Baking Powder Biscuits

(American breakfast quickbread)

Yield: 3-4 servings

Basic Steps: Sift → Work in butter → Mix → Knead → Roll out → Cut → Bake

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl.
Add the butter and work into the flour quickly with your hands to form a coarse mealy texture.
Stir in just enough milk to bring all the ingredients together in a shaggy mass. You may have to add more or less milk than called for.
Remove the dough to a floured countertop and knead briefly just to smooth out the dough. Do not overknead or your biscuits will end up tough.
Roll out to a thickness of about 3/4". Cut into rounds with a floured glass or a biscuit cutter. Place on a cookie sheet and brush with milk or melted butter.
Bake in preheated oven until browned on top, about 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Buttermilk Biscuits: add 3/4 tsp baking soda to the dry ingredients and substitute buttermilk for the regular milk.
Cheesy Biscuits: stir 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese into the flour-butter mixture for cheesy biscuits.
Drop Biscuits: add a little more milk to make a moister dough and skip the kneading step. Use an ice cream scoop to spoon out portions of the dough onto a baking sheet and bake as directed.
Southern-Style Biscuits: substitute chilled lard for 1/2 the butter and stir in some crumbled bacon.
Add 1-2 tsp of dried herbs, or 1 Tbsp minced fresh herbs to the dough if you like.

This is a easy, quick recipe for basic American breakfast biscuits. Spread with jam or served with a nice sausage gravy, they make a great addition to a Sunday morning breakfast.
As with all quickbreads, it helps to have all the ingredients well chilled. Also, do not handle the dough any more than necessary. Overworking it will make the biscuits tough.