4 cups Flour
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Shortening (Butter works too), cold and cubed
2 cups Milk
Preheat oven to 450F.
Sprinkle baking sheet with a bit of cornmeal; set aside.
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir well.
Using a pastry blender, cut cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Using a fork, stir in enough milk so dough leaves the side of bowl and rounds into a ball.
Turn soft dough out onto lightly floured surface and GENTLY knead about 10 times.
Gently roll out to 1/2″ thickness; let rest for a few minutes.
Cut with floured, sharp edged biscuit cutter.
Place on ungreased baking sheet that you have lightly sprinkled with a bit of cornmeal.
Bake in hot oven until gold brown, about 10 minutes.
Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.
Buttermilk Biscuits:
Decrease Baking Powder to 5 teaspoons and add 1 teaspoon Baking Soda. Substitute Buttermilk for milk.
Cheese Biscuits:
Stir 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese some chopped fresh chives into flour mixture.
Herb Biscuits:
Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons each Sage, Thyme, Parsley into flour mixture.
Italian Herb Biscuits:
Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons each Basil, Oregano and a pinch of garlic powder into Flour mixture.
Whole Grain Biscuits:
Decrease flour to 2 cups; add 1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat flour, 1/2 cup mixed Grains: Ground Flax Seed, Wheat Germ, Ground Rolled Oats
