Kitchen Experiments: What Flour Makes The Best Biscuits? (2024)

FAQs

What type of flour makes the best biscuits? ›

As far as brands of flour, White Lily “all-purpose” flour has been my go-to for biscuit making. It's a soft red winter wheat, and the low protein and low gluten content keep biscuits from becoming too dense.

Plain flour is an all-purpose flour with a lower protein and gluten content. This makes the flour softer and ideal for cakes, pastries, thickening sauces, and biscuits.

All purpose flour is a bit of higher protein content than self-rising flour which is made from a soft winter wheat. This is why Southerners swear by using self-rising flour in their biscuits. If you don't have any you can make your own self-rising flour.

Self-raising flour is used to make muffins, pancakes, or tender biscuits.

Milled from 100% soft red winter wheat, White Lily^® Flour is finer in texture with a lower protein content, which makes for fluffier biscuits, the softest cookies, and the most tender cakes.

While over-handling your biscuit dough can make your baked goods turn out like hockey pucks, under-mixing it while you're still adding all of your ingredients can result in floury or grainy biscuits.

As a general rule, don't use self raising flour if there is another leavening agent called for in the recipe such as yeast or baking soda.

*Substitute buttermilk, light cream, or heavy cream for the whole milk, if you prefer; use enough of whatever liquid you choose to bring the dough together readily, without you having to work it too much. The higher-fat liquid you use, the more tender and richer-tasting your biscuits will be.

The secret to the best biscuits is using very cold butter and baking powder. We've made a lot of biscuits, but this easy biscuits recipe is the one we turn to the most (they are so fluffy!). See our easy drop biscuits and cheese drop biscuits for even easier biscuits.

While biscuits receive some leavening power from chemical sources — baking powder and baking soda — the difference between serviceable and greatness comes from the extra rise that steam provides. In order to generate steam, the oven must be set at a minimum of 425 degrees for at least 10 minutes prior to baking.

Should I use bread flour or all-purpose flour for biscuits? ›

The bread flour is necessary because, for flaky layers, you need more gluten, or protein, in the biscuits. Some shortening is used for more tender biscuits; since these biscuits are handled more, they need a different fat combination to make sure they aren't tough. Bread flour biscuits require an especially light hand.

What you get—instead of those chemical bleaching agents—is flour from superior grains grown by farmers we trust. Our flour is carefully milled according to the strictest specifications that we've developed over generations to give you the best, most consistent results at home.

But if you don't have any in the pantry, or can't find any in the store, there are other flours you can use in its place. Bread flour and cake flour—on their own or mixed together—can substitute for all-purpose.

Granulated sugar: Derived from either sugarcane or sugar beets, this is the most commonly used sugar in baking, and for good reason. It's neutral in flavor and has medium-sized, uniform crystals that are small enough to dissolve into batters and large enough to create air pockets when creamed with butter.

Ultimately, the flour you choose to bake with is entirely up to you. Bleached and unbleached flours can both be used interchangeably in any recipe without a major discernable difference.

Self-Rising Flour

Used for: Biscuits, scones, pancakes, Characteristics: Soft flour, finely milled. Creates a light, airy final product.