Homemade Biscuits are so incredibly easy no one should ever have to buy 'canned' biscuits from the store!I remember my first attempts to make biscuits as an 18 year old new bride. They weren't pretty. I had only 1 real 'cookbook' at the time, given to us as a wedding gift by a friend. Using the cookbook, I kneaded the dough like it said to... and ended up with hockey pucks. Rock hard inedible pucks.
I only tried to make biscuits a couple more times over the years and they were disheartening. They were edible for the first 5 minutes out of the oven but as they cooled, they hardened.
In 1996 I stumbled on this recipe for biscuits and noticed this one said NOT to knead the dough. You 'pat' it into a rectangle but after mixing, there was no kneading. And? I've been making them ever since.
BISCUITS
2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 T sugar
1/4 c butter, cold
3/4 c milk
Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and stir or whisk together. Add the butter in pieces (I grate mine with a cheese grater) and 'cut in' until crumbly using your fingers. Stir in the sugar and add the milk all at once. Mix with a fork until it holds together. Remove the dough and pat into a 1 inch high rectangle or circle with your hands on a lightly floured surface. Using a biscuit cutter or a circle cookie cutter cut straight down, do not twist! You can use a knife and slice the dough into squares if you don't have a cutter. Place on an ungreased pan. Brush with melted butter if you prefer and bake 12-15 minutes at 450.
These biscuits are so tender they can wrapped and reheated the next day.
