"Buttermilk" Biscuits

This morning I decided to try my hand at biscuits - specifically faux Hardiee's® buttermilk biscuits.  Searching the Internet for existing recipés  yielded quite a few hits, and many used some very strange ingredients (strange to me, anyway - like mayonnaise!); anyhow, the one that hit home with me was actually not in a published recipé, but in a comment made to one.  Thanks to TOTHINEOWNSELFBETRUE, in comments to a post on recipesecrets.net, for a recipé that resonates.  The amounts of ingredients shown for the 4 dozen recipé are pretty much identical to those quoted in the comment.

I validated the proportions in that recipé, by comparing with much simpler recipés from several sources, and came up with the following:

Ingredients:		½ doz		1 doz		4 doz
Self Rising Flour		2	cup	4	cup	5	lb
Solid Shortening¹		½	cup	1	cup	1½	lb
Sugar		1	Tbs	2	Tbs	½	cup
Baking Powder		½	Tbs	1	Tbs	¼	cup
Salt			pinch	¼	tsp	1	tsp
Buttermilk²		1	cup	2	cup	2	qt

Directions:

1. Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly with a fork or wire whisk. 
2. Cut in solid shortening until the mixture forms pea-sized lumps. 
3. Add only enough buttermilk to form a stiff dough that pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. do not overwork this dough! 
4. Divide dough to form the desired number of biscuits, forming the dough into balls. Place the dough balls in a biscuit pan, flattening the balls as needed³. Biscuits will expand as they cook, so for crispy sides, leave about ½” between dough balls, or for soft sides, flatten them until they barely touch. 
5. Bake at 450° F, for about 10 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown. If your oven runs cool, you may have to cook longer, or at a higher dial temperature.

¹ Crisco® or other solid vegetable shortening is recommended, but lard, bacon grease, or any other solid shortening may be substituted.

² Substitute (if desired): mix 1 tsp lemon juice into 1 cup whole milk, let sit for 5 minutes before use.

³ Alternatively, roll out dough to a thickness of ½” to ¾”, and cut biscuits with a 2” biscuit cutter.

I personally tried only the ½  dozen recipé, and found the biscuits to be light and very nicely flavored.  Structural integrity was not, however, one of their virtues.  I think a bit of experience in varying the dough-making technique - especially the amount of work to which the dough is subjected - will be required to produce something that will hold together well enough to transport a sausage patty to my mouth.

But they tasted good.  Try it yourself!

- Mariner