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[at-l] Biscuits - a trip report
Not to disparage mothers, but so did my mother.
OTOH, after reading and testing baking concepts I learned. In fact, I have
done side by side test, by cutting biscuits different ways from the same batch
of dough -- including using her recipe. Cutting biscuits with a sharp cutter,
knife, pizza cutter, etc will produce a higher and flakers biscuit, assuming
you have a flaky style dough to begin with.
The following is OCR'ed for a leading baking companion, published from
Vermont, BTW.
"What Makes Biscuits Flaky?
The technique for making biscuits is quite similar to that for making
piecrust, as is the goal a tender, flaky final product. In both cases, fat is
cut into the dry ingredients, then liquid is, added to make the dough
cohesive. The fat is there to create tenderness, which happens two ways.
First, fat coats the proteins in the flour, preventing them from forming long
gluten strand, and thus creating a fine-grained texture. Second, fat acts as
a temporary buffer between layers of the flour-liquid matrix, as the biscuit
bakes, the fat eventually melts. But it's done its job, creating a structure
in the biscuit that we perceive as flaky.
....
"Freezing Biscuits and Scones Before Baking
Here's one cool thing: For light fluffy biscuits or scones, shape the biscuits
(or scones), place them on a baking sheet, and freeze for 30 minutes or
longer. Baked goods that rely on the combination of flour, liquid, baking
powder, and solid fat for their structure will rise slightly better when
frozen. Why? Because the fat stays solid longer in the oven, holding together
the structure of the biscuit as it rises. Eventually the fat melts, but by
that time the flour/liquid matrix has developed and set, and what you've got
left is layers of bread interspersed with thin air pockets where once resided
solid fat--a flaky, tender biscuit!"
BTW -- There is a consensus, even among Yankees, that lard makes the flakiest
piecrust and biscuits. It has larger crystals and melts at a slightly higher
temperature than butter, or other shortening. The problem with lard (in
addition to health concerns) is that it goes "off favor" very fast. Of course
I grew up thinking that was the normal taste of lard. However, now I have
given up on it, as it is hard to find, fresh.
I have three baking, companions/cookbooks, which are totally dedicated to
baking -- in addition to the bread section of Soup and Bread cookbooks, in
addition to the baking section in a number of broad spectrum cookbooks.
Nearly all talk about maintaining the matrix spacing, or emphasis techniques
to do it. Cold solid fat, minimal handling, sharp cutters, so as not to
press/glue the flour/liquid elements together. So, IMHO, any Yankee who think
you can make flaky southern style flaky biscuits with liquate shortening, oil,
etc has never had the real thing. True, to some degree oil will coat the
proteins in the flour, preventing them from forming long gluten strand, and
thus creating a fine-grained texture. This is rather like the southern style
"beaten biscuits", "short flake" pie crust, short crust, or short bread --
i.e., when you break it with your fingers it breaks clean. Hey, I make and
love Scots shortbread -- but it ain't suppose to be flaky.
So, please forgive any perceive (and I assure you, unintended) disparagement,
criticism, or denigration of our collective mothers and/or their cooking.
God bless them all.
Chainsaw
BTW -- good puff pastry, croissants, napoleons, etc use butter to separate
yeast dough on a similar, but much more complex production, process.
BTW2 -- this non-kneading manta for flaky biscuits is exactly the opposite of
what we do for good bread or home made pasta, where we want the long gluten
strands to develop.
----- Original Message -----
From: "W F Thorneloe" <thornel@attglobal.net>
To: "Gadog430" <gadog430@charter.net>
Cc: "The List" <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 7:17 PM
Subject: Re: [at-l] Biscuits - a trip report
I know that, but I was roundly chastised by another Southerner not to use a
jelly glass, like my mother did so many years ago.
<<
SNIP