Bakery Cheap Biscuits(Cream Biscuits) Rated Best By Cook’s Illustrated by dvdlee

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Bakery -- Cheap Biscuits (Cream Biscuits) rated best by Cook's Illustrated
Submitted by dvdlee on August 27, 2004 at 9:50 am

DESCRIPTION
Bakery -- Cheap Biscuits (Cream Biscuits) rated best by Cook's Illustrated

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Muffins Quickbreads Scones

INSTRUCTIONS
This is another "classic" Southern biscuit that was not as common as lard-based biscuits as it was considered a sign of poverty to make this style of biscuit. (They are call "cheap" because they are made with cream instead of lard. Cream was cheaper than lard since everyone had a cow, but raising and killing pigs involved more capital and investment.) However, they are very good, easier to make for the first time biscuit baker, and this style was rated as "best tasting" by a testing panel at Cook's Illustrated.

This recipe is from James Beard's "Beard on Bread" -- a classic bread cookbook...

2 cups "Soft Southern Flour**" (or AP if that's what you have)
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder (double-acting)
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
Melted Butter

**Flour milled in the South is "softer" than standard AP wheat. Well-known brands are White Lily, Martha White, Pioneer, and several others I'm sure.

Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or baking pan.

Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then stir to combine them evenly.

Add the cream and fold it in until a soft dough forms that can be easily handled.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and gently and lightly knead it for around 1 minute (max.)

[Do not knead the dough like you would a bread dough -- handle it as lightly and as little as possible. You are only kneading it to make sure the dough has come together and is smooth -- you DO NOT want to develop the gluten like you would for regular bread dough. This dough will not pass the "windowpane" test! ]

Gently pat the dough out using your hands until the dough is around 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick.

Cut into rounds, dip the round into melted butter and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Leftover dough should be gathered together, rekneaded just until it comes together again, then pat it out and cut again. Continue until all the dough is used.

[The first cutting will be the nicest biscuits -- save those for "company!" ]

Bake at 425F for 15 to 18 minutes. Serve hot!

[Notes on cutting the dough -- first dip the cutter in flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the cutter, then cut straight down and DO NOT TWIST. Lift the cutter up quickly and the round will come out of the dough slightly so you can pick it up and dip it in the butter. OR if you lift the cutter slowly you can pick up the uncut dough and the rounds will stay behind (like die punching!)]

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• This topic was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by rottiedogs.

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