Recipe Alton Brown's Biscuits

CraigC

CraigC

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The man may be a little strange, but these are some of the best biscuits I've ever tasted/made. They are great with sausage gravy.*

Ingredients
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions
1)Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.)
3) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
4)Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times.
5) Press into a 1-inch thick round.
6) Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough.
7) Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first)
8) Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

*Mod. note: These are American 'biscuits' which are similar to a UK savoury scone. They are commonly served with a white gravy (sauce) containing sausage meat. They are often served buttered as a stand alone part of a meal, also with jelly (jam) at breakfast and they are popular as a breakfast sandwich or a lunch or dinner sandwich.
 
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Why is it a little strange?

Biscuits, of course, means cookies in the UK but I think on CookingBites we are mostly familiar with American biscuits which are a bit like a savoury scone.
 
morning glory said:
Why is it a little strange?

Biscuits, of course, means cookies in the UK but I think on CookingBites we are mostly familiar with American biscuits which are a bit like a savoury scone.
Click to expand...

Not "it", Alton Brown is a little strange. If you ever watch an episode of "Good Eats" or "Iron Chef" (America) you'll see why.:scratchhead:
 
CraigC said:
The man may be a little strange, but these are some of the best biscuits I've ever tasted/made. They are great with sausage gravy.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions
1)Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.)
3) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
4)Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times.
5) Press into a 1-inch thick round.
6) Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough.
7) Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first)
8) Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.
Click to expand...



Hi Craig, I clicked on this automatically thinking of a sweet bake because I don't follow the American cooking shows. I wonder if it would be possible for you to add the word savoury to the title?

I will try making these so I know what a savoury biscuits will be like.
 
Kake Lover said:
I clicked on this automatically thinking of a sweet bake because I don't follow the American cooking shows. I wonder if it would be possible for you to add the word savoury to the title?
Click to expand...

Biscuits is the common US term for something which is like a UK scone. Think cheese scone without the cheese. They are commonly served with a white gravy (sauce) containing sausage meat. They are also used for toppings on stews. I think perhaps adding the word savoury could lead to more confusion as what we in the UK mean by a savoury biscuit is a cracker or a flat savoury biscuit often eaten with cheese. I'll add a note to the recipe to clarify.

Biscuits topping a stew:
exps753_MRR143297D08_12_1b.jpg

Biscuits with sausage gravy:
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Actually, biscuits are probably most often served buttered as a stand alone part of a meal, also with jelly at breakfast. They are also popular as a breakfast sandwich or even a lunch or dinner sandwich, especially with ham in the south. If you add sugar, they are also great with strawberries and cream, ice or whipped.
 
medtran49 said:
Actually, biscuits are probably most often served buttered as a stand alone part of a meal, also with jelly at breakfast. They are also popular as a breakfast sandwich or even a lunch or dinner sandwich, especially with ham in the south. If you add sugar, they are also great with strawberries and cream, ice or whipped.
Click to expand...

Blimey! I can't quite get all that in the footnote. i didn't realise they were used in so many ways. I'll try to amend the footnote to reflect this. I learn something every day!

How are they served as sandwiches? Do you mean they are split open and filled?
 
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I've had the biscuits & (sausage?) gravy at a hotel in the US (Oregon) ..they served it at breakfast.
Good, but very filling.. one has the desire to waddle out of the restaurant after..& back to the room ..for another sleep :sleep:
 
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