Drop Biscuits
The beauty of a drop biscuit lies in its intentional irregularity. Because you never handle the dough, the biscuits stay tender rather than turning tough from over-working the gluten.
Cold fat is your only strict requirement.
Keep your butter in the fridge until the very second you are ready to cut it into the flour. Warm butter melts too quickly, leaving you with flat discs instead of tall, airy bites.
- large mixing bowl
- pastry blender or two knives
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- large spoon
What goes in.
- 2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 tbspbaking powder
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 6 tbspcold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cupwhole milk or buttermilk
Keep the fat solid
Use a pastry blender to work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs. If the butter smears into the flour, stop and chill the bowl in the freezer for five minutes.
The method.
Preheat and prep
Set your oven to 425°F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper so the bottoms release cleanly.
Mix dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Ensure the baking powder is evenly distributed so the biscuits rise consistently.
Cut in the butter
Add the cold butter cubes. Use your pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like uneven pebbles.
Add the liquid
Pour the milk into the center. Stir with a wooden spoon just until the flour is moistened. The dough should be shaggy and sticky, not smooth.
Drop the dough
Use a large spoon to drop rounds of dough onto the sheet, spacing them two inches apart. Do not press or flatten them; the jagged edges will get crisp in the heat.
Bake
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Look for a deep gold color on the peaks and an audible hollow sound when tapped.
Other turns to take.
Sharp Cheddar and Chive
Fold in a half-cup of grated sharp cheddar and a tablespoon of minced chives after adding the milk.
Black Pepper and Parmesan
Add a teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper to the dry mix and sprinkle grated parmesan over the tops before baking.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Avoid over-mixing once the milk is added; stop as soon as no dry flour remains to ensure a light crumb.
If your kitchen is warm, chill the flour in the freezer for ten minutes before beginning.
For a darker top, brush the mounds with a little extra milk or melted butter before they hit the oven.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why are my biscuits hard?
Usually, this means the dough was mixed for too long or the oven temperature was too low, forcing the biscuit to bake too long to get color.
Can I use self-rising flour?
Yes, omit the baking powder and salt if you use self-rising flour.