Help with..... BISCUITS

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" <shiver@me_timbers.com> wrote in message
news:310320052034337826%shiver@me_timbers.com...

Quoted message said:

Folks.... I'm at my wits end.

I want biscuits.

I've tried Bisquik.... Or however they spell it on the box, and the
results are terrible.

I've tried mixing it so it's fairly dry and doesn't stick to the
fingers, I've rolled it and compressed it.

I've made them thin and I've made them thick

It doesn't seem to matter what I do or how I cook them.

They wind up crumbly and raw in the middle.

I cook under high heat with the rack in the middle and cook them in a
pyrex baking dish.

When I notice them starting to brown on the bottom I turn the oven to
broil so they will brown on top. If I don't they burn on the bottom and
are basically white up top.

400 degrees at ten minutes..... I should be so lucky.

I have to cook these puppies for at least twenty minutes before they
brown up.

What's a biscuit lover to do.

For starters....how about following directions? Your post is so odd as to
make me wonder if you're trolling, or trying an April Fool's joke somewhat
early.
If you're not, well....they're never going to brown in a pyrex baking dish.
They ought not be broiled. Simply baked on a *flat* baking sheet for the
amount of time specified. Use the ingredients and methods described on the
box. Follow the directions and use the proper tools, and then get back to us
with the results.

kimberly

Nexis said:

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" <shiver@me_timbers.com> wrote in message
news:310320052034337826%shiver@me_timbers.com...

Quoted message said:

Folks.... I'm at my wits end.

I want biscuits.

I've tried Bisquik.... Or however they spell it on the box, and the
results are terrible.

I've tried mixing it so it's fairly dry and doesn't stick to the
fingers, I've rolled it and compressed it.

I've made them thin and I've made them thick

It doesn't seem to matter what I do or how I cook them.

They wind up crumbly and raw in the middle.

I cook under high heat with the rack in the middle and cook them in a
pyrex baking dish.

For starters....how about following directions? Your post is so odd
as to make me wonder if you're trolling, or trying an April Fool's
joke somewhat early.
If you're not, well....they're never going to brown in a pyrex baking
dish. They ought not be broiled. Simply baked on a *flat* baking
sheet for the amount of time specified. Use the ingredients and
methods described on the box. Follow the directions and use the
proper tools, and then get back to us with the results.

kimberly

Based on the follow-up post, methinks it's a troll, for sure, but at least
an on topic troll 🙂

Jill

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:

Quoted message said:

jmcquown <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Based on the follow-up post, methinks it's a troll, for sure, but at
least an on topic troll 🙂

Fraid not lady.... I just tweaked to this newsgroup tonite and since
I've been having trouble making sucessful biscuits I thought I'd ask
for some advice in this newsgroup.

Asking for advice is allowed is it not...... Jill.??????????????????

Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

Hows about you get some some of that Bisquik or Betty Crocker mix and add
milk or buttermilk but NOT until it's dry in a mixing bowl. There is
absolutely no reason to knead it when it's in a baking pan. Mix it per the
directions until it is still moist. Now, if you want ROLLED biscuits,
scatter a handful of the baking mix on a board and put the dough on it. Rub
the rolling pin with a little of the dry mix, too. Roll out the dough to
about 1 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter or a glass (about the diameter of
the biscuits you want) dipped in some of the dry baking mix and use that to
cut the biscuits.

Place the biscuits 2 inches apart on a baking sheet - not in a pyrex pan or
in a cake pan, but on a baking sheet - and bake per the package directions.
I have no idea what the package says but just do what it says.

Jill <--Reading is FUNdimental

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:

Correct me If I am wrong but by using my hands I'm not compressing the
dough enough like a rolling pin would do....??????????

Hands are fine. I used my hands and my bicuits turn out nicely.

biig said:

I make bisquick biscuits a lot and have no problem.....maybe it's your
oven??? They don't taste like biscuits you get in the south, but for a
mix they are pretty good. Maybe try brushing them with a bit of melted
butter? HTH....Sharon in SW Ontario Canada

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:

What's a biscuit lover to do. (clipped)

First off, get an oven thermometer. Try it in different spots in your oven.
My bisquits like a hot oven, so warm it up before you bake. Using your oven
thermometer, see how long it takes 10-15 minutes or whatever. Are you at high
altitude? Make altitude adjustments according to package or local ag agent.
And if you overwork your batter by kneading and/or rolling you could make it
tough. Easy does it, just a few kneads and rolls, coupla minutes. Drag them
puppies outta the oven when they get done, leaving them in would overbake. If
you cover them nicely with a tea towel or cover, they will get softish, but
stay warm. Leaving them open will get them cooler, but they'll be crispyish.
A nice easy recipe - self rising flour and thick cream or half-and-half to
texture, then roll and bake at 400F. Maybe buttermilk? Haven't tried it yet.
Would not want a no-fat buttermilk tho, need the fat.
Edrena

jmcquown said:

Hows about you get some some of that Bisquik or Betty Crocker mix

Or if ya make bisquits with any frequency just blend a large amount of the
dry ingredients and store in a canister...that way you'll only have to
measure out the dry mix and add liquid when you get a hankerin' for bisquits
(I make dry cornbread mix and do the same thing)...they are one of the
easiest things to make.

--
Best
Greg

Quoted message said:

biig <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

And if it has sides, turn it upside down and put some parchment on it
to keep the biscuits from sticking. I have, in the past used foil with
the dull side up to prevent having to clean the pan.

I'm gonna try that tonight and I'll let the group know how it turns out.

I must say I'm impressed by the groups response.

One or two pieces of advise I was hoping for, but yikeys, I'm getting
the full monty over my little biscuits.

I finally took a close look at, and tried some of the ones I did last
night.

They were not as crumbly as before, a little spongy and rawish in the
middle, but not bad, but still kinda crumbly.

Here's my problem...... It's been so long since I had a biscuit that I
really don't know what the critter is supposed to look like.

Perhaps I'm expecting it to be like a bread roll... I dunno.

But I feel that I'm getting closer and with the help of those who have
responded, and trying things, like getting a cookie sheet or tonight
trying with a baking pan upside down, etc., that I'm going to get
pretty close to a tasty product.

Again let me say thanks to all who responded, even if I don't reply
directly to your post.... I have read them all and taken them all to
heart.

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:

Folks.... I'm at my wits end.

I want biscuits.

I've tried Bisquik.... Or however they spell it on the box, and the
results are terrible.

I've tried mixing it so it's fairly dry and doesn't stick to the
fingers, I've rolled it and compressed it.

I've made them thin and I've made them thick

It doesn't seem to matter what I do or how I cook them.

They wind up crumbly and raw in the middle.

I cook under high heat with the rack in the middle and cook them in
a
pyrex baking dish.

When I notice them starting to brown on the bottom I turn the oven
to
broil so they will brown on top. If I don't they burn on the bottom
and are basically white up top.

400 degrees at ten minutes..... I should be so lucky.

I have to cook these puppies for at least twenty minutes before they
brown up.

What's a biscuit lover to do.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

2 C all-purpose flour, plus more if needed (it's raining today, so I'd
need more)
1/4 t baking soda
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
6 T lard or vegetable shortening
3/4 C buttermilk

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening
with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture has the texture of
coarse meal (you can do this in a food processor by pulsing it several
times). Add the buttermilk and mix with your hand, lightly but
thoroughly. If the dough is too sticky, mix in a little more flour.
Knead for 1 minute. DO NOT OVERKNEAD. Wrap in wax paper or Saran and
refrigerate until well chilled, at least 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll the doubh out 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured surface or a
pastry cloth. Always roll from the center out for tender, crisp
buscuits. Cut into the desired size.

Place biscuits on a dark baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 10
to 12 minutes.

This will make 25 to 30 biscuits, depending on how big you make them.
Baked biscuits will freeze; do not try to freeze unbaked buttermilk
dough (doesn't work, been there, tried that).

Tips:

Lard will make a crisper biscuit than vegetable shortening.
Overkneading makes them tough.
Too much flour on the pastry board will also toughen them.
Bake them in a very hot oven or they will toughen.
Biscuits will bake faster and browner on a dark baking sheet as
opposed to a light one.

Good luck. Dough is cheap - don't be afraid to keep trying until you
get it right. My grandmother always said I never got it just right.

--
"Life is hard. Life is harder when you're stupid". - John Wayne

"Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with
bloodshed" - Mao Zedong

'99 FLHRCI

Remove 74 before replying

Quoted message said:

Pizen <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Why thank you.... I'm a little overwhelmed at the effort the group is
making to get me my biscuits.

I can see that I will need to start up a file of recipies.

You certainly have a viable group here..... When I started looking the
other day there were over 45000 message headers on my newserver
so I marked them all read and just in the last day there has to be
close to a couple hundred new ones.

I'm going to look forward to trying out some of those recipies that I
see posted here, especially the simple ones with small ingredient
lists.

Thanks to all.... once again.

On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 07:13:04 GMT, SHIVER ME TIMBERS

shiver@me_timbers.com said:

The saga continues.

Betty Crocker Biscuit mix.

Take mix - add milk.
Kept adding mix until dough wasn't sticky,

If you are using a mix, the INSTRUCTIONS should be on the package
somewhere. Stop guessing at how much milk to add and how much mix to
use.
Mix quickly with a fork until dry ingredients are just moist. It will
be lumpy.

Quoted message said:

added a bunch of mix to
metal cake pan,
rolled and neaded dough in pan,

Do not knead biscuit dough. It makes the biscuits tough. Simply pour
your completed biscuit mix (with liquid added) onto a little plain
flour (or dry mix if you don't have flour) and pat it down with your
hands to desired thickness. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS to find the
thickness. That may be one reason your biscuits are "raw" in the
middle.

Quoted message said:

flattened it out into
two strips, one higher than the other.

Biscuits aren't made in strips, and again, the bulk of the strips may
be causing the poor results. When you have your dough patted flat, use
the rim of a drinking glass or even a knife to cut your biscuits to
shape. You can also go the "drop biscuit" route and simply drop your
dough onto the baking sheet in big lumps.

Quoted message said:

Baked at 450 degrees for twenty minutes and then turned off oven and
left for another half hour.

Again, check your instructions, but baking should be at 450 degrees
for only 10-12 minutes. NO broiling, NO leaving them in the oven for a
half hour.

Quoted message said:

Maybe I should stick with the tube of Pillsberry doughboy stuff outta
the freezer section of the grocery store.

If you follow the directions, listen to all the advice you've been
given, and then still can't manage plain biscuits, then yes, maybe you
should.

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:

...having trouble making sucessful
biscuits I thought I'd ask for some advice
in this newsgroup.

I've made perfectly flaked and perfectly browned buttermilk biscuits for
many years with the Bisquick you mention using. Follow the box
directions to the letter; handle the dough as little as possible, and
know that over-mixing the buttermilk into the dry ingredients is a
no-no. Smaller than pea-size (no more than 3/16"😉 dry specks in the
dough are a good thing, and also what gives the final result of
flakiness. Absolutely use a metal baking SHEET, not a well sided pan of
any sort. If you have no sheet, turn your mentioned and well cleaned
pan over to use it's bottom, or bake the biscuits on doubled foil
instead, at exactly the time and temperature the box tells you to,
centering the rack, or setting it to no more that an inch or so higher
than center works just fine.

Picky ~JA~

Quoted message said:

JeanineAlyse in 29 Palms <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

I've made perfectly flaked and perfectly browned buttermilk
biscuits for many years with the Bisquick you mention using.

Thanks for your advice..... I'll be giving it
a try in the next few days.

I'm learning, I'm learning.

I'll be a biscuit maker yet.

Thanks everyone.

Quoted message said:

JeanineAlyse in 29 Palms <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

I've made perfectly flaked and perfectly browned buttermilk biscuits for
many years with the Bisquick you mention using. Follow the box
directions to the letter;

SUCESS AT LAST..... YIPEEEEEE !!!!!!

Hard to believe but true...... I do believe have just eaten a pretty
tasty biscuit hot out of the oven.

For those interested.... And frankly who isn't, I been doing quite a
few things wrong and it's been an interesting learning experience.

The might not be the best but mixing the milk into the mix, not
stirring it up too much, baking on an upside down cake tin, at
ten minutes they were still pale so I left them another seven minutes
and then hit the broiler...... Nice and brown, kinda flakey - not
crumbly, and pretty tasty.

So I think I'm getting the hang of it, and I should like to thank one
and all who responded with tips, and recipies.

In article <[email hidden]>, "jmcquown"

Quoted message said:

Jill <--Reading is FUNdimental

You know, if you're going to be critical and snotty, you ought to at
least spell your insults correctly. 🙂

Regards,
Ranee

--
Remove Do Not and Spam to email

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

See my Blog at: http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/

Ranee Mueller said:

You know, if you're going to be critical and snotty, you ought to at
least spell your insults correctly. 🙂

Regards,
Ranee

Ah, but then she wouldn't be Jill. :-)

rona

--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!***

"[America] is filled with people who decided not to live in Europe. We
had people who really wanted to live in Europe, but didn't have the
energy to go back. We call them Canadians." ---Grover Norquist in
Newsweek, November 22, 2004

On Tue, 5 Apr 2005 06:51:02 +0900, "Rona Y." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Ranee Mueller said:

You know, if you're going to be critical and snotty, you ought to at
least spell your insults correctly. 🙂

Regards,
Ranee

Ah, but then she wouldn't be Jill. :-)

Woah, cat fight... I missed this thread too.

<dang>

sf
<wondering if my news server (GigaNews) really sucks>

"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude"

"If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our calling and our creeds...we [will] have no time to think, no means of calling our miss-managers to account but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers. And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for another till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery.

"And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that and in its train wretchedness and oppression." - Thomas Jefferson - Author of The Declaration of Independence, Founding Father and Third U.S. President