biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 c flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (optional; adds a pleasant tang)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 c shortening (butter can be substituted)
• 2/3 - 3/4 c milk ^{1 2}

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Sift together dry ingredients.
3. Cut in shortening until largest chunks size of peas. A food processor can be used at this point by pulsing until the same texture achieved.
4. If using a food processor, transfer bowl. Slowly add milk while stirring the mixture. Add only enough so that the dough starts to come together into a ball. It will still be slightly crumbly.
5. Knead 17 times. This will decrease the crumbliness put prevent the over working of the dough. Gluten development decreases the tenderness of the biscuit.
6. Roll out to 2/3” to 3/4” thick. I am considering rolling this out thinner and then laminating it to make easy-split biscuits.
7. Cut biscuits, either in squares or with a biscuit punch.
8. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Footnotes

1. For drop biscuits, increase milk to 1 c. ↩

2. Buttermilk can be used instead of milk for a different flavor. If using buttermilk, increase baking soda to 5 tsp to counteract acidity. ↩