Martha White Biscuit Recipes

MARTHA WHITE "HOT RIZE" BISCUITS

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 450°F. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with no-stick cooking spray. Place flour in large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk; stir with fork until soft dough forms and mixture begins to pull away from sides of bowl. KNEAD dough on lightly floured surface just until smooth. Roll out dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut with floured 2-inch round cutter. Place biscuits with sides touching on prepared cookie sheet. BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. VARIATIONS: OLD-FASHIONED BUTTERMILK BISCUITS: Substitute ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk for milk; add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to flour, if desired.

FLAKY BUTTERY BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Butter or line a baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a fork or 2 table knives, combine the butter and flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Slowly add the milk, stirring with a fork, to the desired consistency.
• For softer biscuits, drop 2 tablespoons of the dough onto the lined baking sheet. For firmer biscuits, turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and gently knead just to bring the dough together. Carefully roll out the dough about 3/4 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or sturdy glass, cut about 12 biscuits, rerolling any scraps. Place on the lined baking sheet. (The biscuits can be frozen at this point. Freeze on the baking sheet, then remove to a resealable container or plastic bag for easier storage.) Bake the biscuits for 13 to 15 minutes (add 3 to 4 additional minutes for frozen ones), until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve warm.

CATHEAD BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. (You can also bake the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet.)
• In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in buttermilk and mix until just barely combined. It will be a shaggy mass. (Alternatively, you can mix the dough in a food processor: Pulse to combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in buttermilk through feed tube and pulse until just barely combined.)
• Turn shaggy mass out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly, using the heel of your hand to compress and push dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Give dough a small turn and repeat four or five times. (You want to just barely activate the gluten, not overwork it.)
• Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough 1 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds (press cutter straight down without twisting so biscuits will rise evenly when baked).
• Place biscuits on prepared sheet. (If biscuits are baked close together, sides will be tender. If biscuits are baked farther apart, sides will be crisp.)
• Reroll scraps once. Do not simply roll them into a ball; this will create a knot of gluten strands. Instead, place the pieces one on top of the other in layers, then roll out dough and cut out more rounds.
• Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool just slightly. Serve warm.

CREAM BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in heavy cream, and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. The dough will still be wet and tacky.
• Turn out dough onto a well-floured work surface, and pat into a square about 1/2 inch thick. Let rest about 5 minutes.
• Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 24 rounds. If desired, gather together scraps; pat into a square, and cut out more rounds. Place on a baking sheet, and bake until golden on the tops, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven, and immediately brush the tops with butter. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SIMPLE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 500 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. With a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in buttermilk, and gently mix until just combined. With your hands, gently form the mixture into balls. Place in a round 8-by-2-inch cake pan.
• Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool to the touch, and serve immediately.