Decent Biscuits

While I was making the Apple Omelet my husband suggested I make biscuits and gravy to go with it.

Thankfully I had some sausage, I just needed to whip up some biscuits.

I always used to keep pillsbury biscuits in the fridge. We tend to do a sit down breakfast at least one day a week.

No that I am getting more proficient at bread making, I don’t buy refrigerator biscuits anymore. I make them from scratch.

Making biscuits is a lot easier than I used to think. The key, I have learned, is to handle the dough as little as you possibly can.

These biscuits turned out well. They were not, by far, the best biscuits I have ever made. They did not rise as much as I would have liked.

But they were nice and tasty. They are thick enough to be able to handle the sausage gravy.

If I could go back and do anything different, I would have brushed them with butter before baking them. But, even without that, they worked great.

HOT BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

2 Cups Sifted Flour

1 Tablespoon Sugar

4 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Cup Shortening

3/4 Cup Milk

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender cut in shortening until mixture is like coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the center. Pour in 1/2 cup milk. With a fork, mix lightly and quickly. Add enough additional milk to form a dough that is just moist enough to leaves the sides of the bowl and cling to the fork as a ball. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough slightly, about 6 or 7 turns. Roll out from center, lifting rolling pin as you near the edges. Roll to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness. With a floured 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits using a straight motion. Cut biscuits as close together as possible. Between cuttings, dip cutter into flour. Lift biscuits to a baking sheet. Place about 1 inch apart. Lightly press dough trimmings together, roll and cut as before. With a pastry brush, brush the tops with milk or melted butter. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.