Almost every Southerner has some kind of biscuit recipe tucked away somewhere that your Mama or Grandma used.  If you don’t, then you were subjected to the god awful canned variety, and all I can say is –    Bless your pea pickn’ heart.   

Sure Right – Biscuit recipes can make biscuit making seem too complex, especially when pushed for time.  My Great Grandma Bryant used lard and a large wooden dough bowl to make her biscuits, but she also worked in a field most of the day, or worked in a hot kitchen and burned off the lard. No need for pig fat!  These are fast biscuits that omit butter.

Mama taught me how to make biscuits and I have to credit her with this recipe. So here we go.. this makes about 4-6 biscuits depending on the size of the biscuit cutter.

Preheat oven to 425º.  Measure out two cups of self-rising all-purpose flour. Please don’t use whole wheat flour. If you can’t find self-rising then use regular, but you must add 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt for regular flour.  King Arthur is my go-to brand.  If there are four or more folk, go head and double this recipe.

Place your self rising flour in a mixing bowl and add sea salt. About a 1/4 teaspoon. I don’t measure but salt is vital even with self rising. Mix all dry ingredients.

In a measuring cup used for liquids, add 1/3 cup vegetable oil and then fill measuring cup with buttermilk to make 1 cup.

Pour oil and buttermilk on top of flour mixture and gently mix, going from the sides of the bowl inward with a spatula until it is mixed, but not too mixed. The more you work the dough the more tough it gets.

The dough can be placed on floured wax paper or a floured countertop.  I smash the dough out with the palm of my hand, about a 1/2 inch thick, then fold it over on itself so a seam is created. That lets you open the biscuit easily after it’s baked instead of cutting it open.

Place the biscuits on a greased iron skillet, or heavy bottomed pan for baking. Place in a preheated oven at 425º and bake until the bottom is a golden brown.

Place them under the broiler, if you need, until the top is equal in color. They will brown very quickly under the broiler.

Serve hot with jams, jellies, curds, fried eggs, sausage or anything else you want.
So many things can be added and taken away from this recipe to make other dishes:

*Add garlic powder, green onions or chives, and cheddar cheese for dinner biscuits.
*add crushed fruit and sugar to make breakfast scones.
*add extra buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla to make the mixture a thicker pour and spread it over fruit for a cobbler.
*add black pepper and use for dumplings or the top of a pot pie.

This is a versatile and easy dough that helps rid us of the myth that making biscuits is a time consuming and a complicated process. Now go throw out your Bisquick and canned biscuits.

• 2 Cups Self Rising Flour – King Arthur is great.
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2/3 Cup of REAL Buttermilk – Kate’s of Maine brand if you’re in New England, or Kalona Supernatural if you’re in SoCal.