# Why do my biscuits come out so hard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 11, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949 "2011-09-11T16:35:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/21 "2011-09-11T20:04:31Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > But her oven was pre-heated, and she fired it up to 400 degrees. Only 400? 450! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/22 "2011-09-11T20:59:48Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > First guess is you’re over working the dough. It should just barely come together. > > Also, try freezing all the ingredients, bowls and utensils. The dough should be _cold_ when it goes in the oven. > > ETA: Also, use buttermilk, the acidity activates the baking soda. I’d guess it’s the buttermilk or lack thereof. Many recipes I’ve seen either call for soda and buttermilk, or baking powder and regular milk. One way or the other, you need acids and bases to make the CO2 for the rise. If that’s not it, it’s probably the flour. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/23 "2011-09-12T00:15:27Z")
Yay! Glad they worked. I was gonna suggest checking your baking powder (if it gets moist from humidity it’ll drastically reduce its leavening power–you check it by putting a pinch in some water and watching to see if it fizzes), but it sounds like you got your biscuits going. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/24 "2011-09-12T07:04:54Z")
Here’s how we make them: preheat oven to 450 we don’t use soda, we use 3 tsp baking powder (with a touch extra for good luck) we use Crisco instead of lard be kind of stingy with the flour, in the bowl & on the rolling out surface, & as said above don’t work the dough too much Sometimes we make the biscuits quite a while before we’ll be ready for them. Just let them sit on the baking sheet. Sometimes they’ve already risen about an inch before we put them in the oven. Is your rack sitting in the middle of the stove? (That way the bottoms won’t burn.) Have to admit we have biscuits & gravy two or three times a month. Where we come from, they’re considered a vegetable. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/25 "2011-09-12T07:17:10Z")
READ THIS PART! lol I went past the time allowed for editing. We add 1/2 tsp salt You don’t say how much lard you’re using. We use 1/4 to 1/2 cup shortening (it’s “stiffer”) And that’s a touch more milk than I’d start with. I’d say your batter is dense because you’re having to add more flour because it’s too loose, am I right? And keep at it. After awhile you can “feel” if they’re going to turn out right as you’re mixing them. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/26 "2011-09-12T12:16:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Me? If I want biscuits, I buy a tube of GRANDS. We don’t eat them that often. Grands suck. Get some other kind of tube biscuits, if you MUST get tube biscuits. And congratulations on the success. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/27 "2011-09-13T16:25:04Z")
You’re right. 450, or even 425. And I forgot the part about letting them sit before shoving them into the hot oven. It gives the biscuits a head-start on rising. There ya have it. Hot oven, cold ingredients, let the puppies rise for a bit before putting in the oven. Butter and honey, or gallons of sausage gravy ad lib. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/28 "2011-09-13T19:06:37Z")
My Grandmother’s quick version: Bisquik + 1/8 cup cake flour for each cup of mix. Use heavy whipping cream instead of milk and barely mix it with a fork. Cut bits of dough away with a glass. This lightly pinches the edge to make the biscuits pop up beautifully in the center. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Most biscuit problems are either old flour, skim milk, or most often -\> not pre-heating the oven. Yummy. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/29 "2011-09-13T20:33:07Z")
Just as an aside, I successfully made some biscuits using leftover coconut milk at the beach last spring. They came out great. Oddly, they didn’t even have a discernible coconut flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949/30 "2011-09-14T04:36:56Z")
One part of overhandling people forget is using a round biscuit cutter. You have to keep reshaping the leftover dough. Roll out the dough and then cut it up with a knife into triangles, squares, or rectangles. Who said biscuits have to be round? Saves gobs of time, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-biscuits-come-out-so-hard/595949.md?page=1)