Is there anything more luscious than a hot homemade biscuit fresh out of the oven? For me, they’re one of the ultimate comfort foods – on par with meatloaf and mashed potatoes. And leagues beyond the canned or frozen kind.
In fact, I’ll admit to being a bit of a biscuit snob. I won’t touch a canned biscuit except in the most dire of circumstances — like when I’m visiting friends or relatives, and manners say to eat what you’re served so you don’t offend the cook.
I learned how to make biscuits back in Dark Ages when I was in eighth grade. Girls were required to take home economics while the boys got an extra study hall. Not going to comment on that right now. I still use the recipe I learned in Mrs. Hamrick’s class. It’s the best biscuit recipe I’ve ever used, old and simple as it is. It takes all of three ingredients: buttermilk, Crisco and self-rising flour.
The kind of flour you use is vital to the biscuit you end up with. I always start with White Lily flour. Yes, I’m one of “those” cooks who swear by White Lily for baking biscuits.
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If you grew up in the South, you’ve probably heard the argument – that White Lilly is made from a softer winter wheat that has less protein in it. Less protein means a softer, fluffier final product, especially for biscuits.
I also believe Crisco is another irreplaceable ingredient. I’ve tried making biscuits with butter or margarine, and they typically turn out as just heavy, greasy, inedible lumps. My grandmother always used to make hers with bacon grease. She also used baking powder, which back in those days gave everything a metallic after taste.
I turned up my nose at hers once I learned how to make biscuits with Mrs. Hamrick’s recipe, though my daddy loved them. Now, you can get baking power without aluminum, so that solves the after-taste issue, but I usually use self-rising flour, which has the salt and baking soda already added in. That’s what Mrs. Hamrick taught us to use.
So, White Lily flour, Crisco and buttermilk. That’s all you need to make an awesome batch of homemade biscuits. But I’ve left out one essential ingredient so far: a cast-iron skillet. There’s something about the evenness of the heat from a cast-iron skillet that helps the biscuits rise sky-high and fluffy.
I made a batch of biscuits this morning for my husband before he headed out to work. He likes his with strawberry jelly. Personally, I think that’s gilding the, ahm, (White) Lily. I like mine just spread with butter or margarine. Fresh, piping hot and dripping butter. Nothing better in this world!
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Here’s how I make them:
Homemade Biscuits
2 c. self-rising flour
¼ c. Crisco
2/3 c. buttermilk
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Sift the flour into a measuring cup and then transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add the Crisco and work it in until the flour has the consistency and look of corn meal. Then, make a hole in the middle with the flour heaped up around it. Add the buttermilk in the hole and mix into the flour with a fork. Add more buttermilk if necessary, but don’t let the dough get sticky. Turn out on wax paper that’s had flour sprinkled on it. Roll out to about an inch thick. Cut out round biscuits with a 2-inch biscuit cutter or a glass and transfer to a cast iron skillet. Don’t twist the cutter when you’re cutting the dough. That will keep the biscuits from rising. With the last little bit of dough, roll it into a biscuit shape with your hands (don’t want to waste any) and add it to the skillet. You can also handshape all the biscuits if you’re in a hurry or you don’t have a biscuit cutter. Bake about 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Turn onto a plate and serve. Makes enough for four people.
Debbie Reddin van Tuyll is Editor-in-chief of The Augusta Press. Reach her at debbie@theaugustapress.com
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