The rule for biscuits

My last food post The Ultimate Guide to Meatloaf got me to thinking. That post actually was a rule for meatloaf. I believe that the key to being a really good, inventive cook is to cook by rules rather than recipes. The difference between a recipe and a rule is that when you prepare a recipe the result (if your’re lucky) is that you get the dish that the recipe describes. Frequently you’ll get less because you miss something, you’re not as skilled a chef as the author of the recipe, your ingredients aren’t as good as the ingredients used by the chef, or it’s just a bad recipe.

But when you cook by a rule rather than a recipe you can prepare a vast number of different dishes which all follow that rule. You can vary the ingredients and proportions to achieve the results that you want. And, frequently most importantly, you can use the ingredients you have to prepare dishes you’ll like rather than running out to get ingredients you may not have on hand.

So, my children, for my next cooking rule I will impart to you one of my most prized possessions: the rule for biscuits.

If you cook by this rule you’ll never use the horrible tube biscuits again and you’ll never need to open a cookbook to make biscuits. Forget every recipe for biscuits you’ve ever used since this differs from the conventional recipes in some basic ways. Here are the basic ingredients:

1½ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ cup liquid
2—6 Tbsp. shortening

Makes about six good-sized biscuits.

Note the proportions. One teaspoon of baking powder for each cup of flour. Half as much liquid as flour. That’s the rule.

Flour

Use any of the following or a mixture: regular white flour, whole wheat flour, corn flour i.e. masa or fine grind cornmeal, rice flour, rye flour, quinoa flour, buckwheat, or any other flour that strikes your fancy. At least one third of the total amount used must be wheat flour.

Salt

Salt is salt. You may use regular salt, kosher salt, or sea salt but you won’t get a really great biscuit without it. Baked goods don’t brown properly without salt.

Baking powder

You may use any brand of regular commercial baking powder but the best tasting, tenderest biscuits are made with homemade baking powder. For homemade baking powder use ½ tsp. Cream of Tartar and ¼ tsp. baking soda instead of one teaspoon of baking powder. This is chemically different from regular commercial baking powder, tastes better, and contains no aluminum (which most commerical baking powder does). Why doesn’t somebody sell this commercially? Simple. It must be made and used immediately. It just doesn’t “keep”.

And, yes, I know that when you make buttermilk biscuits (or use any other acidic liquid) you can use baking soda only. These are no-fail biscuits and making good biscuits with baking soda alone takes a little more skill.

Liquid

Use any of the following or a mixture: milk, buttermilk, yoghurt, sour cream, soy milk, or water. Don’t use all water. You may use water to thin yoghurt or sour cream.

Shortening

Use any of the following or a mixture: butter, margarine, flavorless cooking oil, Crisco, or lard. Do not use olive oil. It’s too strong-flavored. If you want more healthful (shudder) biscuit use canola oil or Enova. Do not omit the shortening. You’ll end up with baked wallpaper paste.

Now let’s make biscuits.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients
  3. If you’re using solid shortening (butter, margarine, Criso, or lard), melt it
  4. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Mix it for about 5 seconds.
  5. Add the shortening. Mix thoroughly for no more than 10 or 15 seconds.

You may either pat the dough onto a board or roll it between floured sheets of waxed paper until it’s about 1 inch thick and cut it to the desired shape using a biscuit cutter or tumbler (I used a large wine glass). Place the biscuits onto a baking sheet (or you may spoon the dough straight from the bowl to the baking sheet—these are called drop biscuits and you may add a few tablespoons more liquid to make dropping easier) and bake for 12 minutes or until the biscuits just start to brown on top. Brushing a little melted butter or margarine onto the top of the biscuits before you bake them adds a professional touch.

Basic biscuits

1&frac12 cup unbleached white flour
1&frac12 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup milk
3 Tbsp. butter

Prepare according to the instructions for the rule.

Buttermilk biscuits

1&frac12 cup unbleached white flour
1&frac12 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp. butter

Prepare according to the instructions for the rule.

Whole wheat biscuits

1&frac12 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1&frac12 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup milk
3 Tbsp. butter

Prepare according to the instructions for the rule.

Multi-grain biscuits

½ cup unbleached white flour
¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup corn flour
¼ cup buckwheat flour
¼ cup rice flour
1&frac12 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup yoghurt thinned with a little water or milk
3 Tbsp. butter

Prepare according to the instructions for the rule.

These won’t rise quite as high as all wheat biscuits but they’ll taste great. Eat ’em with honey or sorghum.

Dairy-free biscuits

¾ cup unbleached white flour
¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1&frac12 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup soy milk
4 Tbsp. unflavored cooking oil (canola, Enova, Wesson, etc.)

Prepare according to the instructions for the rule.

If you add 2 Tbsp. sugar to the Basic biscuit recipe, you will have shortcake perfect for strawberry shortcake. And if you use White Lily as your flour, sour cream thinned with a little milk as your liquid, and four tablespoons of butter, you will make the most incredible go-to-meetin’, Sunday Supper biscuits you have ever had.

I spent a whole year once totally wheat free and someday I’ll give you some pointers on wheat-free biscuits but this post is long enough as it is.

24 comments… add one
  • AMac Link

    Rule-based instead of recipes… nice! I’ll report later in the week what Mr. 3-yo-Picky Eater thinks of your idea.

  • From your mouth to God’s ears. Most people way overmix their biscuit dough. On the other hand, I can use the resulting “biscuits” as spare tires.

  • Joe Link

    What do you do with this to make cornbread muffins??
    “muffins” here = “biscuits”

  • Dena Link

    Thank you for the tips. You sound like you know what you’re doing. I completely agree with your rules vrs. recipies philosophy.

  • cornbread muffins?

    For cornbread muffins use ½ cup white flour, 1 cup of stoneground corn meal (either fine or medium grind depending on how you like your cornbread), Crisco, bacon grease (yum!), or cooking oil for your shortening, and one egg. Otherwise follow the rule. Add enough liquid (milk or buttermilk) to make a very thick batter.

    This is Southern-style cornbread. Not that sweet New England stuff.

  • And if I didn’t mention it, for the most incredible cornbread in the world replace a couple of tablespoons of cornmeal with buckwheat flour. Eat with butter and a little honey or sorghum. Man-o-man!

  • For actual cornmeal biscuits, just follow the rule using ½ cup white flour, one cup stoneground cornmeal, Crisco or cooking oil, milk or buttermilk. Again, just follow the rule.

  • Jennifer Link

    Did you ever post those pointers on making wheat-free biscuits? If so, where? If not, please do! Those of us with gluten-intolerance sure do hate to give up biscuit-eating.

  • James Link

    I would be most interested in reading your advice on wheat-free biscuits (or wheat free anything, for that matter). Thanks for the useful recipes.

  • Dalene Link

    This is great – I cook with rules. It would be great to bake that way too. However what aobut other dry ingredients eg sugar, cocoa. Does it replace proportions of flour or do you up the liquid?

    Thanks

    Dalene

  • Thea Link

    How do you change the fat (butter, oil, etc) proportions when you add grated cheese? Or don’t you have to? Does it matter if it’s Parmesano or Cheddar?
    Thanks
    TEB

  • Dalene:

    It depends on the dry ingredient. Just add sugar. Substitute cocoa for some of the flour.

    Thea:

    Don’t alter the fat proportions when you add cheese. Parmesan is good. Cheddar is good. A mix is even better.

  • Charlene Link

    What about adding pesto? Proportions?

  • Katrina Link

    Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You have just made my day! First, loved your “Cook by the rules” discussion. THat’s how I cook. Second, you’ve solved my mystery of why all attempts at making Biscuits have instead resulted in Hockey Pucks! Buttermilk + Baking Powder = a no-no? THANK YOU for giving this recipe! I’m off to make some right now! – A happy baker in Ontario, Canada

  • Ginger Link

    I was intrigued by your premise of cooking by rules and your authoritative writing style , so I gave your basic biscuits a try, using your “go-to-meetin’ Sunday supper” twists (White Lily flour, sour cream/milk, 4 tbsp. butter). I have to admit, I did not care for them. They did not rise at all; they looked more like a drop biscuit, even though I cut them out. They were indeed light, but not at all flaky, and they had zero flavor or color–they looked and tasted like paste. I don’t know what’s missing in this recipe but something sure is! Looks I’ll be sticking with my Barefoot Contessa/Stonewall Kitchen brand biscuit mixes–perfect biscuits every single time.

  • Eric Link

    PLEASE post your wheat-free rules! I have a toddler who is allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs…you name it. But buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, ok! I’m putting you on the favorites list and will not stop pestering you until you post! 🙂

  • Rebecca Link

    I loved this. I can’t wait to hear about your wheat-free biscuits!! I found your blog when I was looking for an alternative. My child is allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, you name it, too.

  • Stacey Link

    Loved your biscuit rules, but was curious about sugar. I’ve tried halving the sugar quantity in favourite biscuit recipes, and I’ve found they still taste sweet and look fine, but just don’t have the lasting quality (ie. they go stale quickly, unlike the full-sugar ones). Is there any way to get around this?

  • DR.ROHINI Link

    YOUR RECIPIES ARE VERY EASY AND USEFUL.I NEED OVEN FREE PREPERATION OF BISCUITS AND BREAD

  • Lenora Link

    used quiona for the flour and my blend of butter, coconut oil, and flax oil; 1 tsp of braggs vinegar in raw milk for liquid. used Italian spice but think next time will use garlic salt for salt. sprinkled Jarlsberg cheese on top. light biscuit for lunch or dinner, thanks.

  • cliff Link

    I couldnt believe you said to melt the shortning. I’m not real knowledgable about baking but the idea of completly liquid butter in my biscuits sounds like a dense limp biscuit. I can’t get anyones opinion since no one seemed to have tried it before posting. I just refuse to believe it makes a good biscuit without proof

  • Angie Link

    Did you ever give any pointers on wheat-free biscuits? I’d love to read those!

  • Jennifer Link

    You can make wheat-free biscuits by substituting gluten free flour blends, for example Pillsbury Gluten Free Multi‑Purpose Flour Blend. Gluten free flour results in baked goods that are cakier/crumbly and spoil faster (refrigeration helps though). The dough will be a little harder to handle too. GF muffins are excellent and much easier than biscuits.

    To all those wondering about liquid fat, it depends on what you want. If you want flakey biscuits, solid fat is key. If you want tender, convenient biscuits with the option of using oil, liquid fat is just fine.

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