Daring Bakers Challenge: I Say Biscuits, You Say Scones

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

Simple pleasures are never underrated. A beam of winter sunshine slanting in through the window. A cat that knows just where that sunshine will fall on the floor each afternoon, and lies in wait. A mug of hot tea in the morning, with the power to warm cold fingers faster than the overtaxed heating system. Fifteen minutes spent with hands immersed in butter and flour, yielding a tray full of buttery flaky biscuits (or scones, if you live outside of North America).

These biscuits rose immensely high and were characterized by visibly, flaky layers. This was accomplished by leaving fairly large “crumbs” of butter in the dough and by folding the dough instead of kneading it. By folding the dough, layers of butter are created within the dough. The butter melts and produces steam when the biscuits are baking, pushing apart the layers of dough and giving it a flaky texture. Just perfect for a pat of butter and a spoonful of jelly!

Since the Daring Bakers were tasked with discovering the combination of ingredients and techniques that produce our favorite type of biscuits, I made another batch for comparison. This time, I added some sourdough starter and aimed for a tender rather than flaky texture. A tender crumb results when the butter is rubbed into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. No large chunks of butter remain in the dough to give it that extra volume. When I cut the scones, I forgot to cut around the edges and they rose unevenly as a result. In the photo below, you can see where the left side would have risen higher if I had made a vertical cut on that side as well.

The biscuits had a tangy flavor, a tender crumb, and an overall heartier feel due to the whole wheat flour in my sourdough starter. And with a bit of butter and a drizzle of honey, they were irresistible!

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

Below, you will find the two recipes that I used this month, and the techniques I chose. Audax tested a variety of different techniques for incorporating the ingredients, as well as a variety of different ingredients. Make sure to check out his results too!

Basic Biscuits (known as scones in other parts of the world)
Created by Audax Artifex
Yield: approximately eight 2″ biscuits

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold or frozen and chopped into 1/4″ cubes
1/2 cup cold milk
extra milk for glazing the tops of biscuits, optional

Add the dry ingredients to a fine mesh sieve or a sifter, and sift them into a large bowl. Some sources recommend triple sifting the dry ingredients, but I found that sifting once worked fine for me.

Add the cold cubes of butter into the bowl, and use your fingers to rub the butter pieces into the flour mixture. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs, with some pea-sized lumps of butter.

Add most of the milk, reserving a small amount in case the dough gets too wet. Mix the dough gently with a butter knife just until it comes together. Add the rest of the milk if necessary. It should be sticky, but you don’t want it to be too sticky. A wetter dough will produce lighter biscuits.

Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475°.

After the dough has rested, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and give it a couple of gentle kneads. Pat it into a rectangle about 6″ by 4″. Fold the two sides into the center, overlapping them as you would fold a letter. Rotate the dough a quarter turn, pat it into a rectangle again, and repeat the folding. Repeat the process again, for a total of 3 folds.

Pat the dough into a rectangle one final time (it should be about 3/4″ thick). Use a well-floured round biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits, using a vertical motion only (no twisting the cutter!). Gently re-gather the dough scraps and cut more biscuits as needed. Alternatively, cut the biscuits into squares or rectangles with a well-floured knife. If you want the biscuits to rise evenly, make sure to cut all four sides with the knife, not just the sides in the center of the rectangle.

Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheet. If you’d like soft-sided biscuits, leave the sides just touching. For crisp-sided biscuits, leave some space in between each biscuit. Brush the tops of the biscuits with milk, if desired.

Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until they have risen and are light brown on top. The sides should be set. Remove the biscuits from the pan and place them on a cooling rack. For maximum enjoyment, eat ‘em while they’re still warm!

Sourdough Biscuits
From Food.com
Yield: approximately eight 2″ biscuits

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4″ cubes
1 cup sourdough starter

Add the dry ingredients to a fine mesh sieve or a sifter, and sift them into a large bowl. Add the butter cubes. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients. For tender scones, combine until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Add the sourdough starter and mix gently with a butter knife, just until the dough comes together. Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°.

After the dough has rested, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough gently 2 or 3 times, until it is a bit more cohesive. Pat it into a rectangle or circle 3/4″ thick. Use a well-floured round biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits, using a vertical motion only (no twisting the cutter!). Gently re-gather the dough scraps and cut more biscuits as needed. Alternatively, cut the biscuits into squares or rectangles with a well-floured knife. If you want the biscuits to rise evenly, make sure to cut all four sides with the knife, not just the sides in the center of the rectangle.

Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheet. If you’d like soft-sided biscuits, leave the sides just touching. For crisp-sided biscuits, leave some space in between each biscuit.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the biscuits begin to turn brown. Remove the biscuits from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack. I recommend eating them while they’re still warm!