Delicious Buttery Biscuits
Submitted by matthewl
Soft, buttery biscuits enriched with eggs and a touch of sugar for a tender, slightly sweet crumb. Baked side by side so the edges stay pillowy, then split and served warm with jam, butter or whipped cream.
YIELD
40 servingsPREP
40 minCOOK
20 minREADY
1 hrsThese aren’t your standard savory breakfast biscuits. Enriched with eggs and a little sugar, they bake up softer, richer and faintly sweet, landing somewhere between a fluffy biscuit and a tender scone. That makes them right at home with jam, butter, or a dollop of whipped cream.
The mixing is hands-on, literally. You work the wet into the dry with your fingertips, leaving small lumps of butter and shortening in the dough that melt into pockets of richness as they bake. The dough should feel soft but not sticky, so trust your hands and adjust the flour as you go.
One step you shouldn’t skip: let the cut biscuits rest in a warm spot for ten to fifteen minutes before baking. That short rest gives the baking powder a head start, so the biscuits rise taller in the oven.
Setting them side by side, just touching, keeps the sides soft and tender while the tops bake to deep golden.
Pro Tips
- Let the cut biscuits rest 10 to 15 minutes in a warm spot before baking. It wakes up the baking powder for a higher, lighter rise.
- Arrange them touching but not overlapping, so the edges steam soft instead of drying out and crisping.
- Rotate the pan partway through if some are browning faster than others, so they color evenly.
Variations
- Add a handful of dried currants or raisins to push them toward a sweet tea biscuit.
- Brush the tops with milk or egg wash before baking for a glossier golden crust.
- Stir a little lemon or orange zest into the dough for a bright, scone-like twist.
Ingredients
Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃). Grease an 11 by 7 inch pan with shortening.
2) Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl until blended. Make a well in the center of this dry mixture and add the milk, ½ cup shortening, and eggs. Mix the wet ingredients with your hands until the eggs and milk are blended. (There will still be some lumps of shortening.) Slowly work the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with your fingertips. The finished dough should be soft but not sticky, so you may have to add a little more flour if it seems too wet, or stop mixing before all the flour is added if it seems too dry.
3) Turn the biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to ½ inch thick. Cut into 3½-inch rounds and place side by side on the greased baking pan. (The biscuits should be touching but not overlapping.) Reroll the dough as many times as necessary to cut all the biscuits possible. Let the biscuits rest in a warm place 10 to 15 minutes (on top of the warm oven is a good place).
4) Bake until the biscuits are deep golden brown and light to touch when you pick one up, about 20 minutes. If some of the biscuits are browning more quickly than others, rotate the pan after about 10 minutes. Break apart and serve with jam or whipped cream or butter if desired.
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