Why are biscuits so magical?!
Ever since I started cooking with purpose I was determined to figure out how to make a damn good biscuit. They always seem so simple right? It’s never more than just a handful of ingredients mixed together and perfectly plopped on a baking tray. As simple as they always seem, I am not sure I have ever mastered the perfect biscuit or even stumbled upon the perfect recipe.
I have made a few variations on the blog see here and here. These recipes are certainly delightful in their own way but I was still look for that one recipe. The one that could be the standard go to, the recipe that future biscuit variations could be built off of. I think, maybe, I finally found that recipe.
I first learned about Edna Lewis during the Top Chef season in Charleston, SC. They asked the chefs to channel her cooking in their own variation of an Edna Lewis inspired dish. Watching the show and hearing how influential Ms. Lewis was to Southern cooking made me immediately purchase her cookbook “The Taste of County Cooking“. But one question was plaguing me, why didn’t I know about her already? I would like to think I am somewhat familiar with famous Southern chefs but clearly my education is lacking! I feel there were lots of us out there that just learned about a new Southern cooking pioneer. When the book arrived I was so excited to flip through it and start planning my attack.
I started out with her insanely simple fudge recipes which were certainly a different take on those traditional fudge recipes you find at fairs and such. I’ll have to go back do them so you can see them here, we ate them pretty quickly so safe to say they were a hit. I really don’t know why it took me so long to get to the biscuit recipe or why I was even thinking about biscuits recently. I guess there was something in me that wanted to go back to finding the perfect biscuit recipe.
Perhaps I was also drawn to her cookbook because it’s Black History Month and I got to thinking about the amazing black chefs who helped to put Southern cooking on the map. Some have argued that Southern cooking is the only true American cuisine, what do you think? I think about the legends that come out Louisiana or South Carolina, the amazing food in Savannah and New Orleans. I think about my own family history and my Grandfather’s famous beef ribs and even my mom’s craveable Jambalaya. All of it makes up the food that we all love and brings us comfort. Biscuits are one of those things that could be on the table during any meal of the day and the perfect vehicle for sweet or savory. Whenever we travel south it is the one thing I look forward to having alongside my eggs and grits. I love to drizzle them with honey or jam, use them as a sandwich bread (filled with anything your heart desires!) or smothered in a sausage gravy. Uh oh, I am getting hungry…
When you read the recipe you’ll see that it calls for lard. In the past I would have probably opted to swap this for butter but I wanted to stick to the Edna Lewis way. I had no trouble finding lard in the grocery store, it was over near the meat section, but if you do have trouble I suppose you can resort to using regular butter (having not tried it this way I can’t promise it will turn out the same). These biscuits are flaky and moist in the middle. They baked perfectly and paired well with honey butter and jam. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
Notes
This is the recipe in Edna Lewis' cookbook, The Taste of Country Cooking. For a finishing touch, you can brush the top of the biscuits with melted butter.
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Sifted Flour
- 1 Scant Tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
- 4 Tsps. Baking Powder
- 2/3 Cup Lard
- 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp. Buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the lard to the bowl and combine using your fingertips or a pastry blender.
- Combine until the texture is similar to cornmeal.
- Add the buttermilk by pouring over the flour mixture.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir the dough until it begins to stiffen, 2 to 3 minutes.
- After dough has stiffened form a ball and place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
- Dust the top of the dough with a small portion of flour.
- Using your hands, flatten the dough into a round cake.
- Fold over the edge of the dough to the center and gently knead before turning the dough over.
- Careful not to overwork the dough, roll out the dough using a rolling pin.
- Roll the dough to a 1/2 inch thickness (less or more depending on your preference).
- Pierce the dough with a fork all over.
- Using a biscuit cutter, cut circles out of the dough making sure to keep flour the cutter so that it doesn't stick to the dough.
- Cut the biscuits close together so you can use most of the dough, you can't re-roll the scraps as the dough will not rise properly if overworked.
- Place the biscuits on a shiny baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart.
- Bake biscuits for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow biscuits to cool for 3-4 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Biscuits
Serves: 1 1/2 dozen
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 271.74 kcal | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 14.28 g | 21.5% | |
| Saturated Fat 5.57 g | 25% | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol 14.09 mg | 4.7% | |
| Sodium 261.28 mg | 10.9% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 30.38 g | 10% | |
| Dietary Fiber 1.02 g | 4% | |
| Sugars 1.42 g | ||
| Protein 4.79 g | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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