Really Good Biscuits

I've been making biscuits for nearly 40 years. I've had some recipes that were ok, some that were less than ok, and one or two that seemed to be more than ok.

Today, I made biscuits and came up with a "new" way (for me) to do it and they were outstanding! Light, fluffy, melt-in-your mouth baking powder biscuits.

REALLY GOOD BISCUITS

You will need:

a sifter
baking sheet
rolling pin
biscuit cutter
grater

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour that you sift FIRST before carefully measuring
1 Tablespoon baking powder (I use Rumford)
1 teaspoon salt (I use RealSalt)
1/3 cup real salted butter, cold
1 cup whole milk
Extra sifted flour

Pre-heat the oven to 500 F.

Sift a couple of heaped up cups of flour onto your work surface.

Place the empty sifter on a small plate.

Using a long spatula, carefully lift the sifted flour into your measuring cup until it is full, then use the spatula to even off the top. Do this twice, putting the flour back into the sifter.

Add the baking powder and salt to the sifter.

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.

Grate the cold butter onto the flour mixture.

Work the butter in with your fingers until it is well distributed.

Pour in the milk. Stir with a fork until all the flour is damp.

You will probably need to add an additional small handful or two of flour and stir that in lightly. You want to be able to handle the dough, so it mustn't be TOO wet, but don't add more additional flour than you need to.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times.

Roll it out to 3/4 inch thick.

Cut with biscuit cutter and place each biscuit upside-down on an un-greased baking sheet. They should be touching each other. Do NOT use the insulated kind of baking sheet.

Bake at 500 F. for 8 minutes, and then check the biscuits. When the tops start to turn brown, they are done.

Serve and enjoy! Keep the extras in the fridge. They reheat nicely for a day or two.