Serves: 5

One secret to making flaky biscuits is thoroughly blending or "cutting in" the shortening and dry ingredients. A pastry blender, which breaks the shortening into little lumps, works great for cutting in. If you don’t have one, you can crisscross two table knives through the flour and shortening or use a wire whisk.

For nice-looking biscuits and even baking, roll or pat the dough to an even thickness. Here’s a clever trick for rolling dough to the right thickness every time: Use two sticks, 1/2 inch thick and 14 inches long, as a guide. Place the ball of dough between the sticks, and roll or pat the dough to the thickness of the sticks. Anyone who works with wood can make a pair of these guides. See photo in How to Make Biscuits, below.

Use a biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut the dough, pushing the cutter straight down through the dough. If you twist as you cut, the biscuits will be uneven. Cut the biscuits as close together as possible.

If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, use the end of an opened 6-ounce juice can or other narrow can or glass, or use cookie cutters for fun shapes. Dip in flour before cutting.

After cutting as many biscuits as possible, lightly press(don’t knead) the scraps of dough together. Roll or pat the remaining dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut. These biscuits will look slightly uneven.

Biscuit Cures

Great Baking Powder Biscuits Are:
Light golden brown outside
High with fairly smooth, level tops
Tender and light
Flaky and slightly moist inside

Problem: Possible Cause:
Not high - too little baking powder
- too much mixing
- oven too hot
Dark bottom crust - oven rack placed too low in oven
- oven too hot
Tough - too little shortening
- too much mixing or handling
- too much flour
Not flaky - too little shortening
- too much mixing
- not kneaded enough


From "Betty Crocker's Complete Cookbook, Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 9th Edition." Text Copyright 2000 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

More Recipes from the Betty Crocker's Cookbook, 9th Edition Cookbook:
Apple Coffee Cake
Asiago Bread
BAKING STONES AND TILES
Baking Powder Biscuits
Banana Bread
Banana-Pecan Pancakes
Blueberry Muffins
Bran Muffins
Caramel Sticky Rolls
Cheese-Onion Bread
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Cinnamon-Raisin-Walnut Wheat Bread
Classic White Bread
Corn Bread
Country Loaf
Crepes
Danish Puff
Dark Pumpernickel
Dinner Rolls
Dumplings
Easy Garlic-Cheese Biscuits
Focaccia
Four-Grain Batter Bread
French Bread
French Toast
Fresh Herb Batter Bread
Garlic Bread
HOW TO MAKE BISCUITS
HOW TO MAKE YEAST DOUGH
Herb Buns
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Jalapeño Corn Bread
MISTING AND CREATING STEAM
Mediterranean Herbed Bread
Multigrain Loaf
Oatmeal-Molasses Bread
Pancakes
Popovers
Praline Pan Biscuits
Puffy Oven Pancake
QUICK BREAD BASICS
Raisin-Cinnamon Bread
Rich Egg Bread
Scones
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Starter
Southern Buttermilk Corn Bread
Streusel Topping
Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Bread
TIPS FOR BISCUITS
TIPS FOR BREAD MACHINE BREADS
TIPS FOR NUT BREADS
TIPS FOR PANCAKES AND FRENCH TOAST
Texas Toast
Traditional White Bread
Waffles
Whole Wheat Bread
YEAST BREAD BASICS
Zucchini Bread