Baking Science: Bake a Better Biscuit

I think a lot of people fear baking because they've heard it's a science, and they feel like if they make small mistakes the product won't turn out okay.  And there's not much avoiding the truthfulness in that statement.  Baking is a science:  creating the perfect texture, fostering a suitable rise, and developing complex flavor are all dependent on key scientific factors such as temperature, moisture control, and so on.  Still, this doesn't have to be scary.  Understanding some basic science gives you power--power to fix your baking mistakes and power to avoid them in the first place.  So, today, we're going to tackle a ubiquitous southern breakfast food.  Let's bake a better biscuit, ya'll.

Okay, so the basics first.  Flours have different levels of protein.  This protein, when combined with liquid and a little elbow grease, is what creates gluten.  Gluten provides structure which translates into a tougher/chewier mouthfeel--great for artisan breads and bagels, less so for biscuits and cakes.  So, making a good biscuit that isn't tough means minimizing gluten and allowing the gluten that does develop a nice spa relaxation period prior to baking.  Also, it means that we need to start a good biscuit recipe with an appropriate flour.  If you wonder why so many cooks in the south swear by White Lily (or Martha White), the reason is scientific (though I doubt they all know it).  It has a good % or two less protein than a normal all-purpose flour.   This creates less gluten, thus a softer texture, thus a better taste.   So, now you're checking your pantry and you don't have White Lily or Martha White.  Have no fear.  Many people circumvent the necessity of particular brands by combining two different types of flours: all purpose and cake flour.  Cake flour is essentially flour that has been processed (usually bleached) to have a lower protein content (even lower than White Lily).  So, using halfsies of both creates a homemade White Lily protein content.   Now, using the knowledge above, you can tweak your flour combo's protein content to get the cakeiness, or flakiness, or hockeypuckosity that you desire. 

Speaking of flakiness, I should probably address that next.  Flakiness in baked goods is created by chunks of fat that separate dough into layers.  This fat will melt and tenderize the baked good, but it will also allow the layers to solidify separately as they bake.   If you're wondering why shortening (or lard) is so often called for in biscuit recipes (and pie doughs), it's because it has a higher melting point than butter; this prevents it from melting as easily as you work with it and while the product bakes.  The longer the fat remains solid, the more time the layers have to solidify.  If you want a really flaky biscuit, there's really no beating shortening or lard.  However, that's not to say you can't get a flaky biscuit without it.   My recipe uses just butter, and it is perfectly flaky--it just requires a little extra work.

Lastly, before I drop my normal recipe, I should add that buttermilk is key.  It adds flavor, it tenderizes the dough, and it helps leaven the final product.  I swear by Cruze Farm buttermilk, and you should, too.  Usually, I allow for lots of substitutions in my recipes, but this is one ingredient I truly believe necessary.

All that for a biscuit recipe. Hmm.

Biscuits ala Sides

This makes 5 -large- biscuits, which is how I prefer them. If you're making smaller ones, then you can expect more, obviously.

Dry Ingredients

1 cup AP flour and 1 cup cake flour
(Remember that if you have Martha White or White Lily flour that you can ignore this mixing.)
1.8 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
7 Tbsp. butter

Sift the flours well in a bowl.  Then top with 7 Tbsp. of cold butter.   It even helps to freeze it for a little bit beforehand.  Cold butter means less chance of it melting before it gets into your product.   If it melts, it won't affect the flavor, but it will prevent a flaky biscuit with proper rise.  You will then cut in the butter.  I love baking by hand, but I have warm hands, and that's just an utter fail for this kind of thing, so I use a pastry cutter (whoa, run-on).  If you have cooler hands and work quickly, feel free to rub it in by hand (or, if you're using shortening) or use two knives like your grandmother taught you.  Almost every recipe I've ever seen calls for the butter to be cut into pea-size pieces.   One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to stop a little sooner--chickpea sized pieces.  Undoubtedly the butter will be worked into the dough a little bit as you bring it together, flatten it out to chill, cut the biscuits, etc.  This gives you a little extra flakiness insurance.  I recommend the same thing for pie dough, by the way.

Wet Ingredients

2/3 cup buttermilk (Cruze Farm if you're from around these parts)
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. sugar

Combine these ingredients well with a whisk, then make a well in the center of your dry ingredients.   Pour the wet ingredients into the center and then use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to slowly incorporate the dry into the wet.  Do not overmix.  Remember that some small streaks of flour will work themselves out as you bring the dough together.  Pull the dough together into a ball, and then flatten it out a bit.   Toss it onto an oil-sprayed piece of plastic wrap, wrap it up, and put it in the refrigerator.   Chilling the dough does a couple of things.   1) The butter will firm up and chill again--necessary for flakiness.  2) Any gluten developed will relax some.  This prevents dough from shrinking and/or becoming too tough.  It will need to chill at least 30 min., though overnight is even better (but who can really wait that long for a biscuit?).  Once the dough is chilled, roll it out and cut out your biscuits.  Two pieces of advice:  1) Make sure your biscuit cutter is well floured.  2) Don't twist the cutter as your cut out the biscuits.   Press straight down, pull straight up, then pick the biscuit up and put it on the baking sheet.  If you want some extra insurance, you can actually chill the biscuits again once they're cut; I don't usually bother.

Now, some recipes call for an egg wash on the top of the biscuits.  This can provide a little color, a little flavor, and a sheen.  If you want the sheen without the color, just use egg whites.  If you want a little extra color, add a bit of milk which will contribute to Maillard browning.  If you want the browning without the egg flavor, then just use milk or cream.   Also, over-washing a biscuit is a quick way to over-crustiness (new word?).

Also, how you place the biscuits to bake is important.  You'll get a little extra vertical lift if you place them side by side, since they'll push against each others' sides creating rise.  These biscuits will have a less crusty exterior, however, since not all sides are exposed to heat.  This is how my grandmother made her biscuits--in a cast iron skillet.   Be extra careful if you try cast iron because it will brown the bottom of the biscuits quickly.   If you place the biscuits separately like cookies on a sheet pan, you'll get a more browned / crunchy exterior.

Regardless of what you choose, you'll bake these at 400 degrees until GBD (golden-brown-delicious).   I think I usually check mine after 12 min. or so.  Kind of like brownies or cookies, you'll want to pull them out when the inside is still a bit soft because there will be carry-over cooking once they're out of the oven.

If you're interested in baking science, I recommend How Baking Works by Paula Figoni.  If you're not, then this incredibly thorough blog was probably pointless to you.

Happy biscuit baking, folks.

-John