You can stir in some melted or softened butter into some flour. Say two tablespoons into a cup and half or 2 cups of self rising flour. This solves your salt issue. White Lily is the best flour. Then mix milk or water until it is a very thick soup. This is where you cheat. You cook it in muffin tins. They look like muffins and taste like biscuits that have a crispiness when hot. Cook at 425 degrees for 15 to 24 minutes. Mine are usually done around 20 minutes. Buttermilk makes the muffin very soft and doughy in my opinion.
I'd give measurements but I haven't used them for much in twenty years. If you want to make biscuits the hard way, don't add so much milk or water so that the dough will be somewhat stiff. You beat the dough until the dough becomes stretchy. Place dough on floured surface and put flour on dough before rolling the dough. Cut out biscuits. It is handy to have a child nearby who will eat the excess dough. Re-rolling dough creates a lousy biscuit. You can pile the scraps into a biscuit shape. It's not bad. It's not that good either. (My dog loves them.) But anyway bake in a hot 425 degree oven for ten to 16 minutes. Brown on top and bottom is good. Black is not good at all.
Below is a picture by Willie Bearden of a pan of actual biscuits. For all the Brits, this is a biscuit. In the states we call the British biscuit a cookie.
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| Photo by Willie Bearden - willybearden.com |
Now you may ask about how much auto repair I have done. Quite a bit, well I had to pay someone to do it. But I've had my share done.
Which leads to the next important fact. What is the difference between a scone and a biscuit. They are both quick breads. The scone originated in Scotland. There is the Irish soda bread which is a quick bread. A quick bread is made with soft wheat flour and baking soda/powder as the leavening agent. The American biscuit does not have egg in it's batter and little to no sugar. It is eaten with savory foods like sausage gravy. A scone has more fat and an egg or two. Raisins and other fruits can be placed in the batter.
There is a fast food restaurant who makes cinnamon raisin biscuits with a bit of icing on them. But they do not have egg in them.
Ciao - I would say Bon Appetit but it is C day on the A to Z. That's why these are called Cheating Biscuits.
Those look delicious! I didn't get the baking gene but I know my grandmother made bread without measuring. If one was taught that way that is what one would do I imagine.
ReplyDeleteBetty
I thought I would live this life without making biscuits. But my brother who lives with me loves them too much. I used to be a good at making cookies and cakes. However, I have lost my talent with cookies. None I have made in the past few years were very good. What I do know about measuring is you get where you can often see if something has the right consistency.
DeleteI am endlessly confused by the differences in language. I am with the British here.
ReplyDeleteAnd we are lovers of language. Sometimes it is only language that endures. A lot of food that was common regionally are being lost in having the world at your door in foods.
DeleteMy husband just made an Irish Soda Bread. It's one of his favorites. Weekends In Maine
ReplyDeleteOne day, I plan to make some Soda Bread. I first heard of it in a play called "Dancing at Lughnasa".
DeleteGosh, I'm not good at making more than a mess in the kitchen,. My hubs would probably like this recipe ;-)
ReplyDeleteI suspect you are a good cook. I I have to admit that I am a reluctant cook. If it were me, I would have a diet of peanut butter sandwiches, cereal and coffee. But these people like real food. Today we are having salads. Tomorrow, I best thaw some hamburger and make something.
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