Brenda Gantt Biscuit Recipe

For the perfect Southern biscuits, make this Brenda Gantt biscuit recipe! These delicious biscuits are easy to make, and they’re sure to please the whole family.

This recipe comes from Brenda Gantt, a retired teacher and southern grandma from Andalusia, Alabama. She runs a bed and breakfast, but she became a social media sensation when she began posting cooking videos.

Also, they’re ridiculously simple to make. You only need 3 common household ingredients, and the biscuits are ready in less than half an hour.

Brenda Gantt biscuits are also very versatile. For example, you can serve them as a side with chicken and gravy, or slather them with jam for breakfast.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your mixing bowls, and let’s bake some Southern comfort food!

Tips for Making the Best Brenda Gantt Biscuits

Use Self-Rising Flour

I love self-rising flour because it means I don’t need to measure extra ingredients. As well, it helps these biscuits rise more evenly.

Because the leavening agents are already mixed into the flour, you don’t have to worry about sifting everything together.

However, you can make your own self-rising flour if you can’t find it at the store. For 1 cup of self-rising flour, mix these ingredients together:

• 1 cup of all-purpose white flour


• 1½ teaspoons of baking powder


• ¼ teaspoon of salt

Use Shortening, Not Butter

Traditional southern biscuits, like Brenda Gantt’s, are very flaky and have lots of layers. But to get this texture, you need to use shortening.

Unlike butter or salted butter, products like Crisco shortening help prevent gluten strands from forming in the dough. As a result, the dough is very tender instead of chewy.

Also, don’t use melted shortening in this recipe. To achieve the perfect texture, the shortening should be solid.

Bake Hot

Brenda Gantt recommends cooking the biscuits in a hot oven for a short period of time. This way, the biscuits will brown nicely but they won’t dry out in the center.

Additionally, you need to bake shortening at a relatively high temperature to get it to melt. And that’s essential for achieving the biscuits’ flaky texture.

So, even though it seems very hot, set your oven to 500 degrees F for the perfect biscuits.

Bake in Iron

For an authentic experience, Brenda Gantt bakes her biscuits in a cast-iron skillet. But if you don’t have one, you can use a regular cookie sheet instead.

Method

1. Preheat Oven
   

   First, set your oven to 500 degrees F and allow it to preheat. Don’t put your biscuits into the oven until it has reached that temperature.

   Also, use some of the shortening to thoroughly grease your skillet.
   

2. Sift the Flour
   

   Next, sift the flour into the medium bowl. Then, use your fist to make a hole or well in the center.
   

3. Add the Buttermilk and Shortening
   

   Now, pour the buttermilk and place the Crisco shortening in the well. Without touching the flour, use one hand to mix the buttermilk and shortening together in the hole.
   

4. Knead the Dough
   

   Once the buttermilk and shortening are combined, use your fingers to add some flour into the mixture. Gently knead flour into the liquid until you get a soft biscuit dough.

   In this step, you won’t necessarily use all of the flour. So, don’t worry if there’s still a lot left in the bowl.

   Then, scrape the dough off your dirty hand with the pointer finger and thumb of your clean hand. And put that excess dough back into the bowl – you don’t want to waste a delicious biscuit!
   

5. Cut the Biscuits
   

   When your hands are clean, put flour on them, the cutter, and your work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the floured table.

   With your palm, pat the dough into a circle about one inch thick. Then, use the biscuit cutter to cut circles out.

   Place the circles on your skillet for baking.
   

6. Save Leftover Dough
   

   If you have too much dough to bake all at once, you can save it for later. Simply put the dough in your floured mixing bowl and sprinkle a little extra flour on top.

   Place a layer of plastic wrap on top to keep it fresh. Now your dough will be ready for fresh biscuits or scones whenever you want them!
   

7. Bake the Biscuits
   

   Put the skillet of biscuits on the middle rack in the oven, and bake them for 6 to 8 minutes. When they’re golden brown, they’re done!

   And enjoy them while they’re still warm!
   

What to Serve With Brenda Gantt Biscuits

While butter is one of my favorite Brenda Gantt biscuit toppings, there are many more options for spreads and accompaniments!

Tea

Tea and buttermilk biscuits are a classic combination! It’s lots of fun to dip your biscuit into the teacup to soften the bun a little.

Plus, these Brenda Gantt biscuits go with any type of tea. So, grab your preferred blend, whether it’s English Breakfast, chai, jasmine green, or even a fruity tisane.

I especially love having a big biscuit and a mug of hot tea for breakfast on a cold winter morning.

Honey

For a sweet treat, dip your buttermilk biscuits in honey! You could even do a honey taste test with several varieties.

As well, you can spread honey on top of a biscuit. This is a little neater to eat, and honey is especially nice over a layer of melted butter.

Gravy

For the quintessential Southern experience, dip your homemade biscuits in gravy! This is an excellent savory option, and you can eat it for breakfast, a snack, or a dinner side dish.

You can also pour gravy on top or fill your biscuits to make a gravy sandwich.

Storage Instructions

To keep your biscuits fresh, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or tin foil, or place them in a sealed plastic bag. Then, keep them at room temperature for about 1 to 2 days.

You can also keep them in the refrigerator, where they’ll last for about a week. And if your biscuits have mold on them or smell strange, throw them out.

If you want to keep them for 2 to 3 months, you can store them in the freezer. Just make sure they’re sealed tightly in a freezer bag, plastic wrap, or tin foil.