How to Make Biscuits from Scratch

A few years ago, I wanted biscuits, but I didn't have canned biscuits and was out of biscuit mix, so I embarked on a journey to teach myself how to make biscuits from scratch. I discovered that it is not so easy as to follow a recipe's directions. Biscuit making has quirks and I'm proud to say that although my biscuits aren't always beautiful, they taste much better than I ever hoped. :)

Presenting...my son Caleb to demonstrate how to make biscuits from scratch:

First combine the dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

One of my first hurdles was flat biscuits. I had not mixed the dry ingredients well enough to completely incorporate the baking powder. The trick is to sift or wisk the dry goods briskly. I don't have a sifter, but a wisk is easier to clean anyway.

Next add the fat, I use 5 tablespoons of real butter, but you could add 4-6 tablespoons of butter or shortening or a combination of the two.

The trick with the butter is to get it into tiny pieces and let each tiny piece be completely covered with flour. Your butter has to be very cold. You could do this with two knives (hard) or use a pastry cutter (as Caleb is doing). You could even do this with your finger tips if you work quickly and don't have hot hands. The resulting mixture looks similar to cracker crumbs.

No picture, but the next step is to add 3/4 cup of milk. Stir it lightly 10 or less times, just get everything kind of wet. Then set the bowl aside while you flour the area where you'll be working the dough. The time lets the flour absorb some of the milk and makes the dough easier to work with.

Caleb's favorite! Pat pat pat! You don't knead biscuit dough. Form a ball and pat gently to about 1/2 inch thickness. Sprinkle on a little flour if it sticks to your hands (see mine?). Then fold it over in half and again in half so it makes a little square of dough, pat pat pat again and fold again. Do this only a few times. The folding lets the butter make layers, but working the dough too much will make your biscuits too tough.

Finally, pat out into a disk - 1/2 inch thick (or so), cut out biscuit rounds, place them on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes - voila!