The contrast between the soft flaky layers and crisp bottom is one of those simple pleasures that just sends me. At the same time, the bottom of the biscuits develops a lovely crips crust. Placing the biscuits nice and close inside the pan helps them stay soft and tender. Because of this, I often leave the biscuits in the pan after baking so the heat from the pan will keep the biscuits warm.īut, my favorite reason to use cast iron for biscuit baking is that it creates a a deliciously crispy crust on the bottom of the biscuits. Cast iron also holds on to heat for quite some time after you remove it from the oven. Cast iron is an excellent conductor of heat, which helps biscuits bake quickly and evenly. My favorite pan to use for biscuits is my cast iron skillet. What Type of Pan is Best for Baking Biscuits? This will ensure that the butter inside the dough is still nice and cold when it goes into the hot oven. Use buttermilk straight from the refrigerator to make the dough and then place the cut-out biscuits in the freezer for another 10 minutes right before baking. The goal is to get it as cold as possible without freezing it. To keep the butter cold, cut it into small pieces and then place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before adding it to the biscuit dough. It's these pockets of air that create soft flaky layers on the inside and a delicious, slightly crispy exterior. When biscuits bake, the water in the the little pieces of butter evaporates, creating tiny air pockets in the dough. Using room temperature ingredients is so important to things like cakes and muffins that I've written a whole post about how to bring dairy and eggs to room temperature quickly.Īt room temperature, when you beat eggs and dairy with an electric mixer, they form an emulsion that traps air and creates a fluffy, tender consistency for desserts like my favorite Vanilla Cake.īUT - the opposite is true for biscuits and other pastries like pie crust or tart dough. There are nearly a gazillion recipe on this site in which I've emphasized the importance of using room temperature ingredients. Over-kneaded biscuits will be quite tough.įlaky Biscuit Tip #3: Cold butter, cold buttermilk, cold dough Under-kneaded dough will make tender biscits that are still quite delicious, they just won't be as tall as the ones pictured here. If you're uncertain, err on the side of under-kneading. The dough should have a loose structure, but still hold together as a cohesive dough. Once the ingredients have been mixed (step #6 in the recipe), use your hands to gently knead the dough, just a few times, until it is mostly uniform and holds together. Gluten is important to the structure of biscuits, helping them rise and not collapse on themselves after baking. Having just talked about the importance of limiting the development of gluten in tender biscuits, you do want some gluten development. There's a fine line between under-kneading and over-kneading biscuit dough Throughout the process, the dough should hold together, but still be craggy and slightly messy. When rolling it out and folding the dough, handle it just enough to get the job done. So, mix and gently knead the dough just until it holds together. The more dough is mixed and kneaded, the more gluten is developed. But, for things like muffins, cakes, cookies, biscuits and the like, it's important to keep gluten development to a minimum. Gluten development is great in things like Sandwich Bread and Homemade Tortillas. While folding the dough a few times helps create all those delicious layers, it's also important to handle the dough with a light and gentle touch. The more you work the dough, the more you encourage gluten development. Flaky Biscuit Tip #1: Don't overwork OR underwork the dough
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