Breads: October 2005 Archives

Preheat oven to 425.

In a cast iron skillet, heat 4 tbsp crisco. Get the pan and the crisco good and hot while mixing the ingredients for the cornbread.

1 1/2 cups white self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
water

Combine the cornmeal and flour.

Mix in the egg and milk.

Add water slowly, until the mixture is thick like pancake batter.

Take the hot pan from the oven and pour in the batter. Be very careful. The melted shortening may splatter or pop and cause a burn. Smooth the batter quickly in the pan and put it straight back into the oven. You do not want to lose much heat.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

2 cups all purpose flour (I only use King Arthur unbleached)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup crisco shortening (butter won't make a perfect biscuit)
3/4 cup buttermilk (no substitutes)

Sift the dry ingredients together. With your fingers or a fork or a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening until it looks like crumbles. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Mix well with your hands until a sticky dough forms. Turn out on a floured surface and sprinkle a little flour over top to keep everything from sticking. Fold the dough over 3 or 4 times then roll or pat out too a 3/4 to 1 inch thickness. Using a 3 inch biscuit cutter or even the floured rim a glass, cut out your biscuits. With the scrap dough fold it back together as few times as possible and roll it out again and cut more biscuits. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown (15 - 22 mins).

Note: Some people add 1 tbsp sugar to their biscuits but I do not. This is not traditional. Biscuits should only be sweet if they are being made for a shortcake or sweetroll type dessert.

Take this same dough recipe and add a hand full of raisins and pecans and brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake as above. While piping hot drizzle over top a thick slurry of confectioners sugar mixed with a little milk. Excellent treat for a sweet roll breakfast or evening snack.