The bottom line is this – Brenda Gantt is NOT going to be asking me for biscuit advice! 🙂
We went to the Farmers’ Market this morning so we had a late start for making breakfast and that was a good thing because the White Lily self rising flour arrived from Walmart. The flour feels like cornstarch on my hands. It is super fine. We wanted to try the grits from the Mennonite store so I fixed grits, bacon, biscuits and eggs.
I didn’t expect the first time I made them for them to look like Brenda Gantt’s but two observations:
- I think I need a narrower, deeper bowl. I need to go back and look at her bowl but I had a hard time not getting all my flour in the buttermilk/shortening mix.
- I do not like getting my hands messy. Do not like it at all! One thing I cannot do – boil a chicken and strip the meat off the bone. Stuff gets under my nails and I get creeped out. That’s what happened using my hands in this biscuit dough. I can stir it all up with a spoon and roll it out while it’s a bit sticky but buttermilk, shortening and flour under my nails . . not happening again.
The biscuits were good. I don’t think they were as good as Blake’s biscuits. I’m going to try some variations. I do like the feel of the White Lily flour . . when it’s dry. Whatever recipe I try, you can bet I’ll be stirring with a spoon and not using my hands. I’m still kinda grossed out about that.
PamO says
I do a version of Blakes biscuits. I use whey from the yogurt instead of half and half. I stopped using my old biscuit recipe. These are so much tenderer and reheat well. I make my own buttermilk biscuit mix. I probably use White Lily plain. I never use self-rising. I mix with a Danish whisk. When the dough is mixed I put it on a sheet of parchment paper with some more flour. I fold the dough over several times. When it is 1-1.5 inches, I use a biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits. I refold dough trimmings and form into rounds. Cooking in a hot black iron skillet with melted butter is the crowning glory. I like the bottom better than the top.
Sharon says
I can so relate to getting things under my nails. I don’t love like to touch raw meat or dough. I have a box of gloves in the kitchen just for that reason.
pat says
GET those throw away cheap gloves and mix it up. I don’t handle anything like, meat, biscuits unless i have them on.
Pat/SC says
I come from a long line of mixing biscuit dough with the hands. Well, I didn’t get that gene. It is a fork for me!
Dorothy says
White Lily is the only flour I use. Plain, Self Rising and Bread. Try the recipe on the back of the self rising flour for their biscuits. I cut it in half and mix in a bowl using a fork to mix shorting and flour, add buttermilk and mix until just mixed together and roll out and cut biscuits. I love this recipe.
Betty Woodlee says
I always use White Lily self-rising flour. When I open a five pound sack, I mix 1 cup butter flavored Crisco with the flour in a large bowl. Once the flour and Crisco are mixed adequately, I store in a sealed plastic container and store in the refrigerator. I do the mixing with my hands but you could use a pastry blender for this step. When ready to make biscuits I dip out amount needed, add butter milk, and mix with a fork. Really speeds up the final process having the flour and shortening pre-mixed.
Judy Laquidara says
Thanks. I’ll try that.
Cindy R says
I started using gloves for folding the sourdough. I put a glove on my left hand and do my folds with it. Rinse it off and reuse it for the next fold. I hated having the dough sticking to my hands….lol
Cindy F says
It should be Cindy F….don’t know what happened! Sorry. 🙂
Donna Williams says
I too use gloves for meats and mixing stuff, and also use the Danish whisk – that thing is terrific! I even use it when browning ground meats, seems to help get a finer mix, and for meatloaf, meatballs, everything really. Blake’s biscuits are our favorite. Did I ever thank you for that recipe? If not, THANK YOU!
Nancy H. says
I mix my bread or biscuits with a dough hook. I still haven’t made Blake’s biscuits I need to try those as I doubt I will ever buy White Lily flour. Never going to find it locally and it seems kind of expensive online.
Judy Laquidara says
I rarely use the dough hook unless it’s a super wet dough (mostly home ground flour). It may be all in my head but I think I get a better feel for the dough when mixing by hand (spoon or fork – not really hand!) but I do love hand kneading so my dough hook doesn’t see a lot of action.
Melisa says
I made Blake’s Biscuits for the first time last week and they were perfection! I’ve been married almost 40 years and have never been able to make biscuits that weren’t hockey pucks … until now. Hubby was thrilled! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Judy Laquidara says
Yay! I’m so happy you liked them and they worked for you. I’ve never had a bad batch and, just for the record, Blake is one of the nicest, kindest, most sharing people you would ever meet. I went to church with Blake and his wife (who weren’t even married during the early years) back in the late 70’s. I moved away in the late 90’s and have stayed friends with them.