Almost every Southerner has some kind of 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 – The Paula Deans of the world can make people afraid of making biscuits. These folk make it seem too complicated and way too full of butter. 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!

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 400º.  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 to regular flour.  White Lily flour preferred but King Arthur is acceptable.  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 oil and then fill measuring cup with buttermilk to make 1 cup.  I prefer to use Whole Foods 365 canola oil and Kate’s buttermilk when I can get my hands on it.

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 wax paper or on a countertop that is floured.  I smash the dough out with the palm of my hand, about a 1/2 inch thick then fold over on itself so a layer is created. That lets you open the biscuit easily instead of cutting it.

Use a drinking glass to cut the biscuit; no official biscuit cutter is needed. A mason jar also works.

Place them on an iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan for baking. Place in a preheated oven at 400º 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 – White Lily preferred – King Arthur is great too.
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/3 Cup Canola Oil – 365 Brand Non-GMO Preferred
• 2/3 Cup of REAL Buttermilk – Kate’s of Maine brand if you’re in New England