Biscuits are synonymous with southern cooking. If I had the time, I would have homemade biscuits at every single meal. They should be required in every household! When my niece Ashley was small, one of the things she liked best about going to Granddaddy and Grammy’s house was breakfast. There was usually a conversation the night before about all the awesome things on the menu—bacon, grits, sausage, and, of course, homemade biscuits. Ashley would be up early to help make the biscuits, standing on a chair beside Granddaddy, wearing a big apron and covered with flour.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 12
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Using a pastry blender or two table knives, cut the shortening into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Use a fork to stir in the buttermilk to make a soft dough, or until the dough comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl. Continue stirring with the fork until all the flour is worked into the dough, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead 3 or 4 times until smooth and manageable.
Step 2
With your hands or a floured rolling pin, flatten the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut the dough with a 2 1/2-inch floured biscuit cutter. Place the rounds on the baking sheet 1 inch apart for crisp biscuits or almost touching for softer biscuits. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
From Gwen
Step 3
I mix the dough from start to finish with my fingers. I taught Trisha’s dad to use a fork because all the dough seemed to end up on his big hands and not in the pan!
From Trisha
Step 4
Reroll dough scraps for an extra couple of biscuits.
Note
Step 5
If you cannot find self-rising flour, substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
