We love flaky biscuits. You know, the ones in the can? Filled with all the ingredients that I’m convinced no one can pronounce? Those are the ones! My favorite three are quite vocal about their opinions of homemade biscuits, too. It has taken over 10 years, but these are the closest I’ve been able to get my homemade biscuits to being like those in any way. So, long story short, this final adaptation is now the only biscuit recipe that this Mama is allowed to make. Any other attempts result in disappointment and a general consensus of betrayal of our life’s principles among the family members of the McGlaun clan.
You will need:
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup* Lard (I use shortening in a pinch, but trust me –
coconut oil does NOT work as a viable substitute)
*I fill the measuring cup about 85-90% full of lard & leave the rest.
*Remaining 1/3 cup COLD cubed butter
¾ to 1 cup Milk
Preheat oven to 450.
Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add lard & butter, cutting it into flour mixture with a pastry cutter. When it looks like coarse crumbs, it is perfect. Make a well in the center and add milk. I start with ¾ cup and add the remaining ¼ cup only as needed. Stir until combined, then start kneading! Once it has become a dough, place it on a well-floured surface and fold it, over and over, pressing down with the heel of your hand each time you fold.
*This is my favorite part. The more you do it, the more “layer-y” they will be.*
Once the dough has been kneaded to your satisfaction, roll out the dough to the thickness that makes your heart sing and cut out biscuits. I use a wide-mouth mason jar, and it usually makes 9 biscuits per batch.
Bake them for 10-12 minutes, until they are fluffy with hints of golden perfection shining on top.
-OR- Bake only as many as you want and place the rest on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze them for about an hour, then place them in a freezer bag. This will keep them from sticking together into one huge biscuit, and they will be ready to bake next time you want one. When I have done this, they have generally only taken 1-2 minutes longer when frozen. It’s honestly been a while, though, because I use this same dough for Chicken & Dumplings, and that’s a current favorite of both the Princess and the Buddy. Favorite meals on the table = happy dinnertimes!
Another helpful hint for anyone as novice as me: don’t cut them open until they have cooled for a while. Otherwise, they fall apart.
Hope you enjoy them! Please tell me if you try them or share your favorite biscuit recipe with me.
Journey Into Freedom 