I hate messing with lard or solid shortening when making biscuits. I also hate cleaning the measuring cups smeared with lard or solid shortening. Finally, I hate trying to roll out sticky dough. It sticks to my hands, the rolling pin, the board, etc. You have to add more flour to the bread board, making another mess.
I made up this recipe that avoids all of that by using vegetable oil as a shortening. The dough in this recipe is not sticky. It's easy to handle. I don't even use a rolling pin. I just press it flat with my hands. I never seem to have buttermilk on hand. This recipe uses milk and vinegar as a substitute. I always have those in stock.
Even with those shortcuts this recipe makes flaky delicious biscuits. Give it a try.
No Doh! Biscuits
3 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
1 cup cold milk
1 Tablespoon distilled vinegar
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Measure flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt into a stand mixer.
Mix on low for 15-seconds
With mixer on low, add vegetable oil slowly to
dry ingredients.
Set mixer to medium and mix for 30-seconds or
until mixture looks like dry cornmeal.
Stir vinegar into milk.
Add milk/vinegar to flour mixture and mix on medium for 15-seconds.
Turn dough out onto bread board and knead several times.
Roll dough out to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness.
Cut with biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet.
Bake on middle oven rack at 400 F. for 20-minutes.
Makes 1-dozen, 2-1/2 inch diameter biscuits.
