Although I don't make them often, this is the biscuit recipe we like, from a class I took with Shirley Corriher. I also took an intense 3-day Food Science class from her that was incredible with nonstop information. She wore everyone out. She is truly one of a kind. I still run into her occasionally at a market or in a restaurant.
It's an easy recipe despite my wordy text, and even better, you don't have to roll out the biscuits.
Rita
SHIRLEY'S 'TOUCH OF GRACE' GEORGIA BISCUITS
Makes about nine 2 1/2-inch biscuits. Food scientist Shirley Corriher writes in her forthcoming book, "These are my grandmother's feather-light, real Georgia biscuits. For company, or just for yourself, you need to make these biscuits once with part cream. They are incredibly good! I got a standing ovation for them made with cream at an international food conference in Sicily. This recipe shows how low-protein flour helps make tender, moist biscuits and how a very wet dough makes more steam in a hot oven and creates lighter biscuits."
8-inch round cake pan, sprayed with pan release
A jellyroll pan with 1–2 cups PLAIN all-purpose flour **
A #16 ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup dry measuring cup
1 1/2 cups (7.5 oz, 215 g) Southern self-rising flour (White Lily *)
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt (1/3 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons sugar (Shirley uses 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons (1.3 oz, 36 g) Crisco shortening, preferably chilled (butter-flavored Crisco isn’t great; it produces yellow biscuits)
1–1 1/4 cups (217–271 g) buttermilk (I use 220 g, 1 scant cup) OR 3/4 cup buttermilk and 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
Optional: 1–2 tablespoons melted butter to top biscuits
1. PREHEAT A 475°F OVEN, with the rack just above the center of the oven.
PREPARE PANS. Spray the round baking pan. Spread the flour in the jellyroll pan.
2. DRY INGREDIENTS. Measure the flour by the scoop-and-level technique.
In a medium mixing bowl (with a rounded bottom if using a pastry cutter), combine the flour, soda, salt, and sugar.
3. FAT. With your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the shortening into the flour mixture until there are no shortening lumps larger than a big pea.
4. LIQUIDS. With a fork, stir in the buttermilk, or buttermilk and cream.
LET STAND for 2–3 minutes.
NOTE: This dough is so wet that you cannot shape it in the usual manner.
5. FORM BISCUITS. Flour your hands well or use a scoop.
Quickly scoop 8 biscuits onto the flour in the pan.
Sift or sprinkle some of the flour over the wet dough to coat the outside.
6. Pick up the biscuit and shape it into the general shape of a 1-inch thick, soft round, shaking off any excess flour.
The dough is so soft that it will not hold its shape.
As you shape each biscuit, place it into the greased pan (one in the center and 7 around the outside). Push the biscuits tightly against each other so they will rise up and not spread out. Use all the dough.
7. OPTIONAL. Brush the biscuits with the melted butter. (This is delicious, but gives the biscuits a slightly greasy exterior.)
8. BAKE in the 475°F oven, just above the center of the oven, until lightly browned, 15–20 minutes.
9. COOL in the pan for 1–2 minutes, then dump out and cut the biscuits apart.
SERVE. "Butter 'em while they're still hot!" or spread with Cherry-Chambourd Butter and eat immediately.
___________________________________________________________
HIGH ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS.
From Shirley, 9/01: Use 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup self-rising, which will take care of reducing the leavening.
___________________________________________________________
* If 1 1/2 cups low-protein southern self-rising flour is not available, use 1 cup national brand self-rising all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup sauce and gravy flour (such as Shake & Blend or Wondra) or cake flour, plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
If self-rising flour is not available, use a total of 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.
** Do not use self-rising flour for shaping since the leavener will give a bitter taste to the outside of the biscuits.
Source: Shirley O. Corriher class, Bk 5-6/10/96; Shirley O. Corriher. "CookWise" © 1997 William Morrow, ISBN 0-688-10229-8 (page 77).
It's an easy recipe despite my wordy text, and even better, you don't have to roll out the biscuits.
Rita
SHIRLEY'S 'TOUCH OF GRACE' GEORGIA BISCUITS
Makes about nine 2 1/2-inch biscuits. Food scientist Shirley Corriher writes in her forthcoming book, "These are my grandmother's feather-light, real Georgia biscuits. For company, or just for yourself, you need to make these biscuits once with part cream. They are incredibly good! I got a standing ovation for them made with cream at an international food conference in Sicily. This recipe shows how low-protein flour helps make tender, moist biscuits and how a very wet dough makes more steam in a hot oven and creates lighter biscuits."
8-inch round cake pan, sprayed with pan release
A jellyroll pan with 1–2 cups PLAIN all-purpose flour **
A #16 ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup dry measuring cup
1 1/2 cups (7.5 oz, 215 g) Southern self-rising flour (White Lily *)
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt (1/3 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons sugar (Shirley uses 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons (1.3 oz, 36 g) Crisco shortening, preferably chilled (butter-flavored Crisco isn’t great; it produces yellow biscuits)
1–1 1/4 cups (217–271 g) buttermilk (I use 220 g, 1 scant cup) OR 3/4 cup buttermilk and 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
Optional: 1–2 tablespoons melted butter to top biscuits
1. PREHEAT A 475°F OVEN, with the rack just above the center of the oven.
PREPARE PANS. Spray the round baking pan. Spread the flour in the jellyroll pan.
2. DRY INGREDIENTS. Measure the flour by the scoop-and-level technique.
In a medium mixing bowl (with a rounded bottom if using a pastry cutter), combine the flour, soda, salt, and sugar.
3. FAT. With your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the shortening into the flour mixture until there are no shortening lumps larger than a big pea.
4. LIQUIDS. With a fork, stir in the buttermilk, or buttermilk and cream.
LET STAND for 2–3 minutes.
NOTE: This dough is so wet that you cannot shape it in the usual manner.
5. FORM BISCUITS. Flour your hands well or use a scoop.
Quickly scoop 8 biscuits onto the flour in the pan.
Sift or sprinkle some of the flour over the wet dough to coat the outside.
6. Pick up the biscuit and shape it into the general shape of a 1-inch thick, soft round, shaking off any excess flour.
The dough is so soft that it will not hold its shape.
As you shape each biscuit, place it into the greased pan (one in the center and 7 around the outside). Push the biscuits tightly against each other so they will rise up and not spread out. Use all the dough.
7. OPTIONAL. Brush the biscuits with the melted butter. (This is delicious, but gives the biscuits a slightly greasy exterior.)
8. BAKE in the 475°F oven, just above the center of the oven, until lightly browned, 15–20 minutes.
9. COOL in the pan for 1–2 minutes, then dump out and cut the biscuits apart.
SERVE. "Butter 'em while they're still hot!" or spread with Cherry-Chambourd Butter and eat immediately.
___________________________________________________________
HIGH ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS.
From Shirley, 9/01: Use 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup self-rising, which will take care of reducing the leavening.
___________________________________________________________
* If 1 1/2 cups low-protein southern self-rising flour is not available, use 1 cup national brand self-rising all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup sauce and gravy flour (such as Shake & Blend or Wondra) or cake flour, plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
If self-rising flour is not available, use a total of 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.
** Do not use self-rising flour for shaping since the leavener will give a bitter taste to the outside of the biscuits.
Source: Shirley O. Corriher class, Bk 5-6/10/96; Shirley O. Corriher. "CookWise" © 1997 William Morrow, ISBN 0-688-10229-8 (page 77).