Biscuit Recipe using no measuring tools

[dondford]

I recall reading a biscuit recipe that called for no measuring tools; all the measurements were

“handful”. “one finger pinch”, “two finger pinch”, etc. I cannot locate this recipe. Have any of

you seen such a recipe.

Thanks for any assistance.

Don

[chiantiglace]

sounds like a horrible recipe.

[Marmish]

sounds like a horrible recipe.

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Sounds like someone's grandma's recipe, which is probably delicious.

[RWood]

sounds like a horrible recipe.

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Sounds like someone's grandma's recipe, which is probably delicious.

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My grandmother & aunt did this every morning for a major part of my childhood. They did everything by feel. But, in the south, self-rising flour is used more than plain, so all they had to do was scoop out a lump of fat, work it in, and poured in buttermilk until it felt right. I wish I had been able to do that, but even now, I can't make a biscuit like they did for anything. Measured or not.

[Fat Guy]

There's a lot to be said for making doughs and batters by feel. Once you learn the proper texture, working towards that texture can be more reliable than measuring. This is especially true in the US, where the overwhelming majority of home cooks measure by volume, which is not a particularly reliable way to measure. But even if you measure by weight, which is much more reliable, you're still subject to varying moisture content of flour.

I haven't seen a lot of people do biscuits by feel, perhaps in part because the admonition to work the batter as little as possible cuts against making lots of small adjustments for texture. But many experienced pasta makers I know do it by feel and appearance. Ditto for bread.

[Tri2Cook]

sounds like a horrible recipe.

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Sounds like someone's grandma's recipe, which is probably delicious.

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I'm in the weigh-everything camp as a rule but I'm gonna have to agree. Some of those country grandmas can whip out a batch of biscuits without ever touching a measuring device of any kind that will kill anything carefully weighed or measured by a less experienced hand.

[RWood]

sounds like a horrible recipe.

←

Sounds like someone's grandma's recipe, which is probably delicious.

←

I'm in the weigh-everything camp as a rule but I'm gonna have to agree. Some of those country grandmas can whip out a batch of biscuits without ever touching a measuring device of any kind that will kill anything carefully weighed or measured by a less experienced hand.

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You know it. My grandmother's biscuits were awesome, and she probably made them for 70 years. I know she probably used lard for a lot of that time. And she baked them on a cast iron griddle skillet, which I still have. It made the biggest difference. Her dough and the little rolling pin my grandfather made for me is why I'm a pastry chef now

[chiantiglace]

There's a lot to be said for making doughs and batters by feel. Once you learn the proper texture, working towards that texture can be more reliable than measuring. This is especially true in the US, where the overwhelming majority of home cooks measure by volume, which is not a particularly reliable way to measure. But even if you measure by weight, which is much more reliable, you're still subject to varying moisture content of flour.

I haven't seen a lot of people do biscuits by feel, perhaps in part because the admonition to work the batter as little as possible cuts against making lots of small adjustments for texture. But many experienced pasta makers I know do it by feel and appearance. Ditto for bread.

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[quote(Tri2Cook @ Jul 1 2009, 04:02 PM)

QUOTE(Marmish @ Jun 30 2009, 11:47 AM)

QUOTE(chiantiglace @ Jun 30 2009, 10:39 AM)

sounds like a horrible recipe.

Sounds like someone's grandma's recipe, which is probably delicious.

I'm in the weigh-everything camp as a rule but I'm gonna have to agree. Some of those country grandmas can whip out a batch of biscuits without ever touching a measuring device of any kind that will kill anything carefully weighed or measured by a less experienced hand.

You know it. My grandmother's biscuits were awesome, and she probably made them for 70 years. I know she probably used lard for a lot of that time. And she baked them on a cast iron griddle skillet, which I still have. It made the biggest difference. Her dough and the little rolling pin my grandfather made for me is why I'm a pastry chef now 

There is no written recipe for experience. So my comment stands, its a BAD recipe.

find a proper formula and alter as you see fit, my hand is not your hand, my hand full is not your hand full, there could be a 200% difference, especially if the "hand" is not the only measuring tool. 1 egg to a hand full of flour can be a HUGE! difference.

why do I need to explain myself?

[Lisa Shock]

I have to agree, I am a firm believer in the kitchen scale -especially for baking.

That said, even a cook using volume measuring cups and leveling them would be more accurate than 'handfuls' in all of their heaping or not-so heaping, tightfisted glory. Not to mention the fact that most people aren't inclined to grab fistfuls of butter. -And that the butter should be icy cold when cut into the flour, not warm from someone's sweaty palms.

Are we pouring buttermilk into our hands, too?

We have better tools to measure and mix, and I like to use those tools.

[Tri2Cook]

There is no written recipe for experience.  So my comment stands, its a BAD recipe.

find a proper formula and alter as you see fit, my hand is not your hand, my hand full is not your hand full, there could be a 200% difference, especially if the "hand" is not the only measuring tool.  1 egg to a hand full of flour can be a HUGE! difference.

why do I need to explain myself?

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Sheesh, what a grouch.

You don't need to explain yourself, I understood. You're saying that they can do it because they've developed their own system and anybody else that wants to do it will have to develop their own as well. I happen to agree. My point was that those grandmas can do it and for them the recipe is just fine.

[JeanneCake]

I think the original poster is STILL looking for a recipe; bad, good or otherwise.

I would imagine that there are a lot of handwritten recipes on cards or in community cookbooks. Maybe your local historical society has some cookbooks in their library that might be helpful in your search.

[Fat Guy]

One thing to remember is that many people who make batters and doughs "without measuring" are actually measuring. For example, I know people who make pancake batter in a specific bowl. The ridges of the bowl provide a mechanism for saying "flour to here, milk to here, two eggs . . ."

But to the larger point, although measuring has its enthusiastic adherents, there are certainly ways in which measuring is overrated. For example, when making dough for pasta or bread in a mixer, or in countless other dough recipes, it's best to add liquid until the dough reaches a certain consistency, balls up, etc. Measuring won't get you there. The ingredients are too variable.

[Chris Hennes]

In particular, the flour: depending on the local humidity, the type of wheat, the brand, the year, the time of the harvest, etc., there can be tremendous variability in flour's ability to absorb and react with water. "By feel" is the only way to get consistent results in the face of inconsistent ingredients.

[chiantiglace]

yea, but...... you still need a measured recipe to go off of.

heres your recipe, throw some water in a bowl, then some eggs, then some yeast sugar and flour and just add randomly until it feels right?????????????

no, come on now lets not try and split some seriously thin hairs here.

you need a recipe, weight is the best. instructions will guide you to proper finish. nothing is perfect but try to establish it as close to perfect as possible.

use your percentages, address the situation as follows to keep an eye out for certain things. back off on 10% of the water and gradually add a little more until dough is formed properly.

I don't expect everyone to be able to do it, but you can actually create a formula to be perfect with all atmospheric conditions as well as temperatures of products, room temperature and also protein content. Who wants to do all of that math I don't know, I don't really mind it but its unnecessary for me. You do however need a formula if you want to be accurate. That is why we have steps and instructions. Do this if that, then that if this, or this if that as well. That seems very simple to me, I guess everyone wants to be grandma. Though my grandma made great fudge, if I showed her how to use my formulas she would be lost, and if my pastry cooks tried to make her recipe, they would all make it different.

please, just use a proper recipe, and for the love of god, pay attention to the ingredients.

Edited July 3, 2009 by chiantiglace (log)