Happy Fall!
Here it is, October 1st. 2017 is almost done. Another year I did not get as much baking done as planned. I’ve learned to roll with the punches though and except that sometimes life has us going in different directions.
Nothing has changed with my passion and as I always hope, things will hopefully go my way the rest of this year. I have many more recipes I want to share before the year is through.
Nothing is more cozy on an October morning than a cup of coffee or tea, and homemade Southern Biscuits and Gravy! It is just perfect any time of day though! If you’re family is anything like mine, we often eat breakfast for dinner too!
While it is not often, I will from time to time add an optional non-baking recipe too, such as today. The gravy recipe is my husbands and you will love it! It is thick and delicious and could be used in many other recipes. Please try it and let me know what you think of it.
I must be honest, and I’ve probably stated this before… but I am not a huge fan of buttermilk. I know… but sometimes it can be funky. Let me tell you, these biscuits are the best. Not because it is Alton Brown’s recipe. It is well known that I just adore all things, especially his recipes. Flavor, and pillowy, flakiness, perfect I’d dare even say. You must make them.
- 3 Cups all-purpose flour, plus an additional ½ cup for dusting
- 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Ounce unsalted Butter, chilled
- 4½ Tablespoons Shortening, chilled
- 1 Cup Buttermilk, chilled
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Whisk together all the dry, powdery stuff (except the flour for dusting, of course) in a large mixing bowl.
- Using your fingertips, rub the butter and shortening into the dry goods until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or you can also use a pastry cutter.
- Make a well in the middle of this mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir with a large spoon until the dough just comes together. Then knead in the bowl until all the flour has been taken up.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then start folding the dough over on itself, gently kneading for 30 seconds, or until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Press the dough into a 1-inch-thick round. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out biscuits, being sure to push the cutter all the way through the dough to the work surface before twisting to "punch" out the biscuit. Make your cuts as close together as possible to limit waste.
- Place the biscuits on a half sheet pan (preferably aluminum, which is highly conductive) so that they just barely touch. Reroll scraps and punch out as many biscuits as possible.
- Use your thumb to create a shallow dimple in the top center of each biscuit**, and bake until the biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the biscuits out into a kitchen towel-lined basket and let cool for several minutes before buttering and devouring.
- ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter
- ¾ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1½ Cups Whole Milk
- ⅔ Cup All Purpose Flour
- Heat butter in medium sauce pan on medium.
- When melted add flour, salt, and pepper. Stir till flour and butter is mixed. Should resemble a sand like mixture.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in the milk then return sauce pan to medium high heat and stir constantly.to prevent milk from scorching. Continue to stir till mixture is thick and bubbly.
- Remove from heat. Stir another 1 minute as it thickens.
- Add salt & pepper to taste.
- ***Optional Sausage Gravy***
- lb, pork sausage
- Cook sausage in medium sauce pan, till fully cooked *Do not drain or strain*
- Add butter, flour, salt and pepper.mix thoroughly . Add milk, stir on medium heat until gravy is thick and bubbly. *You may need to add an additional 2 tablespoons of flour due to grease from sausage*
- Remove from heat, stir an additional 1 minute for further thickening. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
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