Southern Recipes

Perfect Biscuits Recipe

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First, what is the perfect biscuit? It should be light and fluffy, almost creamy inside. It should rise properly...there is nothing worse than heavy, flat biscuits. Biscuits served at Kentucky Fried Chicken are very close to my idea of a perfect biscuit. I'm not a fan of layered biscuits that taste like dinner rolls...such as canned biscuits from the frozen section of the supermarket. And...with a little practice, this recipe beats KFC biscuits.

Here are tips for Perfect Biscuits.

1. Use heavy cream (whipping cream) instead of milk or buttermilk
2. Use fresh baking powder, preferably from a container that has not been opened over a month. Baking powder comes with an expiration date stamped on the container and it starts to lose it's potency once opened. It is fairly inexpensive so if possible always use fresh. You do not have to throw away your older open can, just use it for other baking, not your biscuits.
3. Use a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Mine measures a little under 2 1/2 inches (left one in the picture). Smaller biscuits seem to rise better than large biscuits.
4. Do not handle the dough more than necessary. You should not kneed biscuit dough. Just fold it over on itself 2 or 3 times then roll it out.
5. Roll out the dough to no less than 1/2 - 1 inch thickness. You can make it thicker but don't make it thinner. Thin dough makes thin biscuits.
6. When cutting out the biscuits, do not twist the biscuit cutter. Push straight down and straight up. Dip the cutter in flour to prevent the cut biscuits from sticking.
7. Add the heavy cream a little at a time and watch for the dough to form a ball as you stir. You may need more or less of the heavy cream than called for in the recipe. You want a tacky dough but not wet-looking sticky.
8. Make sure to preheat the oven. Never start your biscuits in a cold oven.

Ingredients

* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 2 teaspoons fresh baking powder (see notes above)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream), more or less

Directions

* Be sure to read all the tips above before proceeding *
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (if unavailable, omit this step. It just helps to keep the bottoms from browning too fast. Do not grease or spray the baking sheet.)
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
4. Add heavy cream slowly while stirring with a wooden spoon.
5. Continue adding cream and stirring until dough forms a ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. You may need more or less cream than listed in the ingredients. The dough should be tacky to the touch but not shiny and sticky. If too dry, add more cream. It too wet add more flour.
6. Turn out the dough on a flat, floured surface.
7. Gently, press the dough flat and fold it over on itself. Do this 3 or 4 times then form into a smooth ball. Do not kneed. Roll the dough out to 1/2 to 1 inch thickness.
8. Cut out biscuits with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Dip the cutter in flour to prevent sticking and push straight down and back up. Do not twist the biscuit cutter.
9. Place biscuits on the baking sheet without sides touching.
10. Bake in preheated oven 12-15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
Note: Because these biscuits are so moist inside, they may require extended baking time. Just watch closely and bake until they are firm and brown on top.
Makes about 6-10 biscuits.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
These biscuits will be very moist inside. Some people like them like this. Others want the inside dry. Break open one biscuit, look at it and taste it. If you want the inside cooked more, do as follows:
1. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F.
2. Turn the biscuits over. Caution: While hot, the biscuits may be very soft and collapse or fall apart when you lift them. If the biscuits are not firm, do not attempt to turn them over.
3. Place biscuits back in oven for 5 minutes or until you get the insides cooked as you like.

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