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Oil Biscuits don't rise

pith's picture
pith

Oil Biscuits don't rise

I've tried making oil biscuits recently and they don't rise much at all if about ~80% probably. The recipe that I use is:

 

Flour 100.00%

Baking powder 5.60%

Salt 1.60%

Oil 29.60%

Buttermilk 59.30%

I'll mix the ingredients together just to the point of making sure the contents are well mixed and then I just lay the dough out and cut it up. I bake them at 400 in the oven and until golden brown.

 

They'll start out just about half an inch thick with dough and end up under an inch thick to max. 

 

BettyR's picture
BettyR

a biscuit recipe that uses oil. All the ones I've ever seen use shortening, lard and butter.

alabubba's picture
alabubba

Check your baking powder.

I know it sounds dumb but I didn't realize that the stuff goes bad. I think its like 6 months after opened. The date on the can is the SALE BY date. Once its open it looses its oomph pretty fast. Easy way to check it toss a teaspoon of baking powder into a Tablespoon of very warm water. It should get all fizzy, if it doesn't, toss it and get a fresh can.

Frequent Flyer's picture
Frequent Flyer

and I like the way you avoid kneading as that kneading can make for dense biscuits.  Long ago I determined to break the family curse and learn to make light biscuits.  It wasn't until I tried "drop biscuits" that I achieved the desired fluffiness.  Since I don't care for the appearance of drop or spoon biscuits, I simply went for higher hydration in my dough.  Try 75% buttermilk as a percentage of the flour.  I actually use 80% in mine, tip the bowl out onto a thin bed of flour and dust with flour as I pat out the dough.  I also use about 15% to 20% oil.

FF

Ford's picture
Ford

BISCUITS, STIR-N-ROLL

 
2 cups (8.5 oz.) All Purpose Flour
1 Tbs. double action baking powder
1/2 tspn. baking soda
1 tspn. salt
1/3 cup (2.7 oz.) corn oil
3/4 (6 oz.) cup buttermilk

     Preheat the oven to 450°F.
     Blend the dry ingredients thoroughly, passing them through a sieve or sifter will make sure that there are no lumps of baking soda and help with the blending.  Put the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Do not mix the corn oil and the buttermilk. Pour the liquid ingredients all at once into the dry ingredients.  Stir with a fork until the mixture leaves the side of the bowl and rounds up into a ball.
     Place the ball on to a sheet of waxed paper; do not add any more flour.  Fold the dough three or four times, flattening after each fold.  Flatten the dough to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness, according to your pleasure.  Cut with an unfloured biscuit cutter, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Place cut biscuits and cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes.
     Bake frozen biscuits 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated 450°F oven.  OR,, bake in a preheated forced convection oven at 400°F for 9 to 10 minutes.  Makes about 14  2 1/4 “ x 1/4 “ biscuits.
     NOTE: It is important to follow these directions closely!  If you desire a crisper biscuit, reduce the buttermilk to 2/3 cup.  These biscuits are not as flakey as those made with solid shortening.
     Modified from a Gold Medal Flour recipe dating to about 1950.)