When I saw gullah biscuits in Southern Biscuits, they intrigued me. Not only is butter replaced with oil, but there are eggs in these biscuits. Why oil? Because they were originally made in an area where the temperature is very hot, so butter would melt. Thus, oil made sense.
The eggs give the biscuits an interesting yellow tint. Compared to a standard biscuit, you could see the difference even before you broke the biscuits open and they added rich flavor as well.
What Worked: If you're working in a hot kitchen, it's great to have a biscuit recipe that doesn't require keeping butter cold.
What Didn't: This dough was incredibly wet, so I needed to add considerably more flour than suggested to get a workable dough. But that's fine - it all worked out and the resulting biscuits were just good. Next time, I'd cut back more on the milk from the start.
Suggested Tweaks: I'd like to play with the idea of adding flavored oil instead of a neutral oil. Chive oil? Might be interesting.
Adapted from Southern Biscuits by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart. Copyright © 2011. Published by Gibbs Smith. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved
Recipe Details
Gullah Biscuits Recipe
Active15 mins
Total40 mins
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milkor buttermilk, divided
Butter, softened or melted, for finishing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Select the baking pan by determining if a soft or crisp exterior is desired. For a soft exterior, select a 8- or 9-inch cake pan, pizza pan, or oven-proof skillet where the biscuits will nestle together snugly, creating the soft exterior while baking. For a crisp exterior, select a baking sheet or other baking pan where the biscuits can be placed wider apart, allowing air to circulate and creating a crisper exterior, and brush the pan with butter.
Fork-sift or whisk 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, preferably wider than it is deep, and set aside the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Fold in the cooking oil.
Make a deep hollow in the center of the flour with the back of your hand. Lightly beat the eggs with 1 cup of the buttermilk, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup, and pour into the hollow. Stir with a rubber spatula or large metal spoon, using broad circular strokes to quickly pull the flour into the liquid. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened and the sticky dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If there is some flour remaining on the bottom and sides of the bowl, stir in 1 to 4 tablespoons of reserved buttermilk, just enough to incorporate the remaining flour into the shaggy, wettish dough. If the dough is too wet, use more flour when shaping.
Lightly sprinkle a board or other clean surface using some of the reserved flour. Turn the dough out onto the board and sprinkle the top lightly with flour. With floured hands, fold the dough in half, and pat dough out into a 1/3- to 1/2-inch thick round, using a little additional flour only if needed. Flour again if necessary and fold the dough in half a second time. If the dough is still clumpy, pat and fold a third time. Pat dough out into a 1/2-inch thick round for a normal biscuit, 3/4-inch thick for a tall biscuit, and 1-inch-thick for a giant biscuit. Brush off any visible flour from the top. For each biscuit, dip a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter onto the reserved flour and cut out the biscuits, starting a the outside edge and cutting very close together, being careful not to twist the cutter. The scraps may be combined to make additional biscuits, although these scraps make tougher biscuits.
Using a metal spatula if necessary, move the biscuits to the pan or baking sheet. Bake the biscuits on the top rack of the oven for a total of 20 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness, until light golden brown. After 10 minutes, rotate the pan in the oven so that the front of the pan is now turned to the back, and check to see if the bottoms are browning too quickly. If so, slide another baking pan underneath to add insulation and retard browning. Continue baking another 10 to 15 minutes until the biscuits are light golden brown. When the biscuits are done, remove them from the oven and lightly brush the tops with butter. Turn the biscuits out upside down on a plate to cool slightly. Serve hot, right side up.
FAQs
If you start asking around, any Southern chef, Southern Living Test Kitchen pro, or biscuit-making family member will swear by White Lily flour.
What makes Southern biscuits so good? ›
Inside those bags is an exceptionally fine flour ground from 100 percent soft red winter wheat, which has a lower protein content compared to other wheat. It literally feels softer and finer in your hands than other common brands, and it's this texture that gives baked goods a uniquely light yet tender Southern twist.
Why are biscuits different in the South? ›
So, while biscuits were certainly baked in Northern kitchens, they didn't replace bread as the carbohydrate of choice. In the South, by contrast, the available flour was milled from low-protein soft wheat, which lacks the protein content necessary to make great bread but is the ideal flour for biscuits.
What is the difference between northern and southern biscuits? ›
In the Northern states butter is the favored lipid. In the South, lard or shortening is the standard. Biscuits became a source of pride as well as sustenance with Southerners even developing their own special flour, called White Lily, not readily available in the North.
Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›
Buttermilk Biscuits
*Substitute buttermilk, light cream, or heavy cream for the whole milk, if you prefer; use enough of whatever liquid you choose to bring the dough together readily, without you having to work it too much. The higher-fat liquid you use, the more tender and richer-tasting your biscuits will be.
What is the difference between buttermilk and southern style biscuits? ›
There are many theories about why Southern biscuits are different (ahem, better) than other biscuits—richer buttermilk, more butter, better grandmothers—but the real difference is more fundamental. Southern biscuits are different because of the flour most Southerners use. My grandmother swore by White Lily flour.
Are biscuits better made with butter or Crisco? ›
Crisco may be beneficial for other baking applications, but for biscuit making, butter is the ultimate champion!
What is the secret to the perfect biscuit? ›
Use Cold Butter for Biscuits
When the biscuit bakes, the butter will melt, releasing steam and creating pockets of air. This makes the biscuits airy and flaky on the inside. We default to our Land O Lakes® Salted Butter when baking biscuits.
Which is better for biscuits, bleached or unbleached flour? ›
Ultimately, the flour you choose to bake with is entirely up to you. Bleached and unbleached flours can both be used interchangeably in any recipe without a major discernable difference.
What do the British call Southern biscuits? ›
A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)
A British biscuit is not remotely similar to the fluffy and filling American biscuits made famous in Southern American cuisine. The closest British equivalent to those buttery miracles is a scone, which ain't too bad either.
Whereas conventional all-purpose flours have a higher protein content, White Lily® Flour is finer in texture with lower protein content, which makes for fluffier biscuits, the softest cookies, and the most tender cakes.
What is the best flour for tender biscuits? ›
Key Ingredients
Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but soft white wheat flour like White Lilly, Martha White, and Bob's Red Mill Fine Pastry Flour is excellent for biscuits.
Is buttermilk or heavy cream better for biscuits? ›
Heavy cream provides rich butterfat that gives the biscuits tenderness and flavor, as well as moisture from its water content. The formula requires minimal mixing, reducing the risk of too much gluten development.
Why are they called Empire biscuits? ›
Britain found itself facing both Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the war, so Deutsch, German and Linzer Biscuits all suddenly felt like unpatriotic names. Because of this (bear in mind this was still in the days of the British Empire), the more patriotic name of Empire Biscuit was born.
What is the oldest biscuit in the world? ›
The earliest surviving example of a biscuit is from 1784, and it is a ship's biscuit. They were renowned for their inedibility, and were so indestructible that some sailors used them as postcards.
What is the best flour to make biscuits out of? ›
White wheat in general is around 9-12% protein, while the hard reds are 11-15%. As far as brands of flour, White Lily “all-purpose” flour has been my go-to for biscuit making. It's a soft red winter wheat, and the low protein and low gluten content keep biscuits from becoming too dense.
What makes White Lily flour so special? ›
Founded in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1883, White Lily® Flour is milled from 100% soft red winter wheat, which has a lower protein content and a finer texture than conventional all-purpose flours. These features ensure delicate pastries like biscuits achieve a higher rise and flaky, fluffy, pillowy-like texture.
What flour is closest to White Lily? ›
Low-protein flour absorbs less liquid, so a recipe designed for White Lily won't work with other flours. Cake flour or another low-protein flour like Martha White are the closest substitutes.
Are biscuits better with all-purpose or self-rising flour? ›
All purpose flour is a bit of higher protein content than self-rising flour which is made from a soft winter wheat. This is why Southerners swear by using self-rising flour in their biscuits. If you don't have any you can make your own self-rising flour.
