Why do my biscuits always turn out so yucky?

[Julie in CA]

It doesn't seem to matter what recipe I try, my biscuits turn out flat and/or crumbly, or they taste like baking powder, or they just, well...don't turn out well.

 

I do ok if I make Bisquick biscuits, but they're still not as good as the biscuits served at fine dining establishments (like McDonald's or KFC :D), and I don't really want to use Bisquick.

 

I'm generally a good cook, and an excellent baker. What is my problem?? :confused:

[dansamy]

Not enough shortening/butter?

[mrs.m]

I buy the Pilsburry ones that can be reheated from the freezer. Biscuits and pie crusts are something I've decided to outsource. They never turn out right for me!

[Guest]

Changing to a non-aluminum brand of baking powder makes a HUGE difference in the taste. You might not find it in your local grocery store and may have to do some searching or order on-line.

 

Biscuits don't like a lot of handling and they like to keep cool (the dough) -- are you chopping in the cold butter with warm hands or mixing/kneading until the dough is warmer than it likes or too well kneaded? This is the only thing I can possibly think of that might affect texture/taste.

[Mama Geek]

If you are doing rolled biscuits (where you roll them out and use a biscuit cutter) are you working the dough too much. You can't work with the dough much or they don't do well.

[Abigail4476]

The best biscuits are the simplest -- and my Grandma said to always sift your dry ingredients twice. It works for me.

 

I've used this 3-ingredient Southern Living recipe for years, except that I use regular self-rising flour instead of the "soft wheat" the new version calls for. I've never used that "double folding" method, because I don't really care if the biscuits are two miles high--but the proportions are the same as my old recipe.

 

For regular biscuits, I use the recipe from the back of the Shawnee Best flour bag for "Homestead Biscuits."

 

Two things: Sift your dry ingredients, and don't overwork your dough. It's also important to get your oven nice and hot before you put in the biscuits.

[Julie in CA]

I want rolled biscuits, not drop biscuits.

Can you all be more specific about how you cut in the butter/shortening, and then whatever mixing or kneading you do after that? For health reasons, we don't eat bread or biscuits very often, so I can't practice until I get it right, kwim?

[lionfamily1999]

I had the same problem and turned out it was my flour. I always used self-rising flour and (apparently) that was why it all went wrong. SR flour has rising agents in it already and you end up with that baking soda flavor because of it.

 

:D

[dansamy]

Changing to a non-aluminum brand of baking powder makes a HUGE difference in the taste. You might not find it in your local grocery store and may have to do some searching or order on-line.

 

Biscuits don't like a lot of handling and they like to keep cool (the dough) -- are you chopping in the cold butter with warm hands or mixing/kneading until the dough is warmer than it likes or too well kneaded? This is the only thing I can possibly think of that might affect texture/taste.

 

My mom always hand kneaded her dough until the consistency was "just so". Sadly, she never taught me to make biscuits. I'm afraid my idea of baking biscuits is the frozen aisle at the grocery. :(

 

I do know that lack of an adequate amount of butter/shortening will make the biscuits too crumbly and dry.

[Veritaserum]

I want rolled biscuits, not drop biscuits.

Can you all be more specific about how you cut in the butter/shortening, and then whatever mixing or kneading you do after that? For health reasons, we don't eat bread or biscuits very often, so I can't practice until I get it right, kwim?

 

Mix the dry ingredients together and then use a pastry cutter to mix in butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the milk and mix only until it looks fairly consistent. Over-mixing will not work out well (same goes for muffins). Roll out the dough while manipulating it as little as possible. Cut it and bake. :)

 

My biscuits turn out well, but I can't make pie crust. :P

[Dobela]

When you cut in the butter or shortening, it should look crumbly, and you should be able to see small bits of shortening or butter in the dough. If you don't then you have over blended there. When rolling the dough out just do it gently and it is ok to layer the dough so that layers cook into the biscuit. You should still be able to see bits of shortening or butter in the dough when you put it in the oven.

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

I want rolled biscuits, not drop biscuits.

Can you all be more specific about how you cut in the butter/shortening, and then whatever mixing or kneading you do after that? For health reasons, we don't eat bread or biscuits very often, so I can't practice until I get it right, kwim?

 

I use this recipe (using buttermilk if I have it on hand) and do not touch my dough at all while making it. I make it with a few (and I mean a very few) fast pulses with the dough blade of my food processor. If you do any more than a few pulses, you are going to heat up your butter too much. You want it cold. I find that using the food processor sparingly keeps the butter colder than using my hands to any degree. I turn the dough out onto a lightly floured pastry board (or counter) and gently press it down and out (which simultaneously brings the dough together without kneading) to make a 1/2" thick rectangle. I use a pastry blade to cut them into rectangular biscuits. I personally don't do round biscuits because then you have to rework the dough several times to make ready for cutting new ones and then your dough is not the same.

 

I used to use the frozen Pillsbury biscuits but I just cannot tolerate the fact that they have trans fats in them. I think it is ridiculous that they can't change their recipe after all this time (and I used to look at the ingredient list every single time I went to the store to see if they changed it). They don't just have some trans-fat; they have a lot per biscuit (I want to say 2.5 or 3.5 grams and if you're eating 2 or 3 biscuits...). I just couldn't do it anymore. I am very happy with the recipe above though. :001_smile:

 

Good luck!

[AngieW in Texas]

I have been making buttermilk biscuits following the recipe in America's Test Kitchen.

 

It recommends grating the butter into the dry ingredients. It's MUCH easier to cut the butter in that way. The butter has to be very cold for this to work.

 

I add just a tiny bit more milk than their recipe calls for to make a wetter dough. My dh prefers drop biscuits, but I prefer rolled biscuits. By adding just a tiny bit more milk, I get biscuits that are in-between. The dough is fairly wet, so I end up with awfully gooey hands by the time I'm done putting globs of dough in the pan, but when I use less milk, my dh doesn't like the biscuits and when I add as much milk as he'd really like, I don't like the biscuits.

[Pippen]

Mix the dry ingredients together and then use a pastry cutter to mix in butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the milk and mix only until it looks fairly consistent. Over-mixing will not work out well (same goes for muffins). Roll out the dough while manipulating it as little as possible. Cut it and bake. :)

 

My biscuits turn out well, but I can't make pie crust. :P

 

For both biscuits and pie crust it's important to leave some large "crumbs"--like the size of small peas and to handle the dough gently from start to finish.

 

I have an older oven that doesn't bake evenly at high temps so I reduce the temp and get better results. Of course, brushing with butter right when they come out of the oven doesn't hurt either.;)

[Blueridge]

This may have already been mentioned, but be sure and press the biscuit cutter straight down, and don't twist (or they will not rise well). I usually put all my dry ingredients and butter into the processor to cut in, and then dump in a bowl and add the liquids. Then stir just a few stirs. Remember what Sue Gregg says, "Too much lovin' will toughen your muffin (or biscuit)". :D

[creekmom]

a few tips:

 

Make sure shortening and butter is chilled when you mix it with the flour. You can also stick the bowl you will use into the freezer for a few minutes to ensure that the fats won't melt until they're in the oven.

 

Pat the dough into a circle instead of rolling it with a rolling pin

 

King Arthur's flour is the absolute best. I stock up on it when it goes on sale.

 

Make sure your biscuit cutter is sharp. If you use something that isn't sharp, it will "seal" the edges and not create flaky biscuits.

 

Barely mix the dough together- just enough so that it holds together. Brush off any excess flour on top and bottom before you bake.

 

Favorite recipe:

1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 and 1/2 cups cake flour

5 T cold shortening- cubed

4 T cold unsalted butter - cubed

1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk

 

Preheat oven to 450. Whisk together all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in bowl - set aside

 

Pulse cake flour, shortening, cubed butter until fats are pea-sized flakes. Mix in all purpose flour mixture just until blended. Add buttermilk to dry ing. and mix just until moistened.

 

Cut into biscuits and bake until golden- 15-18 minutes. You can melt some butter and brush it on during last few min. of baking.

[fairfarmhand]

My best biscuits are made with shortening, flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and buttermilk...

 

I only use Crisco shortening, the store brand shortenings make the biscuits crumbly.

[Julie in CA]

I've used this 3-ingredient Southern Living recipe for years, except that I use regular self-rising flour instead of the "soft wheat" the new version calls for. I've never used that "double folding" method, because I don't really care if the biscuits are two miles high--but the proportions are the same as my old recipe.

 

Success! :hurray::party::cheers2:

I used the recipe linked, and they were very good. A couple of changes, and I think they'll be just what I'm looking for. For some reason, mine tasted a bit salty, so next time I might try unsalted butter. I also just patted mine out without rolling at all, and the tops were just a little too rough & scary looking. I think next time I'll go over it just once with the rolling pin before cutting them out.

 

Thank you all!

[The Girls' Mom]

Another awesome recipe to try is this one; http://www.grouprecipes.com/84341/sylvias-mile-high-biscuits.html

 

They are slightly sweet, so if you don't like that, cut the sugar out. But this is my standing biscuit recipe after years of flops. The one I found came out of a Farm Journal cook book, but this one looks to be the same one.

[Mrs Mungo]

If you are doing rolled biscuits (where you roll them out and use a biscuit cutter) are you working the dough too much. You can't work with the dough much or they don't do well.

 

:iagree:

 

Try watching this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcz4JQUwY9Q

[Harriet Vane]

Mix the dry ingredients together and then use a pastry cutter to mix in butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the milk and mix only until it looks fairly consistent. Over-mixing will not work out well (same goes for muffins). Roll out the dough while manipulating it as little as possible. Cut it and bake. :)

 

My biscuits turn out well, but I can't make pie crust. :P

 

:iagree:

 

Also--make sure your butter is COLD.