Canned biscuits are quick and easy, but this recipe is even better. These homemade biscuits have a flaky, buttery exterior and a tender interior. Better yet, you probably already have all the ingredients for this family favorite in your pantry.
The dough for these tender biscuits doesn’t need to rise before baking, you can make it in advance, and if you follow my advice, they will turn out perfectly every time. They’re at their best when served hot with honey butter, sausage gravy, or in a breakfast sandwich.
Materials Required for This Recipe
- Butter — This biscuit recipe calls for very cold butter, which will melt during baking. The biscuits’ light texture and flakiness come from the steam created by the melting butter. You can use a box grater to shred the butter instead of trying to cut it into cubes.
- Flour I find that all-purpose flour works best because you don’t want a lot of protein or gluten in your biscuits. Doing so prevents the biscuits from becoming overly dense and chewy.
- If you want your biscuits to rise nicely, use baking powder that has not expired. Since yeast isn’t used, baking powder must do double duty.
BISCUIT PREP TIPS
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) in a large bowl. Mix in the butter cubes.
- Flour the cubes of butter and toss them in. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are the size of fine peas or large almonds.
- Fold the milk into the flour mixture using a silicone spatula until the dough is just moist enough to hold together in clumps. Do not over-blend. Next, it will all start to make sense.
- Get out onto some flour and turn around.
- Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle with floured hands. Cut the dough in half and fold it over.
- Make a cross-sectional cut through the dough and stack the two pieces. Form a new rectangle with the dough.
- Three more times, repeat the folding, cutting, stacking, and patting steps.
- Use a round floured cookie cutter that is between 2.5 and 3 inches in diameter to cut out biscuits from the finished dough. Biscuits should be baked on a sheet that has been oiled. Put them in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. If using butter, brush it on the biscuits right away.
Expert Advice on Preparing This Dish
- Arrange biscuits in a single layer on a baking sheet. They’ll get further ahead if they do this.
- If you live in a warm climate, it is recommended that you freeze the butter for 15 to 20 minutes before incorporating it into the biscuit dough.
- Don’t twist the cutter as you slice the biscuits. Lift it straight up after pressing it straight down into the dough. Biscuits that have been twisted may not rise as much during baking or may even fall flat.
- For this biscuit recipe, a round cookie or biscuit cutter is required. Use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 3-inch squares.
- While high-quality butter is not strictly necessary, it certainly enhances the biscuits’ flavor. If I want my biscuits to be extra flaky and buttery, I use high-fat butter like Kerrygold or Pelugra.
- Wait until the oven reaches 425 degrees Fahrenheit before putting in the biscuits. The instant heat will ensure that the biscuits rise to a good height.
FAQ
My biscuits are gummy; what gives?
Gummy, dense biscuits indicate that the butter was not chilled enough. When baked, a dense, gummy texture is produced by the combination of the warm butter and the flour. If you have a particularly warm kitchen, you may want to chill the bowl and flour before you begin. A marble slab is another option; it helps keep the dough cool while you work it.
WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT THEM FROM DRYING OUT?
Make sure the flour is measured accurately for the best results with this homemade biscuit recipe. I think a scale would be helpful. Biscuits will become dense and dry if too much flour is added, as the liquid-to-flour ratio will be off. Adding more liquid than called for causes the flour’s gluten to grow, which is not what you want. If you don’t have a scale, you can level off a spoonful of flour in a measuring cup with a knife. The biscuits will dry out if you bake them for too long, so keep an eye on the timer.
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