Okay, here’s my blog post about making biscuits without baking powder, written in a casual, personal style:
So, I’ve been on this kick lately of trying to bake things from scratch. You know, ditch the mixes and see if I can actually pull it off. Biscuits were next on my list, but then I realized I was completely out of baking powder. Disaster, right? Nope! Turns out, you can totally make fluffy biscuits without it.
I did a little digging, found a super simple recipe, and decided to give it a shot. Honestly, I was kinda skeptical. I mean, baking powder is supposed to be the magic ingredient, yeah?
Here’s what I did:
First, I grabbed my all-purpose flour. Nothing fancy, just the regular stuff. I measured out about two cups and dumped it into a big bowl.
Then, I added some salt. I just eyeballed it, probably about a teaspoon. Don’t be shy with the salt – it really helps bring out the flavor.
Next up: the fat. I used cold butter, because that’s what I had. This part is very important! make sure to use the cold butter! I cut it into small cubes, then tossed it into the flour mixture.
Now for the fun part (and the arm workout!). I used my fingers to smash the butter into the flour. You want it to look kinda crumbly, like coarse sand. Don’t overdo it, though. You still want some little chunks of butter in there.
- Make sure smash it!
- Don’t overdo it!
After that, I slowly added in some cold milk. I started with about half a cup and mixed it in with a fork. The dough should be shaggy, but not too wet. If it’s super dry, add a little more milk, a tablespoon at a time.
Once the dough came together, I turned it out onto a lightly floured surface. I gently patted it down to about an inch thick. No need to roll it out perfectly, just make it roughly even.
Then, I used a biscuit cutter, pressed straight down into the dough. No twisting! (I learned that the hard way – twisted biscuits don’t rise as well). If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, just use a drinking glass or even a knife to cut out squares.
I placed the biscuits onto a baking sheet and popped them into a preheated oven. I think I baked them at around 425°F (220°C) for about 12-15 minutes. Just keep an eye on them – they should be golden brown on top.
And that’s it! I pulled them out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes (the hardest part!), and then slathered them with butter and jam. Seriously, they were surprisingly good! Light, fluffy, and totally satisfying, even without the baking powder.
So, if you’re ever in a pinch and craving biscuits, don’t let a lack of baking powder stop you. Give this a try – you might be surprised at how easy and delicious it is!
