Bake, Run, Live

In order to continue to challenge my baking skills, I joined “The Daring Kitchen”. They offer monthly challenges for baking and cooking. I signed up to be a part of the baking challenges and this months challenge was to master biscuits! (In case this month’s challenge sounds easy, my first batch failed Also, last month’s challenge was to make sourdough bread with a natural starter…they had to nurture the starter for 7 days before making bread!)
Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

Biscuits are such a yummy addition to meals- for me- especially breakfast! Smothered with butter, then drizzled with honey or slathered with jam. It’s like dessert without being considered a dessert! Ok, did that make any sense? To my thinking, I can have a biscuit (I go the butter and jam route), and still have a small piece of chocolate for dessert. So 2 sweets in one meal- Score! Yes, I have issues!

(yes, I took a bite- yum!)

Basic Biscuits
Makes: 6, 2 inch biscuits
Prep time: 10 minutes     Bake time: 10 minutes

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, cold and diced
1/2 cup milk + additional for brushing tops

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl, triple sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add in the cold butter, and using a fork or a pastry blender, work in the butter until the flour and butter mixture resembles coarse sand. Add in the 1/2 cup of milk and mix until the dough just comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface, and gently gather the dough into a ball. With your hands (no need for a rolling-pin today!), gently flatten out the dough (no specific size or shape, but don’t go thinner than 1/2 inch thick). Fold one side of the dough into the middle, then fold the other side of the dough all the way over the first fold (like an envelope). Gently flatten the dough again, then fold the dough like before. Note: after the 1st folding, I had more of a rectangle shape, so for the second folding, I took the top and folded it towards the middle, then took the bottom and folded it over the top. Folding the dough like this gives you layers to your biscuits!
Gently flatten the dough one last time. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into the desired quantity. Note: I cut mine width-wise in 3, then each one in half (to give me 6 biscuits). Transfer to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and brush the tops with the additional milk. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool (at least for a few minutes) before eating!

Before adding the milk

Biscuit dough

Look at all those layers!

Question of the day: What do you put on biscuits? Butter, honey, jam, sausage gravy?

Made with love, not calories!