Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F before you start to make the dough. The oven should be warm enough to bake the biscuits by the time you are done kneading.

2. Add 4 cups low-protein flour to a large mixing bowl. Biscuits are pastry more than they are bread. Do not use the high-gluten flour used for bread. You do not want to make biscuits with the consistency of crusty breads like bagels or pizza dough. If you do not have self-rising flour on hand, all-purpose flour will work. To help it rise, mix 6 teaspoons baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt into the 4 cups all-purpose flour.

3. Mix 1 cup shortening into the flour by hand. Make sure the shortening is cool: room temperature, not refrigerated. To make sure your biscuits will be as flaky as they should be, do not blend the shortening completely into the flour. The bigger the chunks of shortening you leave, the more easily your biscuits will fall apart. In your practice run, experiment a bit by leaving some shortening less mixed into the flour than the rest.

4. Mix in just enough milk for the dough to hold together. The dough should be sticky, not watery. Depending upon the dietary needs or tastes of your guests, you could use either skin or whole milk, or substitute soy milk or buttermilk.

5. Knead your dough on a flour-covered board only long enough to make it cohere. If it takes more than five to seven strokes, put the dough back in the bowl and add more milk 1/2 tablespoon at a time. It is better for them to be wetter than dryer; still, the dough should be completely solid, without excess liquid.

6. Roll the dough out so that it is between 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Cut 12 biscuits out of the dough with a biscuit cutter, or you can make them with your hands. If you use a cutter, place the side of the biscuit that has any firm edge or ridge to the bottom of the un-greased baking sheet. Having the loose side face-up will give the biscuit greater freedom to rise. Hand-made biscuits without ridges will expand to their own heights, as well.

7. Immediately bake them until they are lightly browned, which should be between 12 and 15 minutes. The longer you let the biscuits settle, the less likely they are to rise as high as they can.