Homemade Biscuits

      There is nothing like a fresh baked biscuit,  slathered in butter and jam.  I love them.  They are really a comfort food.  Who does not love biscuits and gravy.  I don't know anyone that does not love them.

     
     My problem is that I don't like white flour or Crisco.  The two main ingredients in biscuits.  And I don't like whole wheat  biscuits.  I think whole wheat takes away from what a biscuit should be.  Light and fluffy and tender, that is what a biscuit should be.

      Over the years I have tired many recipes and a lot of grains  in search of a good biscuit that resembles what mom used to make. I have had great success.  My favorite grain is spelt.  It makes a really great biscuit.  I grind it on the finest setting on my mill and instead of Crisco I use butter.  These biscuits are just like I love them, light, fluffy, and tender.

The trick in making a biscuit is to not over work the dough.  I use the Bosch mixer to make my biscuits.  I use the wire whips to cut the butter into the flour.  I change out the wire whips for the dough hook and add the liquid until it just starts to pull together.  At that point I remove it from the bowl onto a floured surface.  I use fresh ground spelt.  I dust it with flour and roll it out.

 

Once it is rolled out I cut the biscuits.  I love to dip them into some melted butter after I cut them as I put them on the pan for baking.

   Don't they look great.  I love the rise and the flaky texture of a fresh baked biscuit.

Perfect.  I think the whole grain adds to the wonderful color, but note it does not take away from what a biscuit should be.

Sweet Potato Wonder Flour  Biscuits

2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes.  or you can used mashed potatoes 

12 tablespoons chilled butter

2 tablespoons Xagave or sugar

4.5 cups fresh ground Spelt flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup heavy cream

In mixer bowl with whips,  add dry ingredients and mix.  Cut in butter until the size of peas.  Change to dough hook and add potatoes, Xagave,  and cream.. Mix until lightly mixed.  Take out and place on floured board.  Roll out dough and cut biscuits.  Place close together on cookie sheet.  Bake in a hot 400 degree oven until browned,  about 10 to 12 minutes.  

Spelt Gravy

4 tablespoons oil

4 tablespoons fresh ground spelt flour

2 to 3 cups of soy or rice milk

Salt and pepper

Slightly toast spelt add oil and make a paste or roux.  Add 2 cups milk and mix well over medium heat.  Add more milk if needed, salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over spelt biscuits. 

Biscuits are wonderful and easy to make.  We need to get over the need for white flour in our diets.  We have been taught for years that we have to have uses white flour in all our baking needs.  It is a pure falsehood and the design of conspiring men to get us to buy more white flour.  Try out spelt and I think you will be surprised at the end result.  When you grind the flour make sure you use the finest setting on your mill.  You want the flour to be fine and soft to produce flaky tender biscuits.   Enjoy your adventure in grains.  Chef Brad~America's Grain Guy