I don’t see the problem. A fresh biscuit with a touch of hot dough in the middle is perfect, just the way I like them. Works well with pancakes also.
Legend has it that about 200 years ago, an Amish housewife had the same problem that you’re experiencing. Tired of doughy centers in her deep-fried biscuits, she used a knife to poke the centers out, and–VOILA!–the doughnut was born!
Just another update. I finally got around to making another batch. I bought some Bisquick and tried their receipe and followed all the other suggests; I spaced them closely and didn’t knead the dough but 3 or 4 times.
And, TA-DA!! It worked! The centers are nice and fluffy! I’m happy. However, I am going to follow thru and follow a receipe for homemade biscuits from my Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook and try that. I’ll report back what happens.
Cool. The pancakes are pretty good too.
Blah, I was spoiled as a kid, I despise any biscuit mix or canned biscuits, try this (may take time, but you won’t be disappointed)…
2 cups flour
3tbsp baking powder
1teasp salt
sift together in bowl
5 level tbsp of shortning
cut the shortening into the flour mix with enough MILK to make a soft thick dough.
Turn dough out on heavily floured board or cabinet.
Kneed dough lightly until firm enough to cut.
Pat dough out about an 1" thick. Cut into9 biscuits with cutter (or a drinking glass).
Melt 1tbsp shortening on baking sheet, coat both sides of biscuits
Cook @ 400 in preheated oven for 15 min or until brown (golden).
=Kick ass biscuits
Biscuits,
Handling: Use cold fat, cold flour, a cold bowl, and a cold counter or board. First put everything in except the liquid, and cut with a butter knife in each hand, as if you were chopping it up into pieces. Keep it up until you have very coarse crumbs of fat, coated with flower.
Add your liquid: Don’t stir. Use your hands, lifting a bit of the mix into the thin stream of liquid. As soon as it is mostly in clumps, but certainly not all wet, stop with the liquid. Now, from the side, fold the dry part into the center, turn the bowl fifteen degrees, fold the dry part into the center, and turn . . . repeat until it is all holding together pretty well. Put it on the floured board (wax paper is ok, but not foil) and pat it gently out from the center until it is about the right thickness. If it is just obviously not worked enough, you can fold it over and pat it out again. Try not to do it twice, though, the biscuits will be tougher.
Fresh baking powder is really important, and keeping it in a cool dry place is the best way to be sure. (not over the stove). As often as you seem to fix biscuits, you may actually go through a can of baking powder before it goes flat.
Damn, I need to make some biscuits.
Tris
“It was a woman drove me to drink and I didn’t even have the decency to thank her.” ~ W.C. Fields ~
For the love of God, please, please, please remember that the trick to scratch biscuits is cold. Cold cold butter, cool everything else. And don’t overwork, or let the butter melt, for crying out loud! If the butter melts before baking you won’t get the tender flakiness that is the glory of the biscuit.
Cold. Preheated oven. Not overmixed. Do not let the butter melt.
Did you remember that the butter must be cold?
For flakier biscuits, do not use butter or vegetable shortening. Use lard. That’s the secret to Grandma’s biscuits. Say what you will, the best biscuits are made with lard.
Yum, lard.
And so begins the Great Biscuit Debate.
Here is how I make biscuits but I’ll be damned if I can actually give you precise amounts for the recipe because I go by feel.
First turn on oven. You want it preheated and hot 400-425
2C Self Rising Flour (White Lilly or Martha White)
2-3 Tablespoons Crisco (butter will be a bit flakier, lard is even better but it is so politically incorrect)
1-1/2 cups milk.
Cut shortening into flour. Add enough milk to make a fairly soft dough. It should be soft enough to stir vigorously about 20 strokes but stiffer than batter.
Turn dough out on floured pastry cloth. A clean flour sack style dish towel works fine too. Using the cloth, fold the dough several times. The dough should be about an inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter. Place close together in an ungreased, 13x9 pan. Not a cookie sheet. Bake uncovered for 8-10 minutes. If you like softer tops, you can brush lightly with melted butter or spray with cooking spray. My grandmother used bacon grease. I actually prefer my tops unbuttered.
If you want flaky, tender biscuits make sure the milk is cold and keep your hands out of the dough. The idea is that you want the fat to remain solid. If you handle the dough, the warmth of your fingers melts the fat and your biscuits will be hard. Work the dough as little as possible when rerolling.
Trust me, these are great biscuits. I also make excellent dumplings.
Mine are better biscuits 
. Excellent dumplings?!? Pfffffttt, dumpling shmumpling.
Thanks, everyone for the recipes. I’ll try this again and let everyone know the results.
The way this is going, we ought to gather all the recipes here and make our own “Teeming Millions in the Kitchen” cookbook.
When I was a little girl I used to make biscuits from scratch from a recipe that my mother found in the newspaper. I can’t guarantee this recipe will work for you, however, because while they came out perfect every time I made them, my mother’s, even though following the same exact recipe, came out like lead. Without any other explanation available, she used to claim that it must be because the recipe appeared in the “Kids Section” of the paper, so must’ve been a kids only recipe. Uh-huh, mom, anything you say. 
Actually, the text accompanying this recipe is a hoot, so I’ll just type the whole thing…
Good luck! I hope you find a recipe that works for you. And if you try this one, let me know how they come out.
Maybe I ought to stay with the Bisquick! 
Okay, I did what everyone told me, I chilled the bowl, the measuring cups, the flour, the baking powder and the shortening (sorry, my local grocery store doesn’t carry lard, I’m going to have to find it elsewhere!) AND the cutting board I used for rolling the dough! I even used buttermilk!
And they came out… uh… less than I expected. I think I didn’t add enough milk. I was using CW’s receipe, but didn’t add enough milk, as the resultant dough really didn’t get that moist and was rather crumbly.
And possibly I didn’t back 'em long enough (12 mins in a 450F oven). They’re only a light brown. Well, next time I try (later this week, I hope) I’ll work on improving my baking skills.
Just letting everyone know what’s happening in Freyr’s kitchen!
As this thread concerns the Culinary Arts, the GQ mods have asked me to take it under my wing.
– Uke, Cafe Society moderator.
Freyr, if you’d like some…ahem…objective taste testers to report on the quality of your biscuits…well, I’m just sayin’ is all, that some of us on Saturday might…want to lend a hand…or a mouth.
:: kicks dirt, looks innocent ::
" . . . But you’ll in among the rest—
Out of hope of all, but your share of the feast."
Actually, Ralph’s should carry lard. It usually comes in a bright red box with white lettering. The Spanish word for lard, BTW, at least as far as packaging goes, is Manteca, so look for that word on the box.
Admittedly, I haven’t ever been to a Ralph’s in Van Nuys, but IIRC, the Latino population in the Valley is reasonably significant, and Ralph’s isn’t exactly known for not carrying products the local population is likely to buy.
Mine turn out pretty good with Bisquick. Doughy, a bit, but still fluffy and crumbly.
Wow! I’ve been moved to Cafe Society! I feel like I ought to dress up before posting.
scout1222: sure, if you want to be the victim for my culinary catastrophes. Is your health insurance paid up? Bring some flour and we’ll try it!
kaylasdad99: I looked all over the store and asked. They’re not carrying it. shrug I’ll try Vons or Albertsons. Yeah, I think it’s weird that they wouldn’t.
Eve: you show up, you can try the biscuits.
Guinastasia: I’ve tried Bisquick and it was good. I’m being adventurous and doing it from scratch. A test of my culinary talents.