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Farmhouse Stovetop Biscuits

Source of Recipe

From "Southern Fried" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"The origins of these fried biscuits can no doubt be traced back to the earliest days in America, when virtually everything in a farmhouse was cooked on top of a stove to conserve as much precious heating wood as possible. Crunchy and full-flavored, the biscuits should be browned on the outside and slightly soft inside, and every effort should be made to serve them as hot as possible. The temperature of the fat is right when a morsel of dough dropped in it just begins to sizzle."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 4 teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ 4 tablespoons chilled lard, cut into bits, plus 4 tablespoons for shallow frying
â—¦ 1 cup whole milk


Recipe

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, add the chilled lard, and rub with your fingertips till the mixture is mealy. Add the milk and mix till the dough is smooth.

Pinch off 12 pieces of dough of equal size, form each piece into a ball, and flatten the balls with your hands to about ¼ inch thick.

In a medium cast iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the lard over moderate heat, add half the flattened balls, fry till both sides are browned, about 10 minutes in all, turning once, and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons lard and the remaining dough balls, and serve hot.

Makes about 1 dozen biscuits