Harriet's Southern Biscuits

Y’all, this is the kind of biscuit you grew up eating at Sunday supper if you were lucky. The hot cast iron skillet is the secret. Preheating that black pan with a spoonful of shortening gives the bottom of each biscuit a crackly, fried-bread crust while the inside stays tender as a cloud.

Buttermilk and baking soda are the leavening team. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the soda to throw off the gas that lifts the biscuits sky-high. Skip the buttermilk and you get hockey pucks. There’s no substitute that gives the same lift and tang.

The golden rule: don’t overwork the dough. A few kneads on a floured board is all it takes. The more you handle it, the tougher the biscuit. Pat to a half inch thick, cut straight down without twisting the cutter, and slide them into that hot pan.

A 500°F (260°C) oven is what separates Southern biscuits from soft Northern ones. That blast of heat hits the wet dough, the steam shoots straight up, and you get tall flaky layers.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep the shortening cold. Cut it in until the mix looks like coarse cornmeal. Visible fat shards are what create flaky layers.
• Don’t twist the biscuit cutter. Press straight down and lift straight up so the layers can rise evenly.
• Place biscuits touching in the skillet for soft sides or spaced apart for crispier all-around browning.
• A cast iron skillet is highly recommended. Lighter pans don’t preheat hot enough to crisp the bottoms the way this recipe expects.

Variations

• Swap shortening for cold butter for a richer, more flavorful biscuit (you lose a bit of tenderness for more flavor).
• Add a tablespoon of sugar for slightly sweeter biscuits that pair with jam or sausage gravy.
• Brush tops with melted butter the second they come out of the oven for a glossy, buttery finish.