“Every thought is a prayer.” To the end of making good use of the four hours or so every day we’re compelled to be idle at the shelter; and of speeding the day when I’ll find my own place; I’ve taken to daydreaming intentionally about things I’d like to do in my own place. Some of those, I mean to share here, as doing so involves giving more time to those dreams. Many involve cooking foods I like that we never get at the shelter. Related: “What a homeless man dreams of.“
I’ve never actually made biscuits — yet.
There are various recipes. For my first batch, I’d like to try a bare-bones, absolute-minimum approach:
Hmm. I’m adapting this from a recipe provided by follower Brian “Just Call Me Handsome” Wright.
For twelve biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
3/8 cup water
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients. Add more flour if need be. Knead as you would bread. Put on a baking sheet and divide into 12 parts. Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes.
When I first thought about making biscuits, my first question was whether you knead them or not. I’ve had biscuits before that were more crumbly in texture, and some more spongy. Turns out some recipes, at least, have you knead the dough.
When I first started baking yeast breads, as a young teen, I thought the kneading was to help the yeast grow. It’s not. It’s to “develop” the gluten, stretching out the molecules to make for the spongy texture. Now, if quick breads are kneaded the same as yeast breads, the question appears of what advantage, if any, other than flavor, the yeast breads pose. This is for further thought later.
Scones
… are the same as biscuits, only made with cream instead of water. They are a true delicacy. What Panera Bread calls scones aren’t scones to me, and I’ve never liked them.
Related: All about breads
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