Southern biscuits are the perfect fictional device for telling the narratives of Southern families. One cook makes his biscuits with White Lily flour only because that’s how his Maw Mae did it. Another swears by lard, as her family never had the funds for high-dollar butter or shortening. Most Southern cooks bake biscuits at least once a week—a ritual and rite of passage as the recipe is handed down through the generations.
My biscuit recipe is much the same. As a transplant to the South, and married into a Southern family, I felt a steep sense of duty in making the perfect Southern biscuit. Truth be told, I don’t think I’ll ever truly master it, but 10 years after taking biscuits to task, I’ve landed on a reliable recipe that I can replicate here in the South or anywhere else in the country with ease. My biggest piece of advice: Don’t take biscuit-making too seriously, but try to make them regularly. The ingredients are relatively inexpensive and the results are always edible, despite any mishandling.
Why You’ll Love These Biscuits
- They’re tender and flaky. These Southern-style biscuits walk the line of being both tender AND flaky.
- They’re light, yet sturdy. The biscuits are also sturdy enough for breakfast sandwiches or for dunking into soup.
