I generally don't knead, I make turns like one would for croissants. (3-4 at the most) This makes layers, which, most people seem to like. Like Chris says, don't overdo it.
It could be your flour. There's no standard for AP flour in the US, and it varies by mill and by region. Big name flours make their Southern blend more like cake flour because they know more people use the flour for biscuits. The same company's Northern blend will be a higher protein blend, usually somewhere between pastry flour and bread flour, as most people there make bread with it. Western states mostly get the Northern blend, but, that varies. My guess is that you have Northern AP flour.
Make sure that you haven't mistakenly used white whole wheat flour, it's hard to tell apart and if it's been placed in an unmarked canister it can fool people. (happened at my house once) Not that WW biscuits are bad, they just don't have the rise of the white flour ones.
What kind of shortening? There are newer, transfat-free ones with a bunch of weird ingredients that don't really make good baked goods. (I use an all butter recipes, but, that's a different story.)
BTW, buttermilk is slightly acidic, as is, to a lesser degree, some milk. The FF recipe predates modern dairy processing. That's probably the reason for the CoT.
The other, really obvious flaw in this recipe is that it uses volumetric measurements for dry ingredients thus guaranteeing randomized results. More explanation in eG's Kitchen Scale manifesto.
Edited by Lisa Shock pastry =\= party, not always anyway(log)
To bake tall biscuits place you want to place biscuits next to each other, with edges touching on the baking sheet. If you separate the biscuits and bake them too far apart, they won't rise as tall. By placing the biscuits next to each other, they will be able to cling to each other helping them rise taller.
The high heat causes the water in the butter and buttermilk to heat rapidly and release steam, pushing the dough upward. Ovens set to 350 or even 400 degrees heat too slowly and cause the fat inside the dough to melt before rising to the dough's full potential.
The biggest tip for creating tall and flaky biscuits is to put the biscuits in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking them. Once they are on the baking sheet, just pop the whole thing in the freezer.
The secret to the best biscuits is using very cold butter and baking powder. We've made a lot of biscuits, but this easy biscuits recipe is the one we turn to the most (they are so fluffy!). See our easy drop biscuits and cheese drop biscuits for even easier biscuits.
Heavy cream provides rich butterfat that gives the biscuits tenderness and flavor, as well as moisture from its water content. The formula requires minimal mixing, reducing the risk of too much gluten development.
When you cut in your fat, you leave it in small pea-sized lumps. Those lumps get coated in flour and melt during baking into layers. If your fats are too warm, the lumps will melt and form a hom*ogeneous dough, resulting in dense, leaden biscuits.
Whenever you're working with buttery doughs like biscuits, pie crust, shortbread, and the like, you're constantly reminded to chill the dough frequently, as well as chill the dough before baking time. Baking biscuits directly from frozen also keeps the biscuits from spreading and flattening out.
The butter version rises the highest — look at those flaky layers! The shortening biscuit is slightly shorter and a bit drier, too. Butter contains a bit of water, which helps create steam and gives baked goods a boost.
Finish by patting the dough to a thickness of 3/4 inch. If needed, dust away any excess flour, then cut into 1 3/4-inch rounds and arrange in a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
When baking buttery treats like biscuits, the key is to bake them at a temperature where the water in the butter turns quickly to steam. This steam is a big part of how the biscuits achieve their height, as it evaporates up and out.
Adjust the baking time for your unique oven and preferences. Whatever you do, just make sure your oven is fully preheated and hot enough. This is what helps the biscuits rise tall. Play it safe by waiting at least 10 minutes after your oven tells you it's preheated.
The chemical leavening gases, CO2 and NH3, originate from the dissociation of sodium and ammonium bicarbonate. Next to water vapour, these produced gases create gas bubbles in the biscuit dough.
Refrigerate the remaining dough until it feels firm to the touch, one to two hours. This chills the butter, so it won't spread rapidly in the oven. Although your cookies won't be as fluffy as they might have been, they won't turn into pancakes.
I used self-rising White Lily flour which is made from soft winter wheat and it is low in protein and gluten which means that even if you over-work your biscuit dough, it is almost impossible for the biscuits to turn out tough and hard (which can happen when you use standard all-purpose flour).
Whether using a cast iron skillet or a baking tray, lay your biscuits so they are touching sides and all connected. This helps them rise higher, as they provide support for one another as they bake – kind of like a doughy shoulder to lean on!
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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