BASIC SOUTHERN BISCUITS

I have tried many biscuit recipes looking for just the right one. This one is great!!

Makes 18-20 (2 1/2 inch) Biscuits

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
    Mix dry ingredients

1/4 cup chilled shortening and/or butter roughly cut into 1/4 inch pieces (I used butter)
AND
1/4 cup chilled shortening and/or butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces. (I used butter)

1 cup whole milk or whole buttermilk, divided
Butter softened or melted for brushing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Put 2 cups flour mixture in large bowl. Scatter 1/4 inch pieces of chilled butter over flour, and work in by rubbing fingers with fat and flour as if snapping thumb and fingers together (or use two forks or knives or pastry cutter) until the mixture looks like well crumpled feta cheese.

Scatter 1/2 inch pieces of chilled butter over flour mixture and continue snapping thumb and fingers together until no pieces larger than a pea remain.
Shake bowl occasionally to allow larger pieces of fat to bounce to the top of four, revealing largest lumps that still need rubbing. (if this method takes longer than 5 minutes rechill the fat)

Make a deep hollow in the center of flour. Pour 3/4 c milk or buttermilk into  hollow. Stir with a rubber spatula or large metal spoon, using broad circular strokes to quickly pull flour into milk. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened and sticky dough begins to pull away from sides of bowl. If some flour remains on bottom and sides of bowl, stir in 1 - 4 tbsp of remaining milk, just enough to incorporate remaining flour into shaggy wettish dough. If dough is too wet, use more flour.

Lightly sprinkle board with some of remaining 1/4 cup flour. Turn dough out onto board and sprinkle top lightly with flour. With floured hands, fold dough in half and pat dough out into a 1/3 to 1/2 inch round using a little additional flour if needed. Flour again if necessary, and fold dough in half a second time. If dough is still clumpy, pat and fold a third time.

Pat dough out into a 1/2 inch thick round for a normal biscuit, 3/4" thick for tall biscuit and 1" thick for giant biscuit.

For each biscuit, dip a 2 1/2 inch cutter into flour and cut into biscuits. Start at outside edge and cut very close together, being careful not to twist cutter. Put biscuits in 2 ( 8 or 9 inch) round cake pans or a buttered baking sheet.

Bake on top rack of oven until light brown- 10-14 minutes until gold brown., After 6 minutes, rotate pan in oven. Check to see if bottoms are browning too quickly. If so, slide another baking pan underneath to add insulation and retard browning.  Continue baking another 4-8 minutes until golden brown.

When done, remove from oven and lightly brush tops with softened or melted butter. Turn biscuits upside down on plate to cool slightly. Serve hot, right side up.