you will need to cut it in with a fork or a dough cutter. Mash the fat in until the dough looks more like crumbs than dough.

If- you’re using Heavy cream, you get to skip the cutting in bit. Just add the cream and stir until combined.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Flour your hands, and knead the dough a few times, five or maybe six. This folding and kneading makes the flaky layers good biscuits have. But don’t knead past the point the dough quits sticking to your hands, if you do, they’ll come out hard. The outside of the dough shouldn’t be sticky, but the inside should still have some moisture.

Roll the dough out to about ½-inch thick. The dough can also be patted down with your hand.

Using a biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits out and place in the skillet or dish. I’m a bit lazy, I work the dough into a squarish slab and cut with a knife. Just don’t twist the cutter or slice with the knife, this will cause the sides to seal up and the biscuits won’t raise properly. Blade goes straight down and straight up, and no more.

Brush with a little melted butter or additional whipping cream, if that’s what you’re using.

Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until a light golden brown. 

     The color is just as important as the time baking. 

     If they're golden brown, they're most likely done...

If you want, brush a little melted better on top before serving.

Notes

You can make the dough ahead of time, cut the biscuits out and freeze. Bake them frozen, but your bake time may increase.