The Art of Biscuits
Suzanne Pollak
Photo by Landon Neil Phillips 2016
THE ART OF BISCUITS
Carbs make people feel better, that is by now a well-covered fact. Another current fact is that yeast is difficult to find. The first and foremost beauty of the biscuit is no yeast is required.
Find the Academy’s best Biscuit recipe HERE and CONTACT to schedule a virtual class with the Dean on this or any other subject under the domestic sun…
The Beauty of Biscuits
Oh, what the mighty little biscuit can do if you just ask him. He serves a purpose all day long. What other food can bring satisfaction all day, every day? Especially something so easy to make?
Breakfast biscuits - split (never cut) and slathered with marmalade or honey.
Lunch - split and covered with gravy from fried or roasted chicken.
Herb biscuits - fresh herbs either folded in dough or stuffed inside. A version of a salad.
Tea time - wipe heavy cream on top, sprinkle a lot of sugar on top, and Voilá! You have a version of scones. (You could even add dried fruit if you are feeling fancy.)
Cocktail hour - ham biscuit with lots of cheese and/or freshly ground black pepper in dough. Hot mustard optional.
Don’t forget about dessert! Split and serve with strawberries and freshly whipped cream.
See below for recipe adjustments...
The Beauty of Biscuits Part 2
Perfect to make ahead the morning of, the day before, the month before — simply freeze and bake as needed. It's called being Ready for Anything.
The Beauty of Biscuits Part 3
Not daunting to make if you follow instructions and learn to handle the dough 'til it resembles a baby’s bottom. Practice a few times and you will become as good as Bash, the Biscuit Baby, Academy alum.
Why I came up with my particular recipe:
The first time I tasted a croissant, visiting Europe from Africa, my head spun! I fell in love for life. I’d never tasted anything as light and airy as a croissant. However, as love affairs tend to do, I became a prisoner. I skipped school for two days and made croissants. I promise, if you are learning to bake croissants, even now, you are planning to open a French bakery. They are so hard it’s unbelievable. There is a great probability they will turn into hockey pucks.
Biscuits will not. I never had a biscuit until I moved South. My head spun once more. They are friendly, probably because they are not as sophisticated and as haughty as the elegant croissant. Croissants are the couture pastry. I took what I learned during my croissant cooking try and added that to biscuit making.
Only takes 8 - 10 minutes to bake so bake them fresh.
The Pleasure Biscuits Bring
To see your loved ones happy and smiling when they first smell the baking, then bite into the biscuit is the greatest pleasure; to say nothing of your own satisfaction later when everyone wonders where all the biscuits have gone and you can tell them matter-of-factly, Straight to your stomachs.
Biscuit Basics
What to use if you can get it:
Use full fat buttermilk
Use European style butter.
Any kind of flour - I have made 1,000,000,000 biscuits. White Lily is good and so is King Arthur’s unbleached white. King Arthur has a little more structure, While Lily, sort of similar to cake flour, is a little softer. What can I say? I like structure in everything.
Alternatives when your grocery store is out of buttermilk:
Sweet milk - biscuits made with whole milk.
Yoghurt or sour cream - fresh thyme leaves are super good in these!
Heavy cream - more like scones. Add a cream wash and sugar to the top.
Cheese - add 6 ounce any kind of cheese to the 3 cup flour biscuit & use 4 tablespoons of butter. Roll a little thinner, but not like a cracker. I like spicy with cheese but prefer freshly ground black pepper instead of cayenne. Split and stuff with country ham and hot mustard. These are delicious hot and at room temperature.
Sweet potato - add 1/2 cup mashed cold cooked sweet potatoes. Dough will be heavier so roll out thinner. Delicious taste and color.