Buttermilk Biscuits

I've been asked several times about homemade biscuits and do I make them with wheat. I must confess, that biscuits are one place where I can't find room for my wheat :-)

I have made them- but there's nothing like a fluffy Southern - white- biscuit!

Here's how I make them:

2 cups self-rising flour

1/3 cup lard or butter*

approx. 3/4 cup of buttermilk**

Preheat oven to 550. Cut your fat into the flour until you get a nice 'crumb', a little more coarse than cornmeal. Slowly blend in your buttermilk being careful not to add too much or too little. 

Once you have your dough barely moistened, dump out onto lightly floured counter.

Knead just until dough holds together- no more than about 10 times.

Pat out dough to about 1/2 inch thick and cut into circles. Place on light-colored baking pan. 

Allow your biscuits to rest and rise for about 5 minutes or more before baking.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Butter the tops as soon as you remove them from the oven.

*You may use other fats. Some folks use oil.  I prefer lard and/or butter. I think they taste better ;-) 

Flash freeze tip: As soon as you cut these, place them on a cookie sheet and freeze. To cook, place on cookie sheet, heat oven to 425 and bake for approx. 20-25 minutes.

Tips:
Brandy made these using: **In place of buttermilk: 1 cup milk minus 1 Tbsp; replace with 1 Tbsp vinegar
(and using reconstituted powdered milk)

Don't knead biscuit dough roughly as you would a yeast dough.

Don't over knead or your dough will be touch. 

To get layers, fold dough over and over rather than knead.

If at first you don't succeed, do it again! Make them several days in a row and you will get a feel and eye for the right consistency of the dough. Then- it will 'come back to you' every time you make them!