I learned to make biscuits from my first ex-mother-in-law. She was a country girl from Bells TN, now living in Coffeeville MS. My training had nothing to do with measuring. It was dump this much all purpose flour, this much baking powder, this much salt. Cut in this much cold lard (substitute crisco), this much butter to get to this consistency. Then add milk until your dough looks like this. Then bake in a preheated (475) oven for 10min or until they look like you want them to.
That is how I learned.
Since then I have broken it down for teaching others. This is close to the ingredients. I don't know what it is about biscuits, but it seems to literally change with the weather.
As anyone that cooks biscuits knows; this is just a kinda general portion outline:
Approx 2 cups all purpose flour
I generally go with 3.5 tsp baking powder per cup of flour. So 7 tsp. flour
I don't use baking soda (that's why so much powder). In my worthless opinion, baking powder adds a bitter taste
1 tsp. salt (more or less depending if you will be using salted butter, or what you will be putting on the biscuits).
Mix these dry ingredients together
Cut in two TB "cold" crisco. Not frozen just firm. Cut it in until most lumps are gone. Cut in two TB "cold" salted butter. Again until most lumps are gone.
On a scale low (sandy) medium (slightly chunky but don't stick together when pressed with a fork) High (chunks that stick together when pressed with a fork)
These ingredients should be a medium to slightly medium plus
Then you add milk. Milk should be added in small increments. You can't subtract milk. So add a little as you go. This is tricky because you want to stir or manipulate the dough as little as possible. Do not knead the dough. It will over work the dough. Also you use cold milk. The idea behind cold crisco, butter and milk is to have all the ingredients mixed and into the oven while they are still cold. They hold together better and will rise better. They won't "spread" out on you.
You add milk and mix with a fork until the dry crumbs on the bottom of the bowl are incorporated into the dough. Too much milk will make the dough like paste and gooey, but you have to have enough to keep the biscuits moist.
Dump out on a floured surface. You should be able to scoop it out fairly easy. Flour up your hands and press the dough flat 1/2 inch, not over handling with your warm hands. Fold it in half and press out again, again to half inch. Cut into slightly smaller size than what you want your finished biscuits to be. Place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
When arranging your biscuits on the cookie sheet: If you like soft sides and soft centers arrange your uncooked biscuits slightly touching. If you like crisper sandwich type biscuits set them about 1" apart.
Always let your oven finish preheating before putting in your biscuits. Do not open the oven at all while the biscuits are cooking. You do not want the temps to drop at all. Kinda like my smoker at my house; you could lose a hand.
This should get you close. Like anything else, it takes practice. I have been doing this so long I don't measure anything. Some of this, some of that, blah, blah, blah.
I hope this helps. I really wish I could show you what the consistencies should look like. My Grandson and I just made some biscuits "shooters" that were his size yesterday. He was eating them all day.
I got rid of my photobucket account. So you can see pictures here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=322840&id=1742841560&ref=fbx_album
So take a moment and let me know your biscuit recipe so that I may give it a try. Scott
