back in the day lard biscuits

Recipe by
Diane Atherton
PINE MOUNTAIN, GA

This is how my grandmothers and my mother made their biscuits back in the day of no canned biscuits. This is a nice flakey biscuit that you can pull apart without slicing with a knife to butter the center. If using a cast iron skillet to bake em, you'll have a really nice crispy bottom. I will tell you in the instructions to use a cast iron skillet and that's what I do use, however, you can you other baking pans if you don't have a cast iron skillet. If you have any left after breakfast save for a quick strawberry short cake dessert for lunch. Hope you enjoy!

yield serving(s)
prep time 15 Min
cook time 10 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For back in the day lard biscuits

  • 2 c
    self rising flour
  • pinch
    salt
  • pinch
    baking soda
  • 1/4 c
    very cold lard, cubed (if you can't find lard, use shortening or butter)
  • 3/4 c
    cold buttermilk

How To Make back in the day lard biscuits

  • 1
    Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. You will need a very hot oven.
  • 2
    It's very important when making these biscuits to use very cold ingredients. I measure out my flour, salt and baking soda in to a large bowl and I even put this in the fridge. Once I cube the lard, I put it in the freezer. I do this while the oven is pre-heating. NOTE: I also keep the lard in the fridge at all times.
  • 3
    Once oven is heated it's time to start your biscuits.
  • 4
    After you have pre-heat oven, melt 1/2 a stick (1/4 cup) of butter in a cast iron skillet for about 5 minutes in your hot oven. Do this while you are mixing and forming your biscuits.
  • 5
    Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut lard into flour. This will be a crumbly mixture. Add the butter milk and mix lightly with a fork. Mixer will still be loose.
  • 6
    Pour the mixture onto a lightly floured surface. Gently form the dough into a ball and press down into a disk. Fold the dough over a few times, pressing each time but being careful to NOT over work the dough. NOTE: Don't worry if you have a small amount of dry loose mixture left.
  • 7
    Cut into 8 biscuits a little over 1/2-inch thick. Dip each biscuit in the melted butter (both sides) in your hot skillet being careful to not burn your hands. Place in hot skillet and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes (until tops are lightly browned). The bottoms with be a nice crispy brown.

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