Hands down the most popular recipe on my blog is for these Mile High Biscuits. That is kind of ironic considering I don’t think of myself as a biscuit making expert, and this is a recipe my sister gave me. No matter the reason, this has become a recipe I make on a regular basis and continue to love! As you may have noticed there are hundreds of comments and questions about this recipe. I wanted to give a few biscuit making tips I have learned over the years to help you create the perfect biscuit. I hope you continue to enjoy this recipe like I have.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 stick butter
- 3/4 cup buttermilk or use 3/4 c. milk + 2 T. lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and butter until crumbly. Mix in buttermilk, egg and just enough water to make a workable dough. Mix the dough until it is just barely combined (don't over mix). Roll the dough onto a floured cutting board about 1 inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, or a 2 inch round cup. Place on a greased baking sheet (touching each other) and bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 12-15 biscuits, depending how thick you make them.
- Tips to making awesome biscuits:
- *ONLY hand mix your dough. Don't mix in a Bosch or with a hand mixer. The dough will be too tough and the dough will become dry if you use a mixer. You don't want to over mix this recipe. The best way to mix this dough is with a pastry cutter or using two knives and cutting the dough back and forth. This method takes a little longer but will ensure the perfect biscuit. You want pieces of butter left in your biscuit, that is what keeps the dough light and flaky.
- *Next tip is to keep your biscuit dough fairly thick. You want a tall and thick biscuit more than you do a thin and hard biscuit. Keeping the dough thick will ensure a chewy and soft biscuit. I keep my dough about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (cooking times may vary depending how thick you make them).
*Start with cold, cold butter. The colder the better (just not frozen).
*Don’t over mix the dough! You want to use only two knives or a pastry cutter to cut in the dough. Don’t mix the dough in a Bosch or with a hand mixer.
The dough will be too tough and the dough will become dry. The less you mix the dough the better. Using a pastry cutter or knives, cut the
dough going up and down not side to side. This method takes a little longer but will ensure
the perfect biscuit. You want pieces of butter left in the dough,
this is what keeps the dough light and flaky.
The dough will be too tough and the dough will become dry. The less you mix the dough the better. Using a pastry cutter or knives, cut the
dough going up and down not side to side. This method takes a little longer but will ensure
the perfect biscuit. You want pieces of butter left in the dough,
this is what keeps the dough light and flaky.
*In a liquid measuring cup put all of the liquid ingredients together and whisk. Once mixture is whisked, pour slowly into the flour/butter mixture. Depending whether you use buttermilk or regular milk will determine how much flour you should use. I always start with 2 1/2 cups flour and add the last 1/2 cup a little at a time if needed. It’s better to have a little less flour than too much. You don’t want the dough hard at all. Soft and pliable is the texture you are looking for.
*Next tip is to keep your biscuit dough fairly thick. A tall
biscuit will have much better texture than a thin hard one. I keep my dough
about 1 1/2 inches thick (cooking times may vary depending how
thick you make them).
biscuit will have much better texture than a thin hard one. I keep my dough
about 1 1/2 inches thick (cooking times may vary depending how
thick you make them).
*A tall narrow cup works best for making thick and narrow biscuit forms. Before you place the biscuits in the oven make sure the oven is preheated and at the perfect temperature. The biscuits will grow tall if the oven is at a hot enough temperature. Before you put in a second pan, make sure the oven has not cooled down before baking a second batch.
*Don’t over bake the biscuits. If they are cooked too long they become dry and hard. Keep them soft by baking just long enough to cook the center. If you want a more golden brown top, just brush with butter or egg whites before baking (I forgot to do this on this batch that’s why they are a little pale).
