Baking Powder Biscuits: Recipes & Tips For Success

Success in making flaky baking-powder biscuits is a matter of a few simple rules:

Making Homemade Biscuits

• Measure dry ingredients and sift into mixing bowl. When soda is used, it is sifted with dry ingredients.
• Uneven distribution of leavening causes yellow or brown flecks. Cut in shortening with pastry-blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add all the liquid; stir only till dough follows fork around bowl.
• Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead gently about 1/2 minute; kneading produces flaky biscuits with better volume and finer texture. Handle the dough quickly and lightly; too much stirring, beating, or kneading will tend to toughen the biscuits.
• Pat out lightly with hand or roll evenly to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut straight up and down with a floured cutter.
• Place 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet for crusty biscuits; just touching for softer biscuits. For very crusty biscuits, make drop biscuits by adding more liquid.
• Bake in very hot oven (450°) 12 to 15 minutes.
• Biscuit mix made of all ingredients except liquid may be kept in refrigerator and liquid added at time of baking.
• Cut biscuits may be successfully stored in refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before baking.

Baking Powder Biscuits: Recipes

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups sifted enriched flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 to 4 TBS shortening
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk

• Directions: Follow instructions above.

Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe
Makes 2 dozen biscuits

2 cups sifted enriched flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soda
5 TBS shortening
1 cup buttermilk

• Directions: Follow instructions above except roll to 3/8 inch thick; brush with melted fat or salad oil; fold over and cut double biscuits.

Standard Biscuit Variations

Butterscotch Biscuits: Roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Spread with melted butter or margarine; sprinkle with brown sugar and chopped nuts. Roll as for jelly roll; seal edge; cut 1/2-inch slices. Bake, cut side down, on greased cooky sheet in very hot oven (450°) 12 to 15 minutes.

Cheese Swirls: Roll 1/4 inch thick; sprinkle 1/2 cup grated American cheese over. Roll as for jelly roll; seal edge; cut 1/2-inch slices. Bake, cut side down, on greased cooky sheet in hot oven (425°) 15 minutes.

Drop Biscuits: Increase milk to 1 cup and drop from teaspoon onto greased cooky sheet. Bake in very hot oven (450°) 12 to 15 minutes. This makes a very crusty biscuit.

Orange Biscuits: Add grated peel of 1 orange to Standard Biscuit dough. Dip cube of loaf sugar quickly into orange juice and press gently into center of each biscuit. Bake in very hot oven (450°) 12 to 15 minutes.

Whole-wheat Biscuits: Substitute 1 cup whole-wheat or graham flour for 1 cup sifted enriched white flour and mix with sifted dry ingredients. Increase salt to 3/4 teaspoon.

Old-Time Vintage Biscuit Recipes (1930)

Brown Sugar Roll: Pat the standard biscuit dough to 1/2 inch in thickness. Spread with melted butter and spread thickly with brown sugar. Roll and cut into 1-inch slices. Arrange in buttered pans and bake at 425° for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cheese Biscuits: To the standard biscuit recipe add 1/3 cupful of finely chopped or grated cheese. Pat to 1/2 inch in thickness. Cut and bake as directed above.

Beaten Biscuits Recipe:

1 cupful of shortening
1 quart of flour
1 tsp salt
About 2/3 cupful of cold water

• Cut the shortening into the flour and salt. Mix with cold water to form a stiff dough, and then beat the dough with a rolling pin until it blisters, or about 20 minutes of beating to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into biscuits, prick with a fork a few times, and bake in a hot oven (475°) for 12 to 15 minutes.

Southern Biscuits Recipe:

2 cupfuls of flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1 cupful of mashed sweet potatoes
2 TBS shortening
Buttermilk

• Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and soda together. Add the mashed sweet potatoes (boiled), and work in shortening. Add sufficient buttermilk to make a soft dough. Roll thin, cut into biscuits, and bake in a hot oven (450° to 475°) for 15 minutes.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens (1953 & 1930)

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