# my biscuits are doughy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743 "2003-01-24T23:10:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/21 "2003-01-27T04:03:52Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![SnugTheJoiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@SnugTheJoiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnugTheJoiner)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/22 "2003-01-27T05:58:29Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/23 "2003-02-08T04:20:49Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/24 "2003-02-08T04:34:06Z")
Cool. The pancakes are pretty good too. ---
**Author:** ![cw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@cw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cw)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/25 "2003-02-08T04:44:53Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/26 "2003-02-08T04:53:40Z")
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 ~ ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/27 "2003-02-08T06:42:52Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/28 "2003-02-08T07:02:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/29 "2003-02-08T19:21:48Z")
Yum, lard. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/30 "2003-02-08T19:46:05Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![cw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@cw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cw)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/31 "2003-02-08T20:00:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Mermaid \* > \*\*And so begins the Great Biscuit Debate… > Trust me, these are great biscuits. I also make excellent dumplings. \*\* Mine are better biscuits 😛 . Excellent dumplings?!? Pfffffttt, dumpling shmumpling. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/32 "2003-02-09T18:31:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/33 "2003-02-09T21:59:35Z")
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… > [@](#): > > _St. Louis Globe-Democrat_ Thurs., July 1, 1971 (now defunct, so I doubt any copyrights exist) > > A biscuit is the first thing a bride learns to make, and she’s in for a lot of teasing if her biscuits aren’t good. But yours will be good if you make them by this week’s recipe. > > Notice that we are making buttermilk biscuits. You can make biscuits by just using baking powder, for the baking powder will make them rise and be tender, but if you use sour milk or buttermilk in addition, then your biscuits will be extra good. > > If your mother doesn’t use buttermilk in the house, you can make sour milk that will serve the same purpose. Measure the three-fourths cup that’s required, and then put one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into it and stir it a bit. In just a few minutes, it will thicken up and be sour. > > Whenever you use buttermilk or sour milk in a recipe, though, you must use a certain amount of baking soda in the recipe too; one-fourth to one-half teaspoonful, to each cup of liquid. The acid in the sour milk or buttermilk acts against the soda to produce additional gas that makes the biscuits rise just a little bit more than they would otherwise. > > Perhaps some of you have studied this in chemistry class; if you have write it up in your notebook. Or look it up in one of the encyclopedias at the library; it would make a good story. > > (There seems to have been more text that got cut out when my mother glued the page into her recipe book, but I doubt it contained any earth shattering info that’ll be missed when making this recipe.) > > To prepare 12 biscuits, you need: > 2 cups flour > 1 tablespoon baking powder > 1/4 teaspoon baking soda > 1/2 teaspoon salt > 1/3 cup margarine or butter > 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk > > Serve with > Chicken Casserole > Green Peas > Margarine or Butter > Fruit Cocktail and Cottage Cheese Salad > Milk > > 1. Get ready… > > Preheat oven. Set at 450º (very hot). > > Stir flour lightly with a fork. > > Spoon flour lightly into a cup until high. Do not use the cup as a scoop, or shake or tap full cup. > > Level off top of full cup with straight edge of knife. > > Measure into a bowl 2 cups of flour. > > 1. Add and Mix… > > 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. > > Cut in 1/3 cup margarine or butter. Use 2 table knives, a fork, or a pastry blender. > > Stir in 3/4 cup buttermilk all at once. Stir until dough clings together and forms a ball. (Add more milk if needed to make a soft dough.) > > 1. Lightly flour a clean, flat surface. > > Knead dough gently about 10 or 12 times. Fold the dough with your fingers, rolling it toward you. Then push the dough away with the heel of your hand. > > Turn the dough one quarter turn and repeat. > > 1. Pat or roll dough about 1/2 inch thick. > > Cut dough. Dip knife or biscuit cutter into flour first to keep dough from sticking to cutter. > > If a 2 inch round cutter is used, there will be left-over dough that must be rolled again and then cut. > > Place biscuits on a baking sheet or in a pan with low sides. (Biscuits will not brown properly in a deep pan. If a deep pan must be used, turn it upside down and place biscuits on the bottom. If biscuits are spread apart, they will brown all over.) > > Brush top with buttermilk. > > Bake at 450º F (very hot) 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. > > If you like… Prepare cheese biscuits. > > Place biscuits 1/4 inch apart on baking sheet. Cut or dice cheddar cheese very fine. Measure 1 cup. Sprinkle cheese on top of biscuits. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/34 "2003-03-05T07:44:19Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/35 "2003-03-05T14:37:48Z")
As this thread concerns the Culinary Arts, the GQ mods have asked me to take it under my wing. – Uke, Cafe Society moderator. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/36 "2003-03-05T17:20:47Z")
**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 :: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/37 "2003-03-05T17:35:15Z")
" . . . But you’ll in among the rest— Out of hope of all, but your share of the feast." ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/38 "2003-03-05T19:55:34Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/39 "2003-03-06T00:25:42Z")
Mine turn out pretty good with Bisquick. Doughy, a bit, but still fluffy and crumbly. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743/40 "2003-03-06T08:00:37Z")
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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biscuits-are-doughy/150743.md?page=3)