Yogurt Biscuits

It’s Friday. Let’s start this weekend off with some biscuits!

Biscuits are a way of life in this family.

Nick’s dad, a.k.a Biscuit Bob, has been known to whip up a batch of biscuits in no time. He never has a recipe to give you, but the biscuits are always delicious. Every batch is made differently – different flours, sweeteners, toppings, everything.

I’ve had biscuits with gravy, biscuits topped with jam, and good old flaky biscuits smeared with butter. Sourdough, whole wheat, flaxseed, vanilla, walnut. you name it and we’ve probably had it.

He has quite the biscuit resume. And the best (and most frustrating) thing about him is that he makes biscuits by feel. He learned how to make biscuits from his dad, and he makes them up as he goes along, knowing what the dough needs to feel like to turn out well.

After a few lessons in the kitchen and a lot of practice on my part, I’m getting better at making my own biscuits.

But no matter how many times I’ve made them in the past, I always have this moment of panic when I’m adding the liquid to the dough. My heart starts racing and I start thinking that there’s no way this dough will turn out and then I get worried. About biscuits. I am weird.

I’m not sure why this happens every time, but I’m going to keep making biscuits. Because even my worst batches of biscuits were still delicious.

I had to put my creative juices to the test last weekend.

My original breakfast plan didn’t turn out, we were out of milk, and I didn’t have enough butter to make a batch of biscuits.

What to do?

Pull out the shortening and yogurt.

Yup. Yogurt.

The best biscuits, I think, are made with buttermilk, but when you don’t have any on hand, plain yogurt will work just as well. It has the tang you want from the buttermilk and a thicker consistency than skim or lowfat milk.

I had some Stonyfield Whole Milk Plain Yogurt in the fridge – best idea ever.

And I don’t cook with shortening very much, but it does make some amazing biscuits. Since it’s already at room temperature, it’s easier to cut it into the flour – and less work! And I’m always up for less work on Saturday mornings when I’m shuffling around the kitchen in my pajamas making breakfast.

Make a special breakfast this weekend – your friends and family will thank you.

And if you start to panic when mixing your dough, don’t worry – they’ll be delicious.

Yogurt Biscuits

Makes 8-10 biscuits

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 heaping Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp shortening
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp whole milk yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Cut shortening into flour mixture with hands, forks, or pastry cutter until mixture resembles cornmeal.
4. Stir in yogurt just until a shaggy dough forms.
5. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead 4-5 times until it holds together.
6. Pat or roll out until 1/2” thick (about the thickness of your biscuit cutter).
7. Push cutter straight down and bring it straight back up (don’t twist it!), and lay biscuits on baking sheet or stone.
8. Bake 11-12 minutes or until golden on top.

Tagged as: biscuit, recipe, Stonyfield, yogurt