Getting biscuits to rise higher?

[Orbit]

I'm using the Baking Powder Biscuit recipe from the Fanny Farmer Baking Book, and my biscuits don't seem to rise very much. My baking powder isn't old so that's not the problem. Can anyone tell me how to get a tall, fluffy biscuit? Note: by "biscuit" I mean the American, not British thing.

[Chris Hennes]

Is this the recipe you are using?

[Orbit]

Yes--I didn't know it was available online! Except my recipe adds 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Edited March 21, 2016 by Orbit (log)

[blue_dolphin]

I don't know the secret, but @Ann_T certainly does!  Check out the picture in this post.  Just glorious!

 

On March 14, 2016 at 8:19 AM, Ann_T said:

Felt like biscuits this morning.  Added a little grated cheese to the mix.  

 

 

Dipped tops in butter.

Edited March 21, 2016 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Chris Hennes]

In that recipe the most obvious candidate for under-rising (besides old baking powder, which you're ruled out) is over-blending the shortening. Did you use knives, a pastry cutter, or something else?

[Orbit]

1 minute ago, Chris Hennes said:

In that recipe the most obvious candidate for under-rising (besides old baking powder, which you're ruled out) is over-blending the shortening. Did you use knives, a pastry cutter, or something else?

I used a pastry blender and then my fingers to check it was done.

[Orbit]

3 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

I don't know the secret, but @Ann_T certainly does!  Check out the picture in this post.  Just glorious!

 

Those are beautiful!!!

[Chris Hennes]

It's sort of odd to add cream of tartar to something that has baking powder in it, and nothing that I can see to react with it. I wonder what it's purpose is. The recipe was otherwise literally identical to the one on Epicurious?

[Orbit]

3 minutes ago, Chris Hennes said:

It's sort of odd to add cream of tartar to something that has baking powder in it, and nothing that I can see to react with it. I wonder what it's purpose is. The recipe was otherwise literally identical to the one on Epicurious?

The only difference was that it called for that, and 2 tbsp sugar rather than one. It is a very old, out of print cookbook. It also says to knead it 12-14 times/turns. Could I be overworking it?

[Chris Hennes]

Are you kneading it, or turning it? If kneading, it's possible that the layers of fat are being blended too much.

[Lisa Shock]

I generally don't knead, I make turns like one would for croissants. (3-4 at the most) This makes layers, which, most people seem to like. Like Chris says, don't overdo it.

 

It could be your flour. There's no standard for AP flour in the US, and it varies by mill and by region. Big name flours make their Southern blend more like cake flour because they know more people use the flour for biscuits. The same company's Northern blend will be a higher protein blend, usually somewhere between pastry flour and bread flour, as most people there make bread with it. Western states mostly get the Northern blend, but, that varies. My guess is that you have Northern AP flour.

 

Make sure that you haven't mistakenly used white whole wheat flour, it's hard to tell apart and if it's been placed in an unmarked canister it can fool people. (happened at my house once) Not that WW biscuits are bad, they just don't have the rise of the white flour ones.

 

What kind of shortening? There are newer, transfat-free ones with a bunch of weird ingredients that don't really make good baked goods. (I use an all butter recipes, but, that's a different story.)

 

BTW, buttermilk is slightly acidic, as is, to a lesser degree, some milk. The FF recipe predates modern dairy processing. That's probably the reason for the CoT.

 

The other, really obvious flaw in this recipe is that it uses volumetric measurements for dry ingredients thus guaranteeing randomized results. More explanation in eG's Kitchen Scale manifesto.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Lisa Shock
pastry =\= party, not always anyway (log)

[cyalexa]

Don't know for sure that it is truly necessary, but after trying to understand a poor result I read somewhere to stir baking powder before use.

[kbjesq]

Bakewell cream baking powder  and soft white flour, as has been suggested. Or better yet, White Lily Self Rising Flour

Keeping all ingredients including the mixing bowl chilled also helps keep biscuits fluffy 

Also cut with a sharp object to allow the sides of the biscuits to rise and fully expand in the oven

I know some cooks who make great biscuits cut only with upside down  juice glasses, but I get good results only from a sharp biscuit cutter 

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

I've also found that twisting the cutter--tuna can, glass, whatever you use to cut the dough--will keep the dough from rising properly. Dip the cutter in flour, press it straight down without twisting, and gently put the biscuit on the your cookie sheet. Even if you decide to make square biscuits and cut the dough apart with a knife, make sure you cut straight down.

 

And don't overwork it, of course. Less is more with biscuits. Pat the dough down to about a half inch, fold it in thirds, pat down again, and repeat one or two more times, and cut apart. That will give you layers and the flaky result you're looking for.

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

[Lisa Shock]

Yeah, incorrect cutting technique can cause 30-50% less rise. I agree with using a sharp cutter, floured, and the straight up & down motion is essential. Twisting compacts the edges.

[kbjesq]

9 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:

Yeah, incorrect cutting technique can cause 30-50% less rise. I agree with using a sharp cutter, floured, and the straight up & down motion is essential. Twisting compacts the edges.

 

Exactly -  what you said!  

 

That's what I meant, but you and @Nancy in Pátzcuaro 

 

 said it much better 

Edited March 22, 2016 by kbjesq
clarification (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Like Chris Hennes said, I've never heard of adding additional cream of tarter to a baking powder recipe. Baking powder is just baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with cream of tarter (potassium bitartrate) already mixed in an appropriate ratio. I would also echo what Lisa Shock said about using butter instead of shortening, not only for health, but taste. I also agree with the White Lily flour reccos, if you can find it. It's made from finely ground 100% white winter wheat, and specially formulated for biscuits. Buttermilk or sweet milk soured for 5 minutes with a Tablespoon of white vinegar always gives me a higher rise in baking powder biscuits or pancakes. I also agree with the light handling and folding technique for your dough, and the straight down, no twisting advice. I like and usually make drop biscuits, slightly flattened by hand, but for cut out biscuits, the square, knife cut ones are the way to go. They eliminate the waste of the round ones. You can reknead the dough and cut again, but these orphan biscuits will never rise as high or be as tender as the first cut ones.

 

You also want to mix quickly once you add the milk, and just until the flour is wet. Don't be tempted to try to stir or beat it smooth. You want small lumps of butter in your dough. They melt in the heat of baking and the steam from the water causes rise while it expands. I like to start the oven before I start mixing the biscuits, form them, and lay them out on the baking pan, and let the double-action baking powder do it's first action thing on the counter for a while during the time I clean up the mess and get the rest of the meal going so the biscuits, which only take about 10-12 minutes (or maybe a little longer if you're baking them touching in cake pans) to cook will be hot and ready at the same time as everything else. Also, make sure that your oven is thoroughly preheated, and if you have any doubt about your oven's thermostat, get a cheap oven thermometer. That high oven temp=high rise biscuits. I also do not add sugar to biscuits, because we like them in mostly savory applications. I really don't think I would even for biscuits with jam or honey. You don't need it to help browning if your oven's hot enough.

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Hmm--I think it's time to make some biscuits. Maybe savory ones for a change of pace. I tend to make scones--the same folding technique works for them also--but I should add biscuits back into the repertory.

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

[Orbit]

Thanks all!