It’s been nearly 15 years since I wrote my post on the rule for making biscuits and I thought it was about time that I returned to that subject. In the intervening years I have made biscuits nearly every Sunday for our Sunday brunch and I thought I would pass on what I have learned in that time.
First, if your objective is the lightst, fluffiest, tastiest biscuits, you can’t beat the old standbys. Use butter or baking lard as your shortening, white flour, and buttermilk.
Second, ingredients matter. The best butter has not been adulterated with water. I use Land O’Lakes Unsalted. Most grocery store butter has been adulterated. Nothing beats southern flour for biscuits and pie crusts. Is White Lily being made again? It was taken off the market for a while. It was the best. There are probably some fair replacements. I use King Arthur Unbleached White flour. It’s softer than, say, Ceresota which produces tenderer biscuits and pie crusts. I like biscuits made with bakng lard. If you’re not familiar with it, baking lard has not been hydrogenated (as most lard is) and does not have an off taste to it as even most non-hydrogenated lards do. I get my baking lard through Amazon.com and it’s made in Canada.
I have found that Land O’Lakes Butter with Canola Oil makes a pretty good biscuit without as much saturated fat as pure butter. I have also perfected a pretty darned good biscuit made with 100% whole wheat flour, reduced fat yogurt, and water but I suspect that’s not for beginners. My only advice is keep a light touch.
