Easy Kentucky Biscuits

Down in Kentucky, biscuit cooks figured out a backdoor trick: club soda. The bubbles aerate the dough, the sour cream tenderizes it, and the Bisquick gives you a leavened base without measuring leavening separately. You end up with biscuits that rise tall and stay tender, and the whole thing comes together in one bowl.

The technique is dead simple. Mix everything until it just comes together, then dip your hand in extra baking mix and knead the sticky dough right in the bowl until smooth. No floured surface, no rolling pin.

Shape into thick patties and crowd them in a small round pan. The sides touching is what forces them straight up instead of out, giving you those tall lifts and soft side walls.

Split warm with butter and jam, sausage gravy, or even sweetened with whipped cream and berries for a quick shortcake.

Kitchen Tips

• Use cold club soda straight from the fridge. Warm soda goes flat fast and you lose the lift.
• Don’t overmix. Stir until the dry patches disappear and stop. Working the dough develops gluten and you get hockey pucks.
• A 1½ inch thick patty is the right height for a soft-centered biscuit. Thinner and they bake into discs.
• Eat them warm. Bisquick biscuits are best within 30 minutes of baking; refrigerated leftovers turn dense.

Variations

• Stir in a half cup of dried cranberries and a teaspoon of orange zest for a holiday version.
• Add chocolate chips and a pinch of cinnamon for a sweet breakfast bite.
• Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt right out of the oven for a savory finish.