Baking Powder Biscuits
I love the simplicity of biscuits, their taste and preparation. More than once when I was middle school age, on days home sick (ahem, cough) I would make a half-recipe from my mother’s Better Homes and Gardens and have everything cleaned up by the time she got home from work.
These, from James Beard’s Beard on Bread, took about 10 minutes this morning (+ baking time), and they’re delicious:
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter or other shortening.
- 3/4 cup milk
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the baking powder and salt. Using fingers, fork, or a pastry blender blend the butter and flour into very fine particles. Add the milk and stir into the dough just enough to make the particles cling together (it should be a very soft dough). Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 1 minute, then either pat or roll out 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Cut in rounds or squares. For crisp biscuits, place far apart on an ungreased cookie sheet; for flufflier biscuits, place close together on an ungreased cookie sheet or in a biscuit pan. Bake in a preheated 450 F degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes, and serve piping hot.
Variations:
- Add chopped herbs or grated cheese to the dough.
- For drop biscuits, add another 1 / 4 cup of milk, drop by spoonfuls onto buttered baking sheet.
