In Need Of "southern"biscuit Recipe

[Guest imsohungry]

Hey ya'll.

I'm trying to experiment with making breads again. I tried corn bread the other night, and it turned out pretty good (I used a recipe from this board).

However, I am absolutely CRAVING some good homemade biscuits for the holidays...I usually do a "Christmas breakfast"...it's been a tradition since I was a child, and now that I'm an adult, I just continued it with my hubby.

I tried making some "southern" biscuits last night with our ham for dinner...what a flop! They smelled horrible too...I'm not sure what I did wrong.

I usually make my biscuits in a cast iron skillet (same one I use for the cornbread)...but I'll bake them in anything if they'll just taste good! Let me know. Thanks ladies and gents!

-Julie

[Katydid]

Hey Julie - I know all about biscuit flops. I have tried every recipe I could get my hands on for 15 years and mine still turned out like hockey pucks. The GOOD NEWS is I stumbled across a mix that is absolutely awesome. Its called 1-2-3 Gluten Free and they have a website under the same name.

These biscuits are to die for.. and so easy its unbelievable. All you add is cold butter, half-and-half , and cream (I have to admit since I seldom have cream on hand, I just melt vanilla ice-cream)

The most terrific part is how easy the dough handles. You just dump it out on a floured counter and pat it out. You can even get along with out a rolling pin. The beauty of using this mix is they always turn out the same.....TERRIFIC. One bag makes about 14 large biscuits, or more if smaller. They also freeze super.

You take them out of the oven, lather them with butter and honey, and one bite makes you feel like you were back in your grandma's kitchen of yesteryear. Also great with sausage gravy. yumm.

You gotta try em.

Kay

Hey ya'll. 

I'm trying to experiment with making breads again.  I tried corn bread the other night, and it turned out pretty good (I used a recipe from this board). 

However, I am absolutely CRAVING some good homemade biscuits for the holidays...I usually do a "Christmas breakfast"...it's been a tradition since I was a child, and now that I'm an adult, I just continued it with my hubby. 

I tried making some "southern" biscuits last night with our ham for dinner...what a flop!   They smelled horrible too...I'm not sure what I did wrong.   

I usually make my biscuits in a cast iron skillet (same one I use for the cornbread)...but I'll bake them in anything if they'll just taste good! Let me know.  Thanks ladies and gents!

-Julie

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[Jenn2005]

I just made the 123 Gluten Free biscuits also. My husband and son loved them also. They weren't hard to make either. I had to make the dairy free version because hubbie is casein intolerant. I also froze the extras and pull out what I need each nite. Works great. I'm getting ready to order more.

The brownies were great also.

Jennifer

[laurelfla]

ok, don't hate me but i tried these biscuits from 123 and they are not at all like what i remember. the texture was way off and they were sweet... do you think there's something i could do to them to make them more to my liking? would using buttermilk cut down on the sweetness? thanks!

[Jenn2005]

I can't really compare the ones I made to regular ones because I used the dairy free version. The regular version called for buttermilk I believe but I'm not sure. I used homemade buttermilk alternative (soy, almond, or rice milk @ room temp w/ lemon juice added and crisco butter flavored shortening in place of butter). I can think of a few things I would do differently next time. But the main thing is Shane and Tyler were happy at dinner.

Jennifer

[Guest nini]

to cut down on the sweetness of the 1-2-3 Gluten Free Southern Glory Biscuits I've omitted the sugar, used salted butter and used regular milk instead of cream. They still turned out really really good.

[Guest imsohungry]

Thank you all for the suggestion. I will try the 1-2-3 biscuits.

However, I am also looking for a good and fairly easy biscuit recipe that I can make myself. I am trying to order less food on-line and make more "homemade."

This is mainly out of necessity...with the baby on the way, we need to begin conserving money.

Any recipes? Thanks in advance! -Julie

[lonewolf]

I do almost all of my cooking/baking from scratch. I make biscuits once in a while and they aren't quite like "normal" , but my kids and husband will eat them without complaint. I think the key is to have a good gluten free flour mix ready to go. I don't waste my money on anything pre-mixed, since all the mixes cost so much. I am not celiac, but am allergic to gluten as well as eggs, soy and milk.

Here's my recipe: (also works for fast pizza crust when desperate)

2 C Gluten free flour mix

1/3 C + 1Tbs Butter

2-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp Ener-G egg replacer

If using unsalted butter - 1 tsp. salt

Blend all ingredients with pastry cutter until butter is well distributed and in tiny pieces. Then add:

3/4 C Milk (Goat milk, rice milk work too)

Stir really well until dough forms a ball. Let sit for a few minutes. Drop by spoonfuls or roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

My gluten free flour mix is 2 C Brown rice flour, 2/3 C Potato starch flour, 1/3 C Tapioca flour and 2-1/2 tsp Xanthan gum. Sift at least 3 times. I usually make 3-4 batches of this at once and keep it on hand so I can just measure out the flour I need.

Good luck!

Liz

[jmj0803]

Hey ya'll. 

I'm trying to experiment with making breads again.  I tried corn bread the other night, and it turned out pretty good (I used a recipe from this board). 

However, I am absolutely CRAVING some good homemade biscuits for the holidays...I usually do a "Christmas breakfast"...it's been a tradition since I was a child, and now that I'm an adult, I just continued it with my hubby.  

I tried making some "southern" biscuits last night with our ham for dinner...what a flop!    They smelled horrible too...I'm not sure what I did wrong.    

I usually make my biscuits in a cast iron skillet (same one I use for the cornbread)...but I'll bake them in anything if they'll just taste good! Let me know.   Thanks ladies and gents!

-Julie

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I found a recipe in Bette Hagman's "THE GLUTEN-FREE GOURMET COOKS COMFORT FOODS" page 226. Many people on the board thought this recipe was to much work. I make the featherlight mix up ahead of time. My whole family has had these and find they are very similar to the southern biscuit. My dad is a biscuit and gravy man from West Virginia and gave his thumbs up!.

Featherlight Biscuits

7/8 cup Feather light mix

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons shortening

1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

In mixing bowl, combine the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk and work gently until the dough forms a ball.

Turn out onto a surface dusted with sweet rice flour and pat or lightly roll to 3/4" thickness. Cut the dough into 2 1/2" squares or form round biscuits using a 2 1/2" round cutter.( I use a large drinking glass) Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. I bake them in a glass pyrex baking pan. I also put oil in the pan and turn the biscuit dough in the oil before baking. This keeps them from browning to much and locks in moisture.

The Featherlight mix formula is

Rice Flour(1part) 1 cup

Tapioca Flour(1 part) 1 cup

Cornstarch(1part) 1 cup

Potato Flour(1 teaspoon per cup) 1 Tablespoon

Hope this helps!

[Guest imsohungry]

Thank you all SO MUCH! I will most definitely give these a try! My hubby has been helping cook more since I have become pregnant and he said if we can find a good biscuit recipe too...he'll work with me to learn how to make it. He really is trying to learn to cook also so that he can help (and our finances can survive) after the baby is born.

Any other recipes? Thanks everyone! -Julie

[Suzie]

I found a recipe in Bette Hagman's "THE GLUTEN-FREE GOURMET COOKS COMFORT FOODS" page 226. Many people on the board thought this recipe was to much work. I make the featherlight mix up ahead of time. My whole family has had these and find they are very similar to the southern biscuit. My dad is a biscuit and gravy man from West Virginia and gave his thumbs up!.

Featherlight Biscuits

7/8 cup Feather light mix

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons shortening

1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

In mixing bowl, combine the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk and work gently until the dough forms a ball.

Turn out onto a surface dusted with sweet rice flour and pat or lightly roll to 3/4" thickness. Cut the dough into 2 1/2" squares or form round biscuits using a 2 1/2" round cutter.( I use a large drinking glass) Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. I bake them in a glass pyrex baking pan. I also put oil in the pan and turn the biscuit dough in the oil before baking. This keeps them from browning to much and locks in moisture.

The Featherlight mix formula is

Rice Flour(1part) 1 cup

Tapioca Flour(1 part) 1 cup

Cornstarch(1part) 1 cup

Potato Flour(1 teaspoon per cup) 1 Tablespoon

Hope this helps!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have made the featherlite biscuits twice and the only problem I have had is rolling the dough too thin. When Bette says the dough needs to be 3/4" thick she means it!! The aroma is not as good as "real" biscuits but I just don't get too close. I think I'm going to use the butter-flavored Crisco the next time and see if that helps the taste and aroma. I don't think the recipe is too much work, especially for one who loves biscuits.

Sue

[cdford]

Stop it, stop it, stop it!!!!! She said SOUTHERN biscuits, folks. That means no sugar, no butter until after they are cooked, and --please--biscuits here mean buttermilk. So here goes. These turn out quite well.

I use my usual gluten-free mix like I am baking bread. I add little rice flour to make sure the bean flavor does not come through if my mix has any bean flour in it. The bean flour smooths the texture and limits the graininess.

2 cups gluten-free mix

1 tsp xanthan gum (1 1/2 if your mix is all rice)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix together so that ingredients are well distributed. Make a well in the center. Into the well, place 1/3 cup shortening (or lard if you are a super traditionalist) and 1/2 cup buttermilk. With the back of the spoon, work the shortening and buttermilk together until it is mixed into the flour with no lumps of lard left. Add just enough additional buttermilk to make a smooth ball of dough. It usually takes another 1/4 - 1/2 cup here in moisture laden Georgia.

This can now be done one of two ways...Grandma Sadie rolled hers out 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface and cut them into circles. Grandma Flo broke off a round and worked it in her floured hands until it was a ball about twice the size of a golf ball. She then flattened it onto the greased cookie sheet using her fingers. It left that cool looking set of waves across the top.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes until brown. If you like crunchy edges, place them 2 inches apart. If you like soft edges, place them just touching on the pan so that the sides cook up next to each other.

MMM MMM good stuff.

[Suzie]

Stop it, stop it, stop it!!!!! She said SOUTHERN biscuits, folks. That means no sugar, no butter until after they are cooked, and --please--biscuits here mean buttermilk. So here goes. These turn out quite well.

I use my usual gluten-free mix like I am baking bread. I add little rice flour to make sure the bean flavor does not come through if my mix has any bean flour in it. The bean flour smooths the texture and limits the graininess.

2 cups gluten-free mix

1 tsp xanthan gum (1 1/2 if your mix is all rice)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix together so that ingredients are well distributed. Make a well in the center. Into the well, place 1/3 cup shortening (or lard if you are a super traditionalist) and 1/2 cup buttermilk. With the back of the spoon, work the shortening and buttermilk together until it is mixed into the flour with no lumps of lard left. Add just enough additional buttermilk to make a smooth ball of dough. It usually takes another 1/4 - 1/2 cup here in moisture laden Georgia.

This can now be done one of two ways...Grandma Sadie rolled hers out 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface and cut them into circles. Grandma Flo broke off a round and worked it in her floured hands until it was a ball about twice the size of a golf ball. She then flattened it onto the greased cookie sheet using her fingers. It left that cool looking set of waves across the top.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes until brown. If you like crunchy edges, place them 2 inches apart. If you like soft edges, place them just touching on the pan so that the sides cook up next to each other.

MMM MMM good stuff.

Wow!! Did you take me back some 50 years!! My mom used her hand to squeeze and stir the milk and "lard" into the flour until it was just the right consistency. Oh, for that ability!! Her biscuits were the lightest, fluffiest things on earth. Oh, well, it's a good memory anyway. But my question is, exactly what is the gluten-free mix you use. I am still new with this gluten-free cooking and want to try anything that sounds good.

Sue

[laurelfla]

Stop it, stop it, stop it!!!!! She said SOUTHERN biscuits, folks. That means no sugar, no butter until after they are cooked, and --please--biscuits here mean buttermilk. So here goes. These turn out quite well.

I use my usual gluten-free mix like I am baking bread. I add little rice flour to make sure the bean flavor does not come through if my mix has any bean flour in it. The bean flour smooths the texture and limits the graininess.

2 cups gluten-free mix

1 tsp xanthan gum (1 1/2 if your mix is all rice)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix together so that ingredients are well distributed. Make a well in the center. Into the well, place 1/3 cup shortening (or lard if you are a super traditionalist) and 1/2 cup buttermilk. With the back of the spoon, work the shortening and buttermilk together until it is mixed into the flour with no lumps of lard left. Add just enough additional buttermilk to make a smooth ball of dough. It usually takes another 1/4 - 1/2 cup here in moisture laden Georgia.

This can now be done one of two ways...Grandma Sadie rolled hers out 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface and cut them into circles. Grandma Flo broke off a round and worked it in her floured hands until it was a ball about twice the size of a golf ball. She then flattened it onto the greased cookie sheet using her fingers. It left that cool looking set of waves across the top.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes until brown. If you like crunchy edges, place them 2 inches apart. If you like soft edges, place them just touching on the pan so that the sides cook up next to each other.

MMM MMM good stuff.

bless your sweet heart! thank you for understanding. i can't wait to try these out. i've been disappointed with every biscuit i've had thus far, be it from scratch or mix. it's on now!

[cdford]

I would have added my "mix" instructions except that I have already packed them up to move! I went back and did a search of this site to see if I could find my old posts containing them. I could not find the small batch listing. Remember when making biscuits you may have to adjust the amount of rice/bean flours according to your personal tastes or local weather. Rice can be grainy; bean flours give baked goods a great texture but can have a strong flavor. When making biscuits, use the proper amount of the dry mix and add the leavening, shortening, and buttermilk instead of the yeast and such that you would use for baking bread.

This is what I found:

Bread Mix and instructions (make up a large batch of this then just pull the amount you need at any given time)

Here is the large batch amounts I use for flour to bake bread, etc.:

6 2/3 cups Brown Rice Flour

3 1/3 cups Potato Starch

1 2/3 cups Tapioca Flour

1 2/3 cups Ground Flax seed

1 1/4 cups Sugar

1/4 cup + 1 TBL Xanthan gum

5 tsp Salt (plain, not iodized if you have DH)

1/2 - 1 cup Bean flour according to taste

I place all this into a very large bowl and use a whisk to mix it together well. I then place it into a covered plastic container in the fridge.

I bake bread in the bread machine as follows:

Place 2 Tbl oil (I prefer light olive) into machine pan and roll it around a little to coat the bottom. Add 1 cup buttermilk and two eggs at room temperature. Use 2 1/2 cups of the flour mix. On the top, put two tsp yeast. I set my machine on a basic setting with a light crust and push the button. Voila, three hours later I have bread.

[cdford]

I found it!!! Here is the short version of the gluten-free mix I use.

2 cups gluten-free flour (I use B. Hagman's - 2 parts brown rice flour, 2/3 part potato starch, 1/3 part tapioca flour)

1/3 cup ground flax seed

3 Tbs Sugar

2 tsp Xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

I also add several tablespoons of bean flour to give it a smoother, more consistent texture.

Have fun, girls!

Oh yes...if you want to try doing those biscuits in your hands, try it like this:

Flour both hands well. Break off a bit of dough about the size of two golf balls. Place it in your left hand (assuming you are right handed). Using the fingers of your right hand, curl the edges under as you turn the ball in your left hand. The left hand should remain almost still. All the motion is with the right hand. The turning and pressing under motions are simultaneous. Turn it slightly and curl a little more under. Do this until the top and outside edge are smooth. The bottom of the mound in your left hand will not be smooth. You may need to re-dip your hands into flour to keep the dough from sticking to you. Place the ball on the greased cookie sheet and press down with your middle three fingers until it is about 1/3 to 1/2 inch in height.

It takes practice. Don't worry if they look pretty interesting to begin with. Don't work the dough too hard trying to get them perfect. Part of the mystique of homemade goods is that they do not all look just alike.

[Guest imsohungry]

Oh boy, oh boy....I'm so excited!!!

I REALLY want some of my "mama's" southern-type biscuits! We always used our hands in the batter and baked them in a cast-iron pan and they were SOOOO good.

I will DEFINITELY be trying your recipe...sorry I wasn't making myself clear. I never knew what to call them other than "mama's biscuits"....I figured that wouldn't get any response at all....so I replaced "mama" with "southern."

Oh boy, I'm so tickled...I'll let you know how they turn out!

[Guest imsohungry]

Stop it, stop it, stop it!!!!! She said SOUTHERN biscuits, folks. That means no sugar, no butter until after they are cooked, and --please--biscuits here mean buttermilk. So here goes. These turn out quite well.

I use my usual gluten-free mix like I am baking bread. I add little rice flour to make sure the bean flavor does not come through if my mix has any bean flour in it. The bean flour smooths the texture and limits the graininess.

2 cups gluten-free mix

1 tsp xanthan gum (1 1/2 if your mix is all rice)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix together so that ingredients are well distributed. Make a well in the center. Into the well, place 1/3 cup shortening (or lard if you are a super traditionalist) and 1/2 cup buttermilk. With the back of the spoon, work the shortening and buttermilk together until it is mixed into the flour with no lumps of lard left. Add just enough additional buttermilk to make a smooth ball of dough. It usually takes another 1/4 - 1/2 cup here in moisture laden Georgia.

This can now be done one of two ways...Grandma Sadie rolled hers out 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface and cut them into circles. Grandma Flo broke off a round and worked it in her floured hands until it was a ball about twice the size of a golf ball. She then flattened it onto the greased cookie sheet using her fingers. It left that cool looking set of waves across the top.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes until brown. If you like crunchy edges, place them 2 inches apart. If you like soft edges, place them just touching on the pan so that the sides cook up next to each other.

MMM MMM good stuff.

Donna,

I just had to add that your post brings back memories of standing in my Grandma's kitchen in Savannah and watching her make her "one of a kind" biscuits. Like you said, she dug a hole in the middle of the flour, plopped in her lard, and then the milk...and she ALWAYS flattened them out with the back of her fingers/knuckles for that "wavy effect." Thanks for the post!

[brian26]

Donna,

I am so glad someone understands "southern biscuits." I have been trying for over 2 years and haven't found one yet! I can't wait to try yours.

Thanks again!