Southern Biscuits

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: The Dough Also Rises

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (219)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(219)

Cook Time:
20 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
1 dozen

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 20 min
Total:: 40 min

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Ingredients

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

MA MAE'S BISCUITS
Advice courtesy Mae Skelton

I don't have much use for recipes but the one you get on a bag of White Lily(r) self-rising flour is hard to beat. And it's a lot easier than the one my crazy grandson dreamed up.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Southern Biscuits
Mary Sacramento, CA 11-17-2009
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Good, but worth the mess and time? Don't know.
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

Yes, these were MESSY! I made a practice batch in anticipation for Thanksgiving. I patted them down a bit too much and didn't... get a good rise. Add the liquid slowly, otherwise, it will be too wet with all of the buttermilk. I just had a few biscuits and I don't know if all of the mess and time is worth it...I might sell out and buy some pre-made biscuits at the grocery store for Thanksgiving. That will save time and many dirty dishes! Read more
recipe Southern Biscuits
melanie san diego, CA 11-17-2009
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To - Sarah:Making your buscuits ahead of time
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

You can make the dough up to a week prior and freeze in a disk wrapped very tightly, then on the night before, cut out and... lay out on a sheet pan, cover and place in fridge over night, then bake them off on the morning of. Or you could freeze the shaped dough for less work the day before- just cut out and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment, covered with plastic wrap very tight, I'd roll the wrap around the pan a few times to ensure no air getting through which would cause freezer burn. Then let thaw in the fridge on the morning of thanksgiving and you can bake them when you wake up before working on other prep. I wouldn't make them too much sooner than that because the texture will begin to suffer the longer they sit out. hope this helps, good luck!Read more
recipe Southern Biscuits
sarah los angeles, CA 11-09-2009
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Freeze? Make ahead?
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

A few people have mentioned freezing the dough. Can anyone tell me how I might be able to make these ahead of time? I want to... try for Thanksgiving but with a new baby I am pressed for time! Thanks! SarahRead more
recipe Southern Biscuits
O. Las Vegas, NV 11-08-2009
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Top Notch Biscuits
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

If not the best, these were as good as the best biscuits I've ever had. Making biscuits is always messy though, but worth... it.Read more
recipe Southern Biscuits
Edward Tampa, FL 11-07-2009
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good Bisquits
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

YUM YUM
recipe Southern Biscuits
Brenda Uncertain, TX 11-07-2009
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Best I ever made!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I'm 67 and have been married 49 years. In all that time, I've only made biscuits once that I was happy about, and it was... from an old Farm Journal "Cooking for Company" cookbook, but it was too troublesome and not near as good as this recipe from Alton, which is super easy. I only made 5 biscuits and used the rest of the dough on a concoction I put together using frozen cherries, Splenda, lemon juice, salt and a little butter, water and flour to thicken, then I divided and baked in 4 blue-speckled enamel camping cups. They were also yummy. I printed this recipe and will always use in future.Read more