My grandma's biscuits were always dry until my neighbor told me the real trick

I spent years making my grandma's biscuit recipe and they always came out like hockey pucks. My neighbor Betty who's 78 and bakes every Saturday finally watched me one time. She said I was overmixing the dough and to stop treating it like bread. Told me to mix until it just barely comes together then pat it out. Tried her way last Sunday with buttermilk and cold butter exactly how she showed me. First batch actually came out fluffy and flaky for once. Anybody else get corrected by an older person on a recipe you thought you knew?

2 comments

2 Comments

richard_anderson5d ago

Overmixing's the killer. I did the same thing with pie crust for years.

amy_coleman215d ago

You guys ever try chilling the dough for 15 minutes before rolling it out? That helped me a ton with pie crust once I stopped overworking it. Keeps the butter cold so you get those flaky layers instead of a tough mess. Another trick is to use a bench scraper to mix the flour and butter - it keeps your hands off the dough so it stays cold. Also, don't be afraid to add a splash of ice water if it feels too dry, just go easy.