My dad has talked for years about the baking powder biscuits his grandmother (my great-grandmother) used to make. Recently I asked him if he remembered the recipe, or if I could get it from my grandma.
He laughed and said “Honey, all she used was baking powder and Pioneer baking mix.” I was stunned. My great-grandmother who was born in 1912, (which seems ancient to me, I assumed should have also known everything about farming, canning and homesteading) basically used BISQUICK to make her biscuits? No wonder the world is falling apart. Apparently, we have been losing our know-how for some time.
Thank goodness for the internet. After that conversation I began a month-long journey of hunting for THE ultimate southern country biscuit recipe. It had to use only food storage items, had to be fast (20 mins or less) and had to taste good. I accumulated five recipes to try. The first was okay but they were dense and tasted better dipped in soup than on their own. The next recipe I tried seemed too simple to produce anything edible. Still, it more than met my previous requirements so I gave it a try. I never finished testing any of the other recipes because those biscuits turned out THAT GOOD!
Seriously, they’re magical. They bake up big and fat like Grands® canned biscuits and break in half naturally along a center seam that appears during baking. The center is fluffy and bread-like, not flaky. (Think biscuits and gravy style.) The recipe is so simple my 6 year old could mix it and he always helps with cutting the dough. These are the old-fashioned, southern baking powder biscuits I envisioned my great-grandmother making. Minus the Pioneer mix, you cheaters!
Country Baking Powder Biscuits
Makes 6-8 biscuits
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
- 1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 425° and grease a cookie sheet. Set aside. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients, stirring to mix them well. Cut in shortening with a fork until the mix resembles coarse crumbs (or until it looks – ironically – like dry Bisquick). Gradually stir in milk until dough begins to form a ball.
On a well floured surface, dump out the dough. It will be sticky. With floured hands, sprinkle the top with flour and turn the ball over once or twice to lightly coat it with flour just enough that it is not super sticky. The top should be dusted but inside it should still be doughy/sticky. Be very careful not to overwork your dough. The less you knead & press it, the fluffier your biscuits will be.
Using just your flour-dusted hands, gently press the dough out until it is about 1 inch thick. Again, don’t overwork the dough. Just press it out in any random blob shape and then cut circles with a 2.5-3 inch diameter round cookie/biscuit cutter. Leftover dough can be balled up and baked but it will be slightly more dense.
Transfer the biscuits to your greased cookie sheet and bake at 425° for 13-15 minutes or just until the tops begin to turn the faintest shade of brown, like in the image at the top of this post. The biscuits will rise significantly during baking.
That’s all there is to it! Once you have made these a few times you’ll discover that start to finish these biscuits are ready in 20 minutes. Delicious when served with honey and butter! Recipe can be doubled, just slightly increase the dusting flour on the surface you pour the dough out onto to accommodate the larger dough ball. Leftovers make an excellent, easy breakfast. Guaranteed to impress your husband or your money back.
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ⅓ cup shortening (Crisco)
- 1 cup milk
- Preheat oven to 425° and grease a cookie sheet.
- In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients, stirring to mix them well.
- Cut in shortening with a fork until the mix resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gradually stir in milk until dough begins to form a ball.
- On a well floured surface, dump out the dough. It will be sticky.
- With floured hands, sprinkle the top with flour and turn the ball over once or twice to lightly coat it with flour just enough that it is not super sticky.
- The top should be dusted but inside it should still be doughy/sticky. Be very careful not to overwork your dough. The less you knead & press it, the fluffier your biscuits will be.
- Using just your flour-dusted hands, gently press the dough out until it is about 1 inch thick.
- Press it out in any random blob shape and then cut circles with a 2.5-3 inch diameter round cookie/biscuit cutter.
- Transfer the biscuits to your greased cookie sheet and bake at 425° for 13-15 minutes or just until the tops begin to turn the faintest shade of brown.
When you see the word “Crisco” in a baking recipe you should know that that is going to taste great. Pass the butter and jam.
Amen to that!
You made me make a comment. 30 years ago I had an aunt that made biscuits that floated oof the pan they were so light. Not just once in a while, but every time.
One day my wife got my aunt to the kitchen. They lined up every ingredeant. My aunt would do something, my wife would do the same. The aunt do something else, my wife the same. So on and on until it was time to eat. Let me tell you, there is a ‘touch’. My aunt’s floated, my wife’s were hand granades. Good luck.
It sounds like I would get along great with your wife then! That’s how I am with bread! Don’t depress us to much though, give us some glimmer of hope ;)
I’m wondering how this recipe would fare with coconut oil instead of crisco…
I need to make biscuits today, and trying to stay away from things like crisco. Sounds like an experiment needs to happen!
Just an update. I used this recipe with coconut oil (chilled in the fridge a bit) 1 cup white flour, 1 cup wheat, and they still cooked up great! Thanks so much for the recipe. =)
Thanks for the update! I was hoping you would let us know how it went! I’ve been wanting to get some coconut oil, so thanks for inspiring me!
These are very tasty and light. I cut them in squares so the dough isn’t handled too much. And while I also prefer to use healthy oils, crisco is a must for biscuits, pie crusts and peanut butter cookies, in my opinion.
My mother used something she called Missouri mix. Use Missouri mix and something = biscuits. Use Missouri mix and something else =pancakes. Use Missouri mix and some other stuff = pie crust. Would you like to know how to make it? So would I. Unfortunately, I have no idea how she made the stuff or what she added to make biscuits, or pancakes or pie crust.
What I do have is several recipe books and a bunch of boxes of 3×5 recipe cards. Hundreds of them. Guess I’ve got something I need to be lookin for. I had forgotten all about them, bisquick drop biscuits, or store bought rolls have been my easy out for years. Not the best for sausage-n-gravy, but they work for someone who can’t cook. All I gotta do now is remember where I stashed them. And find a cook.
My grandma taught me that recipe when I was a little girl. I make my dough and then use it for everything from regular biscuits to making stuffed biscuits.
Can u post this recipe?
Thanks!
These look good. Here my mothers’ tip for almost instant biscuits:
Whenever you are making biscuits:
1. Measure two separate batches of dry ingredients and shortening.
2. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients of the 1st batch and transfer it to a ziploc bag.
3. Mark the bag with the measurements for the liquid ingredients still needed and the baking instructions.
4. Store it in the refrigerator for future use.
5. Then cut the shortening into the 2nd batch of dry ingredients and finish making your biscuits.
Thanks Mary! Appreciate the tips!
My grandmother used lard instead of crisco. Sometimes used buttermilk (home churned) and they were the best ever. I now use her recipe, but with crisco and cream cheese (instead of butter). It works great and lowfat cream cheese cuts the calories and fat. Linda
I was wondering what kind of flour is used self rising or all purpose?
The flour used here is all purpose.
Just made these today. Doubled the recipe and exchanged one cup of regular flour for pastry flour. Really…really….good. I ate three in one sitting.
Good to hear! Glad they turned out! I think it’s time for me to make some more too!
I wonder if access to info such as this will be restricted when Net-Neutrality if fully implemented. Can’t be lettin folks make their own non-govt approved, non GMO, food!
But seriously, I made these the other night cause I needed biscuits in a hurry. I used up some all purpose white flour I had saved during my first attempts @ stockpiling. It was dated 11/12. I think the baking powder may have been a little “old” also. I pressed the dough down to about a 1/2″ instead of 1″ As I was pressing it down I just kinda formed it into a rectangle. No need to dirty a cookie cutter. Just cut into squares with a knife. Still turned out great! Thanks for the recipe. Copied & saved.
Lol – I was worried about the same thing ;)
Anyways, I’m sure square biscuits taste even better!
LOVE all that you have posted, I was wondering……..in a situation where I might not be able to have milk…….what can I substitute? Can these be baked in a Dutch Oven?