I’ve been very happy with my go-to biscuit recipe over the past few years. The only drawback is that they don’t rise very high or get very fluffy. But what they’ve lacked in texture and appearance they’ve more than made up for in taste. So I’ve always figured they were good enough.
But then a few weeks ago I was watching Food Network and I gleaned a few tips for making those mile-high, flaky, fluffy and light biscuits. I couldn’t wait to try out what I’d learned by tweaking my usual recipe. Since the show involved a diner that was making a HUGE batch of biscuits and there was no actual recipe given, I had to go through a little trial and error before hitting on just the right combination. But I think I finally got it just right.
Here’s my usual recipe with the new and improved tweaks incorporated. All of the new additions are bolded.
Fluffy & Flaky Biscuits
- 2 c. flour
- 1 T. baking powder
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 c. butter, frozen
- 1/2 – 1 c. milk
1. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
2. Quickly grate the frozen butter on a cheese grater.
3. Cut the frozen butter into the flour mixture. You can use two knives to cut in the flour, but I always find my hands are the best tools for this job. It gets done quickly and effectively with little effort.
4. Pour in the milk, starting with just a half cup and adding more as needed until the dough comes together. You want the dough to be soft, but not too soft to handle.
5. Pour the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead for just a minute.
6. Roll the dough into a rectangle. Fold it on top of itself to make 3 or 4 layers. Roll out again and fold into thirds or fourths. Repeat at least one or two more times.
7. For the final rolling of the dough, leave it about an inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a biscuit cutter or glass.
8. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden brown on top. Fold remaining dough back together and roll out again. Repeat process until done.
You should get about 8 – 10 biscuits out of this recipe, depending on how big you make them. They rise nice and high and be full of fluffy, flaky layers. It just doesn’t get any better!