When I saw gullah biscuits in Southern Biscuits, they intrigued me. Not only is butter replaced with oil, but there are eggs in these biscuits. Why oil? Because they were originally made in an area where the temperature is very hot, so butter would melt. Thus, oil made sense.
The eggs give the biscuits an interesting yellow tint. Compared to a standard biscuit, you could see the difference even before you broke the biscuits open and they added rich flavor as well.
What Worked: If you're working in a hot kitchen, it's great to have a biscuit recipe that doesn't require keeping butter cold.
What Didn't: This dough was incredibly wet, so I needed to add considerably more flour than suggested to get a workable dough. But that's fine - it all worked out and the resulting biscuits were just good. Next time, I'd cut back more on the milk from the start.
Suggested Tweaks: I'd like to play with the idea of adding flavored oil instead of a neutral oil. Chive oil? Might be interesting.
Adapted from Southern Biscuits by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart. Copyright © 2011. Published by Gibbs Smith. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved
Recipe Details
Gullah Biscuits Recipe
Active15 mins
Total40 mins
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milkor buttermilk, divided
Butter, softened or melted, for finishing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Select the baking pan by determining if a soft or crisp exterior is desired. For a soft exterior, select a 8- or 9-inch cake pan, pizza pan, or oven-proof skillet where the biscuits will nestle together snugly, creating the soft exterior while baking. For a crisp exterior, select a baking sheet or other baking pan where the biscuits can be placed wider apart, allowing air to circulate and creating a crisper exterior, and brush the pan with butter.
Fork-sift or whisk 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, preferably wider than it is deep, and set aside the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Fold in the cooking oil.
Make a deep hollow in the center of the flour with the back of your hand. Lightly beat the eggs with 1 cup of the buttermilk, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup, and pour into the hollow. Stir with a rubber spatula or large metal spoon, using broad circular strokes to quickly pull the flour into the liquid. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened and the sticky dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If there is some flour remaining on the bottom and sides of the bowl, stir in 1 to 4 tablespoons of reserved buttermilk, just enough to incorporate the remaining flour into the shaggy, wettish dough. If the dough is too wet, use more flour when shaping.
Lightly sprinkle a board or other clean surface using some of the reserved flour. Turn the dough out onto the board and sprinkle the top lightly with flour. With floured hands, fold the dough in half, and pat dough out into a 1/3- to 1/2-inch thick round, using a little additional flour only if needed. Flour again if necessary and fold the dough in half a second time. If the dough is still clumpy, pat and fold a third time. Pat dough out into a 1/2-inch thick round for a normal biscuit, 3/4-inch thick for a tall biscuit, and 1-inch-thick for a giant biscuit. Brush off any visible flour from the top. For each biscuit, dip a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter onto the reserved flour and cut out the biscuits, starting a the outside edge and cutting very close together, being careful not to twist the cutter. The scraps may be combined to make additional biscuits, although these scraps make tougher biscuits.
Using a metal spatula if necessary, move the biscuits to the pan or baking sheet. Bake the biscuits on the top rack of the oven for a total of 20 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness, until light golden brown. After 10 minutes, rotate the pan in the oven so that the front of the pan is now turned to the back, and check to see if the bottoms are browning too quickly. If so, slide another baking pan underneath to add insulation and retard browning. Continue baking another 10 to 15 minutes until the biscuits are light golden brown. When the biscuits are done, remove them from the oven and lightly brush the tops with butter. Turn the biscuits out upside down on a plate to cool slightly. Serve hot, right side up.
FAQs
What makes biscuits Southern? Besides being passed down by beloved grandmothers, Southern biscuits are typically made with flour made from soft red winter wheat, such as White Lily.
What are the three basic types of biscuits? ›
Types of Biscuits
- Rolled Biscuits. Rolled biscuits are one of the most popular baking-powder leavened quick breads. ...
- Drop Biscuits. Drop biscuits have more milk or other liquid added to the dough than rolled biscuits. ...
- Scones. ...
- Shortcakes.
But one thing that unites old-school southern biscuit lovers is what to put on the biscuit. And it ain't just butter. You'll also need syrup. Cane syrup, in fact, is the traditional complement to biscuits.
Why put an egg in biscuits? ›
Biscuit recipes tend to be egg-free, this makes them drier and the lack of protein to bind the mix helps achieve that crumbly texture. For super light, crumbly biscuits try grating or pushing the yolks of hard-boiled eggs through a sieve into the biscuit dough.
What flour do southerners use for biscuits? ›
If you start asking around, any Southern chef, Southern Living Test Kitchen pro, or biscuit-making family member will swear by White Lily flour. Generations of bakers have claimed it as the secret to the perfect, flaky biscuit.
What flour is best for Southern biscuits? ›
SouthernKitchen.com says, "Ask any Southern chef or sagacious biscuit grandma and you'll hear a pattern emerge: they all swear by White Lily flour."
Are biscuits better with butter or shortening? ›
Crisco may be beneficial for other baking applications, but for biscuit making, butter is the ultimate champion!
What is the oldest biscuits? ›
The earliest foods which we might call biscuits were probably baked on stones in the Neolithic era. However, archaeological remains of cooked grains do not fully reveal the form they took – cakes, porridges or flat, crisp biscuits.
What is the difference between buttermilk biscuits and regular biscuits? ›
The obvious difference between the two is that one is made with buttermilk and the other with regular milk. Buttermilk biscuits have a tangy flavor, tender texture, and delicate layers. Regular biscuits have a milder flavor and may not rise as much.
What are Southern biscuits called? ›
Be the first to rate & review! These giant buttermilk biscuits are golden brown and slightly crisp outside. They're light, soft, and airy inside.
The earliest biscuits were a simple combination of flour and water that resulted in little more than baked paste. Soon people learned that adding fat to the recipe made them tasty and flaky. In the Northern states butter is the favored lipid. In the South, lard or shortening is the standard.
What do British people call Southern biscuits? ›
In Britain, what Americans refer to as “biscuits” are known as “scones.” British biscuits are actually what Americans call “cookies.” The term “biscuits” in the United Kingdom typically refers to sweet, crumbly, and sometimes buttery bakes treats, distinct from the soft, bread-like biscuits found in the United States.
What is the secret to biscuits? ›
Use Cold Butter for Biscuits
For flaky layers, use cold butter. When you cut in the butter, you have coarse crumbs of butter coated with flour. When the biscuit bakes, the butter will melt, releasing steam and creating pockets of air. This makes the biscuits airy and flaky on the inside.
Why are biscuits pricked before they are baked? ›
Pricking the dough with a fork before baking allows steam to be released during cooking and helps the biscuits rise more evenly. It's also traditional, and tradition counts with me.
What does cream of tartar do in biscuits? ›
Cream of Tartar is undoubtedly a key ingredient in biscuits, providing essential leavening action, texture enhancement, and stability. Its ability to balance acidity, preserve freshness, and adapt to various biscuit variations makes it a staple in the baker's pantry.
Why are biscuits in the South better? ›
So, while biscuits were certainly baked in Northern kitchens, they didn't replace bread as the carbohydrate of choice. In the South, by contrast, the available flour was milled from low-protein soft wheat, which lacks the protein content necessary to make great bread but is the ideal flour for biscuits.
What are the qualities of Southern biscuits? ›
The best Southern-style biscuits are both tender AND flaky, using a combination of techniques and ingredients like buttermilk. Buttermilk is commonly used in Southern-style biscuits for its tangy flavor, plus buttermilk helps biscuits rise when paired with baking soda.
What is the difference between northern and southern biscuits? ›
The earliest biscuits were a simple combination of flour and water that resulted in little more than baked paste. Soon people learned that adding fat to the recipe made them tasty and flaky. In the Northern states butter is the favored lipid. In the South, lard or shortening is the standard.
What are southern biscuits made of? ›
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.)
