Biscuits

[ElvenFury]

I just think it's the nature of the beast. I personally dont think I've ever had a biscuit that hasnt been dry, whether I make it, or I get it from Flying Biscuit, or elsewhere, they're all too dry for my taste. I dont want to have to take a drink every time I take a bite.

You're supposed to saturate it with butter, you vegan pussy.

[AestheticDeath]

Kuyuk, Grands biscuits aren't dry IMO. They are huge, fluffy, and just right.

And biscuits are like the #1 bread for breakfast. No matter how you eat them. 10000000x better than toast. Unless.. it is cinnamon toast. But even then, biscuits and jam, vs cinnamon toast all comes down to how I am feeling that day, or which one I have had recently. They are both pretty good.

And btw, there are a lot of types of Grands biscuits, I figured I should say I have had in mind the homestyle buttermilk biscuits.

[AestheticDeath]

Biscuits 03-29-2010 02:10 PM Fuck you and your biscuits -Clipt

homo

[Makkah]

I just think it's the nature of the beast. I personally dont think I've ever had a biscuit that hasnt been dry, whether I make it, or I get it from Flying Biscuit, or elsewhere, they're all too dry for my taste. I dont want to have to take a drink every time I take a bite.

Ever thought about getting your salivary glands checked? As a chef, I'd figure you'd be able to gauge how dry food really is...

[Xanator]

Would also suggest trying a different brand of (preferably Southern) flour. Flour with a lower protein content is much better for quick breads, higher protein content for yeast breads. The best flour for baking biscuits, bar none, is White Lily. Don't think they sell it in Texas, but I know you can get it in Louisiana. Just buy a 5# bag of White Lily and follow the recipe on the back. Use buttermilk, and either vegetable shortening or lard. And make sure whatever sugar you use is 100% pure cane.

You basically break flour down by where it's grown. Southern flours (like White Lily, Dixie Lily, and Martha White) are mostly ground from soft winter wheat and have the lowest protein/highest starch content. National brands (Pillsbury and Gold Medal) are a blend of hard and soft wheats, and are in the middle as far as protein content. Northern brands (King Arthur, especially) are ground from hard winter wheat, and have a much higher protein content.

If you can't get your hands on White Lily, I know I was able to buy Martha White when I was living in Massachusetts. You could also try something like a 2/3 all purpose 1/3 cake flour mix. Try:

2 c. all-purpose flour (or 2 c. self-rising, and omit powder/salt)
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 T. sugar
1/4 c. shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk (more as needed)

The basic rules of bread-making apply here. Combine your dry ingredients, mix well, then cut in your shortening until your flour mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Pour over your buttermilk and mix just until your flour is incorporated and the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Lumps are ok, a little bit of flour here and there is ok, just don't overmix. The dough should be pliable, but far from stiff. Add a little more buttermilk if you have to. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, toss and roll to about 1/4" thickness (don't do the to-and-fro motion, as that may overwork your dough. North, south, east, west). Cut with a floured cutter, DO NOT twist the cutter. Your cut biscuits should look like short little cylinders. Place them on a sheet pan with the sides touching. Bake 8-10 minutes in a 500º oven.

Most common mistakes people make are overworking (tough biscuits), cutter twisting (biscuits don't rise), placing biscuits far apart on the pan (clinging to each other/sides of the pan helps biscuits rise. They're not cookies), and being afraid of the high oven temp (hot oven helps them rise quickly). If you have a problem with them burning, try 3-5 minutes at the high temp, then roll it back to maybe 400º to let them finish browning.

These + sorghum syrup = breakfast win.

EDIT: Thought I should also mention. Don't ever scoop flour directly from your bag/bin/whatever for your recipe. This packs the flour slightly, and can amount to enough extra flour to cause noticeable differences in your product. Scoop/pour it into measuring spoons/cups. And even if you use self-rising flour, make sure to dust your board or whatever surface you're rolling out on with all-purpose flour. Self-rising contains leavening ingredients that can taste bitter when they're left unmixed on the outside of your product.

[Archigeek]

EDIT: Thought I should also mention. Don't ever scoop flour directly from your bag/bin/whatever for your recipe. This packs the flour slightly, and can amount to enough extra flour to cause noticeable differences in your product. Scoop/pour it into measuring spoons/cups.

Good advice. But even better yet is to measure by weight.

I may have to try that recipe.

[Sean of the Thread]

Shut up!

I would have said Biskets nom nom nom if it counts. :/