Beyond Basic Biscuits
Source of Recipe
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Recipe Introduction
How to make perfect biscuits
Close your eyes and imagine the perfect biscuit. Fresh from the oven,
buttery, warm in your hand. See yourself gently tearing it open and pouring
a generous helping of honey on it. Eat. See yourself sensibly repeating
the entire process.
Biscuits are one terrific example of quick breads. Let's make a sharp left
here for a minute, then we'll come back.
There are two basic risen bread types; Yeast breads that rise through the
action of yeasts that convert carbohydrates to alcohol and carbon dioxide
gas and Quick breads that rely on chemicals for their rising.
Here's some easy science about quick breads. Baking soda and/or baking
powder are the chemicals most commonly used to help the breads rise. If you
mix either one with an acid (milk, buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice) they
fizz and bubble. Baking powder (unlike baking soda) has a further trick.
When you put it in the oven, the heat makes it release still more bubbles.
That's what it means when the label on the can says "double acting baking
powder." It fizzes twice.
Now let's get back to biscuits. The Biscuit technique is for handling soft
doughs which are rolled and cut.
The steps in the biscuit technique are these:
1, Sift together all dry ingredients and cut in fat.
2, Combine liquid ingredients, add to dry and quickly and gently mix together until well combined (and no more).
3, Knead by pressing out and folding for 30 to 45 seconds, then roll out and cut.
This is a basic biscuit recipe and later we'll see some tips to insure
success and a few ways to vary the finished result.
Makes 24 biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more as needed)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons solid shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk
Sift together all dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening with a pastry
blender or fork until the mixture has the texture of very coarse corn meal.
Add the buttermilk and mix gently but thoroughly, adding additional flour
(by the teaspoon) if the dough is too moist and sticky. Put onto very
lightly floured countertop and knead gently by pressing out, folding in half
and repeating about a dozen times, maybe 45 seconds or so. Wrap in plastic
wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. Preheat oven to 450. Roll out
the dough 1/2 to 5/8 inch thick on a pastry cloth or lightly floured board.
Cut the biscuits, place on a baking sheet and bake until the tops are golden
brown, 10 to 15 minutes depending on your oven and how dark you like them.
Brush tops with butter and serve.
Here are some foodservice secrets:
* Cold dough makes tender biscuits. Biscuits can be made in a single
session without taking time to chill down the dough. Just make sure all
ingredients are well-chilled before beginning.
* A pastry cloth is a better rolling surface than a floured countertop
because the dough will pick up less extra flour (extra flour makes a tough
biscuit).
* Dark baking sheets bake faster.
* Lard makes a crisper top and bottom than vegetable shortening alone. A
blend of the two gives results somewhere in between.
* When cutting round biscuits, dip the cutter's edge into flour before
cutting. Don't twist the cutter while cutting because it will cause the
biscuits to tilt when rising.
* Cut the dough into sticks, stars or crescents for unusual presentations.
* Use overlapping circles of the dough for a casserole top.
* Scraps left after cutting can be rerolled and cut. Reworked dough will
be tougher. Cutting the dough into triangles or squares with a knife or
rolling cutter eliminates scraps.
* For crisp crust on biscuits, place them 1/2 inch or more apart on the
baking sheet; for softer biscuits, have them touching each other.
* For better browning, brush the tops with milk or beaten egg before
baking.
* Use slightly more shortening and don't cut it in so completely for
flakier biscuits.
* If you don't knead the dough, the biscuit will rise less but be more
tender with a crisper crust.
* For filled biscuits, roll half as thick and cut into shapes. Put filling
on top of one piece and cover with another.
* To make griddle biscuits, cook cut dough on a non-stick or greased cast
iron griddle over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes per side.
Basic biscuits can be made more adaptable with added flavorings or fillings
and here are some:
* Add different cheeses to the dough; 1/3 cup grated cheddar or parmesan or
crumbled bleu cheese.
* Dust before baking with cinnamon sugar or parmesan cheese.
* Add 1/2 cup raisins, chopped dried apples, dates or chopped dried figs.
* Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts.
* Add 1/2 cup cooked, finely chopped bacon bits or country ham.
* Add 1/4 cup each, chopped and sautéed onion, pepper and ham pieces.
* For whole wheat biscuits, replace one cup flour with whole wheat flour,
add 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 cup sour cream or buttermilk. Complete as
above.
* For scones (the creamier, richer British version), the ingredient list
changes to this: 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1
tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup cold butter, 2 eggs (beaten),
1/3 cup heavy cream. Mix as above and cut into four-inch diamonds or
triangles. Brush the tops with beaten egg, sprinkle on a little sugar and
bake about 15 minutes. Serve with tea and your pinkie raised.
Consider the homely biscuit one of the great breads to be found anywhere.
Fast, flaky, tenderly moist, buttery yet light. How better to frame the
comforting food of a family table? What could grace strawberries with a
vast dollop of whipped cream better than a thick, open, sweetened biscuit
soaking up the lost juices?
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