There's nothing like waking up to the smell of hot, fresh homemade biscuits baking in the oven. What a heavenly way to start the day!
Homemade Biscuits were a Staple growing up in Kentucky
When I was growing up, I spent many summers with my grandmother in southeastern Kentucky. At first it was quite a culture shock going from the suburbs of Chicago to the very rural lifestyle of Appalachia. I used to joke that it was 600 miles and 75 years away from our modern home!
I really enjoyed spending every day out hunting, fishing and hiking from dawn 'til dusk. It was peaceful and not unusual to go an entire day without seeing another person. I also began to appreciate the time with my only grandparent, and listening to her stories about growing up back in the depression.
Every morning my grandmother made a big, hearty breakfast, and everything was made from scratch. The nearest store was miles away and she had no way to get there because she didn't drive or own a car. So there were no store-bought biscuits in her house!
Way back in the hollows of Kentucky you'd have been pretty hard pressed to point out modern improvements or changes from her early life. Eventually, I began to hang around with her and we'd talk as she cooked. Little did I know at the time that as she went over those recipes and techniques, she was subtly passing down a big part of her knowledge and culture to a new generation -- me!
Just a Few Simple Ingredients Are All You Need
These biscuits are so simple that you probably already have everything you need right in your pantry:
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Shortening
- Salt
- Milk
Not only are they super simple to mix up, but it only takes a few minutes to put it all together.
Hints For Making Homemade Biscuits
With only a few ingredients that you probably already have, you can whip up a batch of hot, flaky biscuits in no time. A few things to keep in mind as you make the dough:
- Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a large fork until it takes on a grainy, pebble-y consistency.
- Slowly pour the milk in, mixing as you go. If it's too dry, you may need to add a little more milk along the way.
- Use your hands to push and pat the dough flat. No need for a rolling pin here!
1. Slightly pebble-y flour and shortening mixture 2. The mixture with the milk 3. Dough flattened by hand
A Couple of Ingredients Tips
- Use cold shortening when mixing with the flour to ensure they mix well.
- Use whole milk so they turn out fluffy and full.
What do you prefer to top your biscuits with, butter, jelly or sausage gravy?
Fast and Simple Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Shortening
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a sifter to add the dry ingredients.
- Cut in the cold shortening using a fork until it develops a pebble-like consistency.
- Slowly pour in the cold milk, mixing with a fork until the dough becomes tacky and forms into a large ball.
- Place the dough ball on a large, lightly floured surface.
- Using your hands, knead the ball a few times and pat down into a flat ½ inch thick layer -- no need for a rolling pin.
- Using a biscuit cutter, cut out individual biscuits and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Combine the dough pieces and form them back into a flat layer to cut more biscuits, until all the dough is used up. You should have about a dozen biscuits; it will vary slightly depending on the size and thickness.
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