When I make biscuits, I use Gold Medal self-rising flour, salt, water and butter. Back when I was making biscuits every day, that was all I could afford. My kids prefer flaky biscuits, so instead of just patting it down to the thickness, I'll roll it out thin, fold it over and roll some more. It's not Pillsbury layers flaky, but it is enough to give a good rise to the layers.
Make sure when you cut your dough you cut straight down, without any twisting. Twisting the cutter glues the edges together and keeps them from rising. If you get really desperate for a good rise, you can always put a hefty pinch of yeast in your dough and allow it to proof for a while before baking.
I always use self-rising flour to make biscuits. My recipe is essentially:
2 cups self-rising flour 2/3 cup shortening (cut it in) too damn much buttermilk. It should barely hold together. Don't knead the dough any more than you have to.
Shape with your hands (don't like cookie cutter biscuits), bake in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes, or until nice and brown on top.
I've done it the hard way, and I've done it the easy way. Same results with both, so I always just use Pioneer Baking and Biscuit Mix. And I drop 'em or make cats' heads. Kneading them never turns out for me.
Oh yeah, never make them in a hot kitchen unless you work really, really fast. Use buttermilk and stir it juuust until it is mixed together. And if you do make them the hard way don't use King Arthur (aren't we all so contradictory? lol). Southern flour makes Southern biscuits. Weird, I know, but true. It's something to do with the way the weather affects the way it grows and the protein content. I like White Lily self-rising.
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When I make biscuits, I use Gold Medal self-rising flour, salt, water and butter. Back when I was making biscuits every day, that was all I could afford. My kids prefer flaky biscuits, so instead of just patting it down to the thickness, I'll roll it out thin, fold it over and roll some more. It's not Pillsbury layers flaky, but it is enough to give a good rise to the layers.
Make sure when you cut your dough you cut straight down, without any twisting. Twisting the cutter glues the edges together and keeps them from rising. If you get really desperate for a good rise, you can always put a hefty pinch of yeast in your dough and allow it to proof for a while before baking.
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I'm a huge fan of King Arthur flours. Their headquarters is just to the north of me in Vermont.
Here's a recipe on their website that sounds pretty good:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=R879
And, yeah, what is it with these toddlers and shoving stuff up their noses?!
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2 cups self-rising flour
2/3 cup shortening (cut it in)
too damn much buttermilk. It should barely hold together. Don't knead the dough any more than you have to.
Shape with your hands (don't like cookie cutter biscuits), bake in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes, or until nice and brown on top.
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