How to Make Home Made Biscuits From Scratch?
(May 12, 2010)
Making biscuits at home from scratch is not as difficult as it is made out to be by many people. The basic step to homemade biscuits is to ensure that the dough is not over kneaded. If the dough is kneaded too much then the flour tends to produce more gluten which then tends to make the biscuits tough and thus they do get the light and fluffy taste. To make the biscuits perfect it is also preferable to always use the freshest of ingredients. For example do not use flour that has been kept out for long. The key point is always that the fresher the ingredient the better the biscuit will take.
Some of the basic ingredients for a batch of great homemade biscuits are two cups of all purpose flour, a teaspoon of salt to taste, a tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, one third of a cup of shortening or lard, a cup and a quarter of milk.
If regular milk is not available you can use tinned milk or butter milk. Then the next step is to preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix and sift all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Sifting is an important step in the biscuit making process as it helps to loosen up all the flour thus allowing the lard and the milk to mix well with it. This sifting and mixing also allows for quick kneading of the dough. Once the sifting is complete is mixed cut the lard in using a couple of knives or the pastry blender, next cut in the butter or the shortening into the already mixed flour. Then stir the milk in ensuring all the while that it mixes well and is distributed evenly across. The resulting dough that begins to form should be reasonably sticky to touch. It is essential for the dough to be as moist as it can be all the while maintaining its shape. Then proceed to put the ready biscuit dough on a lightly dusted over with flour tray. Start cutting the biscuit rounds either with a knife or a biscuit cutter. If the dough is too sticky you can use your hands to mold and get the desired shape. To get the biscuit to become softer bake for about 10 to 12 minutes in a large casserole dish. Brushing the tops of the biscuits with a dab of butter will help the biscuits get a brown finish.
