# Your opinion on what biscuits should be like **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 24, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397 "2020-05-24T21:24:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/1 "2020-05-24T21:24:33Z")
I’ve been doing a bit of baking lately and was surprised to learn that what might be termed the “design philosophy” of biscuits is rather different from, say, dinner rolls. Perhaps it stems from biscuits’ origin as a “quickbread” that can be prepared and cooked rapidly for breakfast. Apparently biscuits are not really supposed to be breadlike; they’re supposed to have a light but crumbly or flaky texture almost like cake or pastry, with minimal gluten development. When I follow recipes with those goals I do indeed get that result, and it is tasty. Thing is though, I’m not sure if I don’t prefer a biscuit that is just a bit closer to bread than that. What say you? P.S. it’s pricey but if you spring for beef tallow as your shortening it will make an almost ethereally light biscuit. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/2 "2020-05-24T21:26:35Z")
Light and flaky biscuits are nice and all, but they can’t hold up to a proper serving of biscuits and gravy. For that you need to make them a wee bit more substantial. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/3 "2020-05-24T21:46:45Z")
^^agree. I like a biscuit you can cut open to add sausage or bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/4 "2020-05-24T22:08:08Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Light and flaky biscuits are nice and all, but they can’t hold up to a proper serving of biscuits and gravy. For that you need to make them a wee bit more substantial. That’s why you need to butter your biscuits before ladling the gravy over them. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/5 "2020-05-24T22:24:11Z")
My favorite fastfood biscuits are definitely of the crumbly/flaky variety. However, I wouldn’t describe them as “light”. I’m OK with breadlike biscuits as long as they aren’t dry and tasteless. Which describes a lot of store-bought biscuits, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/6 "2020-05-24T22:41:28Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > My favorite fastfood biscuits are definitely of the crumbly/flaky variety. However, I wouldn’t describe them as “light”. Fast food is always a crapshoot given the focus on minimum cost ingredients and preparation. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/7 "2020-05-24T22:59:23Z")
UK Dopers are probably already aware, but just to be clear, this thread is about what are called “biscuits” in the US, not what you call “biscuits” in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/8 "2020-05-24T23:02:31Z")
For breakfast duty, biscuits need to be substantial enough so they don’t fall apart or turn into mush when smothered in gravy or used in a sausage biscuit mini-sandwich. For dinner I like them a little more light and flaky. If a biscuit is _too_ light and flaky it might as well be a croissant. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/9 "2020-05-24T23:22:20Z")
I love to make good, southern buttermilk biscuits. For some reason, there’s been a run on flour the last several weeks, so I’ve not made any. I’ve been able to procure store-brand Pillsbury biscuit-in-a-tube, though, which is pretty much their universal-does-everything-dough cut into biscuit shape. While not horrible as a pandemic type of food, it’s a far cry texture-wise from a proper biscuit-method biscuit. A proper biscuit should _not_ have layers like an unrolled croissant. The store-brand Pillsbury croissants, though, are pretty frickin’ respectable. I might purchase them as non-quarantine food in the future. I’ve made hand-made puff pastry once before. _Once_. Good, but no fuckin’ way I’m doing it again. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/10 "2020-05-24T23:31:21Z")
My biscuits are made with flour, baking powder, salt, butter and buttermilk. They are flaky and crumbly and are perfect for my sausage and bacon country gravy and a sausage patty. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/11 "2020-05-25T00:30:33Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > My biscuits are made with flour, baking powder, salt, butter and buttermilk. They are flaky and crumbly and are perfect for my sausage and bacon country gravy and a sausage patty. Are those drop biscuits or rolled? I’ll have to give butter a try and see how that affects the texture. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/12 "2020-05-25T01:14:08Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Are those drop biscuits or rolled? I’ll have to give butter a try and see how that affects the texture. Lard is the gold standard for a great biscuit, but no one wants to use it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/13 "2020-05-25T01:20:38Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Are those drop biscuits or rolled? I’ll have to give butter a try and see how that affects the texture. I try hard not to work my dough too much. I flatten it out with my hands and fold it over a few times to get the flaky layers and then just cut them out. Do not twist the cutter because it defeats the layers ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/14 "2020-05-25T01:29:57Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Fast food is always a crapshoot given the focus on minimum cost ingredients and preparation. The biscuits from Popeyes, Hardees (breakfast only), and McDonald’s are mainstays for me. Biscuits from other places range from just “OK” to “WTF! Are you trying to kill me?!” KFC biscuits would fall into that latter category. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/15 "2020-05-25T12:40:05Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > UK Dopers are probably already aware, but just to be clear, this thread is about what are called “biscuits” in the US, not what you call “biscuits” in the UK. Indeed, when I read “Apparently biscuits are not really supposed to be breadlike” I immediately thought [“there was a court case about that”](https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-food/vfood6260). ---
**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:** [May 25, 2020, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/16 "2020-05-25T13:45:29Z")
I’m all about the all-butter biscuit. After our last biscuit conversation a couple of weeks ago, I did some research–and [there is some lamination in some biscuits](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-buttermilk-biscuits). I don’t go quite that all-out, but I do like to get some layers in my rolled biscuits, so they split beautifully. Biscuits and gravy isn’t a thing in our house. The kids like theirs with butter and honey, while my wife and I go between that and making savory sandwiches with eggs and sausage. Drop biscuits are a different beast, and those I like to be cheesy and herby. They’re nubbly and crunchy on the outside, and light and airy on the inside, and are perfect with soup as a dinner. Obviously, whole buttermilk is the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-opinion-on-what-biscuits-should-be-like/854397/17 "2020-05-25T17:05:07Z")
I prefer my biscuits without lamination but with a solid top and bottom crust that will hold together when I open them up and while I slather them with butter and jam or preserves (none of that gravy stuff for my biscuits). So, very little kneading, I want the biscuits tender, and brush the tops with melted butter before baking to strengthen them. I roll them flat and cut them into squares, just cut downward once per cut and no sawing. Then be sure you bake them long enough so the inside has a nice crumb, not still soggy. I don’t think there’s any point in arguing about what biscuits “should” be like. Some people like tender and crumbly (more towards scones) and some like flaky and layered (more towards croissants). If someone else is making them, I’ll be happy to eat either kind. If I’m making them, I’m going to make what I like.