The Teacher Cooks

WOW!

Biscuits made from scratch are in most households a lost art.  I teach that skill for many reasons.  Homemade biscuits are good, better than canned and frozen ones.  They are cheap to make.  You can put them together in no time.  They are versatile.  And most importantly it makes you feel good about yourself when someone says ” You made this?  WOW ! I am impressed. ”  So today my students were given the task of making homemade biscuits and surprisingly they did very well.  This is not the easiest thing to do if you have never handled biscuit dough before.  It is hard to judge how much milk to add and how many times to knead the dough.  Usually there will be one disaster out the classes , but not today.  They all did pretty well.  I will have to brag on second block.  They were all super.

So how do you put these things together.  Really it is quite easy and very quick.  It just may take a few times to get the knack of it.  My first biscuits were not edible so there is hope!!   Always use WHITE LILY self rising flour and CRISCO.  I am not advertising for White Lily flour, but this is the only kind that works for me.  I use the recipe that is on the package.  You cannot go wrong.

• 2 cups of White Lily self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup Crisco
• 2/3 cup – 3/4 cup milk

Using a pastry blender cut shortening in flour

Using a pastry blender cut Crisco into flour until it is about the size of small peas.  This makes the biscuits tender and flaky.

Add milk and stir with a fork

Do not add all the milk at once.  The amount to humidity in the air will determine  the milk you will need.  The dough should be stirred with a fork and it should pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Pour on wax paper with flour.  Sprinkle a little flour on top to keep it from being sticky and put flour on your hands.  Knead the dough for 4 to 6 times.  The dough should be smooth and spongy. These two things are important when making biscuits :  1.  Do not handle the dough too much and 2.  Do not add too much flour when kneading.  Flatten out with your hands to a thickness of 1/2 inch and cut out with a biscuit cutter or a glass will work. 

Cutting out biscuits

Place the biscuits flour side in the bottom of a slightly greased pan. Bake at 500 degrees for 10 min. 

Ready to bake

That’s all there is to it.  Just give it a try.  Then practice and then practice again.   Now here are the results of today’s bake off!!