Perfect Buttermilk Biscuit

Photo: flickr user Avoir Chaud

Ingredients

1/2 cup Shortening

2 1/4 cups Flour

2 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

1 tablespoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 1/4 cups Buttermilk

Preparation

Place shortening in small plastic food bag. Flatten shortening between plastic sheets so it is thin and return to freezer. This allows shortening to become hard enough to break, into tiny pieces when added to dry ingredients. Tear 2 pieces wax paper about 15 inches long and place on counter, Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt onto wax paper. Place empty sifter on top of bare sheet of wax paper, lift sheet of wax paper holding sifted dry ingredients by sides and pour through sifter, sifting onto bare wax paper. Sift back and forth 3 times, then sift once more into large mixing bowl. Remove shortening from freezer. Cut into small bits, about 1/4-inch sq

Makes 19 (2-inch round)

Biscuits.***NOTE::By Marion Cunningham Thanks to Eula Mae Dore, a great Southern cook from Avery Plantation, La., I've learned to make the best Buttermilk Biscuits I've ever had. Eula Mae says a good biscuit is one of the best things to have on hand for quick meals. She uses them in emergencies to make simple sandwiches filled with scraps of ham or cheese and serves them with pickles and a small salad. For dessert, she warms a biscuit or two and makes a shortcake with fresh fruits or berries. She has convinced me that you can't have too many biscuits on hand. Eula Mae learned to cook and bake from her grandmother, not fro

This ensures a taller, lighter biscuit by making sure any edges crimped by the pressure of the cutting don't interfere with the rise. (The French use the same trick when making puff pastry.) + The tip that helped me the most was using less flour than usual. Eula Mae's dough was soft and sticky. She handled it gently, dusting her hands and the dough with only enough flour to make the dough manageable. The result was a lighter biscuit.