Lucille Bishop Smith, a Fort Worth businesswoman and culinary pioneer, invented the first hot biscuit mix on the market. Today her great-grandson Chris Williams continues her legacy at his Houston restaurant named for her.
Lucille’s, a longstanding Southern culinary institution, is celebrating its 98th year by serving refined Southern fare in an inviting Mission-style house. Chefs Williams and Khang Hoang have taken her signature recipes and created inventive twists on classic recipes.
Ingredients
Lucille’s biscuit recipe is a timeless classic: perfect for sopping up sauces, dunking in soups and serving with honey or jam drizzled on top.
They can be enjoyed warm or cold and are easy to make at home without needing a baking stone, making them an excellent addition to any meal. They’re especially delicious served with rich sausage gravy or topped with country ham, eggs, jam or honey.
These biscuits are simple to make with just a few ingredients, and can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or frozen for up to three months.
To make the dough, whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl. Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients with either a pastry blender or pulse in your food processor until you have coarse crumbs form. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in buttermilk; stirring gently to mix everything together.
Once the dough has come together, roll or pat into a rectangle about 3/4-1 inch thick. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter dipped in flour before pressing straight down without twisting; repeat until all biscuits have been formed. Place on an prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 15 -17 minutes.
These biscuits can be made with either self-rising flour or regular all purpose flour; if using self-rising, omit the baking powder and salt from the recipe. Alternatively, buttermilk can be substituted with milk or sour cream; however, bear in mind that using either will lead to gluten formation which results in tougher biscuits that lack fluffiness.
For something extra special, add dried raisins or chopped pecans to the dough before shaping into rounds. Or brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter before baking.
These biscuits make an ideal breakfast or anytime treat. With only five ingredients and minimal effort required to prepare them, these delicious treats taste just as good as the best bakery version!
Method
When making biscuits, there are a few simple techniques you can use that will guarantee success every time. Begin by using quality ingredients such as flour, buttermilk, sugar and baking powder. These will ensure the perfect biscuits every single time!
Once your biscuits are baked, you’ll need cold butter. Room-temperature butter won’t melt and create steam during baking, resulting in less flaky layers on the surface of your biscuits. Therefore, it’s best to freeze butter prior to use it.
Once all ingredients are prepared, mix them together to form a dough that feels slightly sticky but not overly wet. Be sure to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
If your dough is too dry to roll out, add a tablespoon of buttermilk. This will absorb into the dough and make it slightly easier to handle.
Your biscuits will become much softer. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, a mixture of sour cream and milk can be substituted; just remember to increase the salt in the recipe accordingly.
Once your biscuit dough has doubled in size, you can cut it into rounds and bake them. To do this, dip your cutter in flour before pressing down; lift up without twisting to get a clean cut out of each round of dough. Doing this ensures that your biscuits come out flaky and tender.
Place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter or shortening and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
These biscuits are delicious with any meal, but especially tasty when paired with rich sausage gravy and scrambled or poached eggs. Additionally, they make an ideal vehicle for fruit jams and preserves like pear preserves or strawberry lemonade jam.
If you want to save them for later, wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in your refrigerator or pantry. They should stay fresh for two to four days this way. If you need them to stay longer, place them into a Ziploc freezer bag.
Baking Time
When baking biscuits, there are several steps that must be taken. First and foremost, the dough must be cold before being placed into the oven – this helps them bake faster and evenly.
Second, use fresh ingredients and top-notch baking supplies for delicious biscuits that are flaky and tender. Doing so will guarantee your biscuits have the maximum flavor and crunchiness.
It is also helpful to use a sharp biscuit cutter when cutting the dough. Dip it in flour and press down, then lift without twisting – this helps prevent the edges of the biscuits from sealing, allowing them to rise higher.
Finally, make sure not to overwork your dough as this could result in tough and dry results. Use a cold stick of butter and buttermilk for this recipe; these will keep the final product tender and fluffy.
Create flaky, crunchy, and flavorful biscuits that everyone is sure to adore!
Once your dough is prepared, you must preheat your baking pan by placing it in the oven to get hot before pouring on top of your dough.
Once the dough is ready, roll it out on a floured surface to approximately half an inch thick. After rolling out, cut into rounds using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.
Repeat this process to cut out as many biscuits as possible; you should now have 12 biscuits total.
If you have leftover dough, you can freeze it to reheat later. This will extend the baking time by 3 – 5 minutes.
This method of reheating biscuits is much better than using the microwave or toaster oven, as it keeps them fresh for an extended period of time.
Variations
If you’re searching for a classic Southern buttermilk biscuit that can be served either savory or sweet, this recipe is ideal. Its neutral taste allows it to pair well with many entrees and condiments while still offering appealing hints of saltiness and tartness.
These biscuits are a must-have on any southern breakfast menu. They’re versatile enough to serve as either an egg dish side or main course with cheese, chives and bacon.
To begin, whisk flour, baking powder, soda and salt together in a large bowl. Next add cold butter slices and cut into the mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs. Finally, create a well in the center of the dough and pour in cold buttermilk; stirring gently until you have formed a ball with it.
Once the dough comes together, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. Use an 8″ round biscuit cutter (this size works great!) to cut out biscuits and place them on an oiled cookie sheet. Brush the tops of these biscuits with melted butter or shortening and bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
For a savory biscuit, substitute the butter with a combination of sour cream and milk. Or for an even sweeter treat, increase sugar to one tablespoon and leave out salt.
For a lighter alternative to buttermilk biscuits, substitute lemon juice and 7.5 oz of regular milk in place of the original recipe. This will result in an even more tender biscuit than usual buttermilk biscuits.
You can also bake biscuits without using a biscuit cutter by simply cutting them into squares. Be sure to space these evenly on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 15 -17 minutes.
Lucille Bishop Smith was an acclaimed chef and entrepreneur who published her first cookbook in 1941. Called Lucille’s Treasure Chest of Fine Foods, this card file box of recipes went through multiple editions over time, testament to Lucille’s entrepreneurial spirit that continues to inspire many today.