Biscuits I Made It

Biscuits

bakerme 9 years ago

Posted by Pointsevenout: Biscuits

We enjoyed these for breakfast this morning! They were, as promised, quick and easy to make, so you can mix up a batch, or half a batch like I did, in no time. That's good to know when you have a taste for hot, homemade biscuits and not a lot of time. I used parchment paper to line my baking sheet instead of sprinkling it with cornmeal. Unless it's in cornbread, I don't care for the texture of cornmeal, and even wipe it off of English muffins. Other than that, I followed the recipe to a T and was especially pleased that mine came out looking exactly like those in Points' photo on the recipe page! Thanks again, Points!

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Thanks for making the recipe so soon. Parchment is fine. I use cornmeal because it's very cheap and helps immensely with clean-up.

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

We ate all six for breakfast - oink oink! ;)

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

Oh, I am glad you made these with good results and I'm also glad you used parchment paper because that was what I had planned to do. And I also had planned on cutting this in half.
Now the challenge is mine, I guess. :-) I will see if I can get to these this weekend.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

I make the full recipe and bag the left-overs. It's a great snack to ward off hunger pangs in between meals. A biscuit 20 seconds in the microwave is just about right.

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

I don't have a food processor or a microwave. When we do have leftover biscuits, we just eat them at room temp with butter or jelly - yum! I really need to watch my white flour and carbs, so biscuits are a real treat whenever I make them.

Frankie, I know you'll do fine with this recipe, and will keep my fingers crossed for a good outcome. I wish I lived closer to some of my baking buddies so we could get together and cook and bake. For me, it really helps if I can *see* someone's technique instead of reading about it. I *love* parchment paper for baking! I use it for cookies, biscuits, scones, roasting vegetables, and lining cake pans. Whoever invented it is a genius!

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NPMarie 9 years ago said:

I just knew this would be the best biscuit recipe..PSO is the Master of Biscuits done right:)

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mommyluvs2cook 9 years ago said:

Lol, they must have been good if you ate 3 each!! I plan on trying this one eventually, just waiting to see how FA's turns out :P

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

Ml2c, I forgot to say that my biscuit cutter was 2-1/2 inches, not the 3-inches Points used, so my biscuits were smaller. That made them easier to shovel in. ;) Since I'm allergic to eggs, my breakfast was just the biscuits and sausage, but my husband ate eggs, biscuits, and sausage!

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

No pressure, huh Michelle? ;-P

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NPMarie 9 years ago said:

LOL! You can do it Frankieanne! I think I'll try this recipe AFTER both you and Michelle make it:-D

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

ha! First time I ever saw people line up to make biscuits. :-D

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NPMarie 9 years ago said:

:-D You first:) I usually make Bisquick biscuits..does that tell ya anything:-)

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Tell$ me you $pend too much ca$h making bi$cuit$.

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NPMarie 9 years ago said:

Ha! First off, I HARDLY make biscuits and secondly, I buy the store brand of Bisquick..less expensive that way..I know you make your own Bisquick, don't you PSO? Maybe if you find the recipe link I'll try it...just to make you happy! $$$$ LOL You crack me up$$$

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

Having had a HORRIBLE cake made by a neighbor using Bisquick, I just can't bring myself to buy it! That was years and years ago and I can still taste that cake :p

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mommyluvs2cook 9 years ago said:

Bakerme I've never heard of using Bisquick to make a cake? That's strange to me. Also maybe her Bisquick was old? It get's a weird, like metallic taste to it when it's old...yuck!

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NPMarie 9 years ago said:

Bakerme, I love Bisquick:) I believe I use Jiffy mix as well as the store brands... I adore making Bisquick pancakes & waffles, so easy and great for an easy weekend breakfast:) Frankieanne has a great chicken recipe using Bisquick..I make it all of the time...let's see if I can find it real quick like:)

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NPMarie 9 years ago said:

Bisquick Oven Baked Chicken

Found it!

Another plug FA:)

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

Marie and Mommyluvs2cook, nope, the Bisquick wasn't old, she was just an inexperienced baker. She made strawberry shortcake with it and, besides the Bisquick and strawberries, in her exact words, "added all the spices." I said spices?? Did she mean allspice? She said yes, that's what the recipe called for, but she didn't have any so added a little of every spice she had on the shelf!!!! Oh my gosh, you can't imagine the taste! Now you can see why I won't buy Bisquick. I can still taste that cake! Frankie sounds like a fantastic cook, but I just can't bring myself to buy Bisquick, so will have to pass on her recipe. I think I was traumatized for life!

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Link to the bisquick discussion: Bisquick Biscuit Mix

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

I'm just imagining a skit between Archie and Edith Bunker on "all the spices".

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NPMarie 9 years ago said:

Thanks for the link PSO:)

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NPMarie 9 years ago said:

LOL Bakerme! That's so funny she added all her spices:)

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

I kid you not, Marie, it had to be the worst thing I've ever tasted in my life!!!

Points, I loved "All in the Family"! My husband couldn't stand it, so I watched it in reruns. ;)

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Please don't try my Celery Soup.

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

LOL, Points!

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

Y'all are getting goofy. :-D

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CherylsCookingNow 9 years ago said:

Bakerme, glad the recipe turned out well for you. I would not use cornmeal on the cookie sheet either. I saved the recipe. I usually do what others above said, use bisquick.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

I can't guarantee results like my posted pic and specs when using bisquick.

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MissouriFarmWife 9 years ago said:

Hmmm. I really have to try making my own "Bisquick." We have to limit quantities of flour and sugar so don't often make biscuits (I admit, from Bisquick). That sounds good.

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mommyluvs2cook 9 years ago said:

Well I can see how Bisquick traumatized your life Bakerme....yuck! I don't mind Bisquick, I love this recipe Garlic Cheddar Biscuits!

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

Those biscuits look good, Ml2c, but I would have to try making them by adding cheese and spices to my tried and true biscuit recipe. I don't know enough about baking science (as in nothing ;)) to know if it would work, but it might be worth a try. Hmmmm.

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

OK, I made these today! Biscuits
I did better but I still didn't get it exactly right. You can see that a couple are still kinda lopsided. I think pso's instruction of "stamp" helped me out a lot. I always kinda took my time pressing down the cutter into the dough. OK, pso, now you have to tell me how to get the top smooth. I guess you format the dough so the rough looking part ends up on the bottom? No - that wouldn't work because the bottom become the top!

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nanny1291955 9 years ago said:

i love biscuits- a bad biscuit is still a biscuit-lol- i always double and freeze 1/2 uncooked- then if i want to cook just a couple - i can:-)- thanks for a new recipe to try-- cannot wait!!

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to the desired thickness. Both the top and bottom will be smooth. The first biscuits stamped out will be the best. When you rework the scraps, the quality degrades from that of the first stamped biscuits. There will always be some convolutions on the second and third reworking.
When you stamp the biscuits out, try not to get too close to the edge of the rolled out dough.
If you want, you can flip the dough over after you have rolled it out, then stroke the dough again with the rolling pin to smooth out any not so smooth looking areas. Then stamp out the biscuits, flipping them over as you transfer them to the baking sheet.
If you are using a sharp edged biscuit cutter to stamp out the biscuits, the flipping of the biscuit is really not necessary. It's habit for me and the instruction line is in the recipe for those whom make the recipe using a dull edged stamp.
Looks like you got better rise than the other recipes you've tried.
If you need to go to 19 or 20 minutes bake time, please do.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

FA, from your pic I see you made 5 biscuits. Is that right?
Is the first pic how you placed them on the baking sheet?
If it is, try using the edge of the baking sheet as well as the other biscuits to crowd and support all the biscuits. It will help take any lean out of the biscuits.
I see one biscuit in your group of 5 that looks nice. They look a little light on color. Maybe a little more dwell time in the oven?

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

OK, I patted out my dough. I will have to try rolling. I guess I was trying to handle it as little as possible. And I did use the edge of the dough for the edge of the biscuits. I'll try it the other way next time.
Yes, I did get five and how they are on the sheet is how I laid them out. One in five is better than I have done before. :-P
They were perfectly done in the middle so I don't know that they needed more time.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

How was your rise? Did you measure your biscuits before and after bake to see? Doubling in height is our goal. That makes a fluffy texture.

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

They did not double, pso. Probably 1.5.
I bought a brand new box of baking powder today. Mine was due to expire in January and I saw it on sale. I'll try again with new baking powder.
If I don't succeed next time, I'm through.

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

Frankie, I do the same thing with baking powder, baking soda, and yeast and replace them if they are close to their expiration dates. I figure I'd rather waste a little than find out in the middle of a recipe that it doesn't "work" anymore. Then I'd have to throw the whole thing away and that really would be wasteful!

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NPMarie 9 years ago said:

I think your biscuits look great FA! This sounds like a really good recipe:)

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

Thank you, Marie. They won't win any bake off competition, that's for certain. :-P

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Aaaaak...........My recipe or your biscuits? :)
These are your best biscuits ever. That's progress. Don't give up now.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Here's another way to stay away from the edge of the dough.
Take a pizza cutter wheel and square-out or rectangular-out your dough so you can't cut your biscuits from the edge of the dough. Use those edge scraps in with the rest of the scraps when reworking the dough.

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

No, it isn't your recipe, pso. I think that some people are just better at some things than others. Baking has never been my forte. I'm thinking I may use a sharp knife next time. I am having all my knives professionally sharpened next week. Even my bread knife. Remember my saw marks, pso? ha I found a guy in town who says he can sharpen bread knives. :)

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Give your dough a few more kneads. You can't really hurt it. Don't worry about handling the dough unless you plan on standing there holding the dough in your hands for a couple of minutes. Working quickly is the key to keep the fat from going soft.
Keep working with me FA. You're almost there.

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

Frankie, instead of kneading, try this idea I saw on a baking site. Once the dough comes together in a shaggy mass and you've put it on your floured surface, pat the dough into a rectangle and, starting at the short end of the rectangle, fold it over on itself three times, like a business letter. Do that maybe 3-5 times and you'll see the top of the dough becoming smoother each time. When it looks smooth to you (it doesn't have to look as smooth as a pane of glass), stamp out your biscuits, place them upside down on your parchment paper lined sheet and bake. I hope this helps! I tried it the other day and it helped me. Keep trying and you'll get it next time! :)

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

The business letter technique helps make the biscuit much more flakier. It's close to the technique used when making pastries.

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

Oh, I see, pso. OK.
That business letter technique sounds interesting. So you fold it over and then you pat it down into a rectangle again and then fold over again? That sounds like something I'd like to try.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

YES.
But give it a few kneads first instead of starting with the shaggy mess.
Use a rolling pin instead of patting it out.
Roll it in only one direction, away and toward you, to make a rectangle.
Fold it business letter style and give it a quarter turn.
Roll it in only one direction, away and toward you, making a rectangle again.
Fold it business letter style again and give it a quarter turn.
Continue the process 3 to 5 times. You will notice the edges of the dough will become nice and evenly straight as opposed to to rounded lumpy and cracked edge you were getting when you patted the dough out only.
On the final fold, roll it out to the thickness you are going to cut the biscuit from.
This method affords you to make square biscuits, if you like. But you will still have to take off a thin slice all the way around the perimeter to release the gluten strands and let the biscuits rise evenly.

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

Frankieanne, yes, give the dough a few kneads before patting it out into a rectangle. I always use my hands so that, even floured, the dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin, but try it both ways and see which works best for you. What works for one person doesn't always work for another. The main thing is that you end up with wonderful biscuits, no matter how you got there! Based on the good results I got from trying the envelope trick, I changed the directions in my biscuit recipe. :)

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

OK, this sounds like something I want to try. I always envy the smooth tops of your biscuits, pso. This sounds like a good way to get that effect.
Thank you to both of you!

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bakerme 9 years ago said:

You're very welcome! Fingers crossed for your next batch of biscuits! :)

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Just finished trying the folding technique. The biscuits do turn out well and you can see all the layers from the folding. The top two layers from the folding want to move around on you as you are rolling the dough out to a new rectangle. I suggest you flop the dough over after you do the 90 degree turn, so you are working the rolling pin on one smooth surface.
IMHO it's a lot of work when a dozen or so kneads of the dough will suffice nicely.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Made this last batch with 1 1/2c bread flour as I was very low on AP flour and didn't want to open up a new box of cake flour.
Every time I turned around mother was munching on a biscuit. Only 3 biscuits left from this last batch.
Time for a store run for flour and butter.

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

I'm taking a biscuit break for now. I'll try again later on.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

After making these a few times, I find that they are too tender the day after, in that, they tend to crumble too much. I've had to decrease the shortening amount and increase the butter amount. The change is reflected in the recipe. Also increased the bake time to 20 minutes.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

Been tweaking around with the recipe and I'm about ready to go back to the original recipe.
Also have been adding a teaspoon of the different herbs per batch . So far I'm liking crushed rosemary the best. I have some cream cheese flavoring that will go into the next batch.

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frankieanne 9 years ago said:

I'm taking a biscuit break for now, pso.

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pointsevenout 9 years ago said:

The recipe is back to its original form. I like the tenderness too much that way. If you intend to have left-over biscuits for the next day then you might want to decrease the shortening a little and increase the butter a little.

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