Author Notes: Throughout my life as a cook, I’ve gravitated to bread recipes that do not involve yeast or rising of any kind. I’m sharing one such recipe for what are quite simply the best biscuits I have ever had. According to Marion Cunningham, author of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, this recipe was taught to her at one of James Beard’s summer cooking classes in Seaside, Oregon. Instead of buttermilk or regular milk, they call for heavy cream, which keeps them from being even remotely dry. And more great news for non-bakers like me: the recipe is completely forgiving. You knead the dough before shaping it, but the resulting biscuits are as tender as could be. Maybe it’s all that cream… —Merrill Stubbs
Makes: 8 biscuits
Ingredients
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2 cups all purpose flour
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 tablespoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon sugar
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1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
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Melted butter
Directions
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl, stirring with a fork to blend.
- Slowly add the cream to the dry ingredients, stirring constantly, until the dough holds together. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface for about 1 minute. Pat it into 1/2-inch thick round and use a sharp knife to it cut into 8 wedges.
- Arrange the wedges 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet and brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve warm with plenty of butter and/or honey.
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Photo by James Ransom
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The dry ingredients go into a bowl.
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Using a fork, you drizzle in the cream, stirring the dough constantly until it comes together (you may not need all of the cream).
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The dough should look a bit shaggy, but it shouldn't be at all dry.
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Dump it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently for a minute, just until it's smooth.
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Mold the dough into a ball.
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And then pat it into a circle about 1/2 an inch thick.
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(Amanda lends some moral support.)
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Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges.
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A bit of melted butter will give you nice brown tops.
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About 12 minutes in the oven, and they're done!
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Breakfast of champions.
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