Some of y’all might remember reading my post last week about my trip to Nashville for the Southern Baking Retreat. It was such an amazing trip in so many ways. But one of the best parts of the trips was we got to make biscuits. I mean, who doesn’t love a good homemade biscuit? There’s nothing like ’em!
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One of the things we learned is how many ways there are to make biscuits. Using just a few ingredients, you can change up the shape and flavor of the humble biscuit. One of my favorite biscuits that we made that day is the one I’m going to share with you today. This is the biscuit that me and my baking buddy, Brenda from A Farm Girl’s Dabbles, were given as our biscuit task for that day. Brenda had never made biscuits before. But you would never know it. She couldn’t believe how good these turned out – on her first attempt ever! That’s how easy and amazingly delicious these biscuits are.
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Biscuits are intimidating to make for many folks, but they really shouldn’t be This recipe along with White Lily Self-Rising flour make it a lot less intimidating for the new or frustrated biscuit maker. Baking does not come naturally to me, so I tell you this, if I can do it, anyone can do it. This is what makes this biscuit turn out perfect every time.
“So, what’s the difference between self-rising and all-purpose flour?”
Self-Rising flour already has the leavening agent (baking powder) and salt added in the flour mixture. First off, let’s start with the most common complaint any new biscuit maker has.
“Every time I make biscuits, they turn out as hard as bricks.”
I hear this one a lot! We all know biscuits shouldn’t be hard. So, what could possibly be the problem?
You forgot to add a leavening agent (like baking powder).
When using all-purpose flour to make biscuits, you have to add some sort of leavening agent to get your dough to rise when baking. But, when you use self-rising flour, it already has the leavening added so you don’t have to worry about adding in baking powder or salt. And I’m telling you, this White Lily Self-Rising flour is better than any other Self-Rising flour on the market (and I’m not getting paid to say that either). It makes all the difference!
Your baking powder has expired.
If you are using a recipe that calls for all-purpose flour and baking powder, then perhaps it’s the baking powder that is the problem. This is actually pretty common. Always check the expiration date on your can or box before baking. You’d be surprised how long that stuff sits in your pantry. Also, put a small bit on your tongue. It should taste metallic and almost “zing” your tongue. But once again, if using self-rising flour, it already has baking powder added so no need to worry about this.
You messed with the dough way too much.
We ain’t making bread here. Biscuit dough (unlike bread dough) does not like to be handled and kneaded a lot. A couple of folds and then cut them out. That’s it. You do not knead the dough until smooth and elastic, like you would bread.
You measured too much flour without realizing it.
Some folks pack their measuring cups when measuring flour. I used to do this too. It’s a common mistake. And then you wonder why the mixture isn’t coming together like it should. Do. Not. Pack. This goes for any kind of baking you are doing. This isn’t like measuring brown sugar. You do not pack the cup. And it’s for this reason, I do not measure directly from the flour bag.
When you scoop directly from the flour bag, you tend to pack the flour in the cup and that will result in too much flour in your batter. The best way to measure flour is to have the flour in a bowl or a flour canister where there is plenty of room to work. I give the flour a good stir first with a fork. This loosens it up a bit and helps stir a little bit of air in there. Then I dip my measuring cup in the flour and scoop off any excess flour. No packing. Just dip and scoop off excess. Either using your finger or a butter knife.
You are using the wrong cup to measure.
There are cups for measuring dry ingredients and there are ones for measuring liquid ingredients. Don’t try to scoop flour into a liquid measuring cup. And don’t try to measure liquid in a dry ingredient cup. It just doesn’t measure the same. Experienced biscuit makers know what a good biscuit dough should feel like.So many of them know if they have too much flour or too little flour in a dough and can add more until it’s the right consistency. But until you get to that point, make sure you are using the right cups. This tip goes for all your baking recipes.
You tried to change the fat content.
Changing out ingredients could mess up the recipe entirely. If a recipe calls specifically for butter – use real butter. Not margarine. Not oil.If a recipe calls for heavy cream, use heavy cream, not milk. If a baking recipe calls for milk, don’t use skim milk. 2% or higher milk fat is always best. If a recipe calls for buttermilk, use real buttermilk.
You can make a buttermilk substitute most times with a bit of whole milk and lemon juice or vinegar (here’s another case where you should never use skim or low fat milk). Buttermilk is thick. And some recipes require that thickness. So if your buttermilk substitute is not thickened, it may not work in your recipe. There is a buttermilk powder on the market. It works fine, but honestly, nothing tastes quite like good, real buttermilk to me. But the powder usually works in a pinch. Fat is needed in most baking recipes for a reason so keep it there unless the recipe creator has given instructions that a substitute can be used.
And another mention of note when making biscuits:
DO NOT TWIST YOUR BISCUIT CUTTER.
When you press into the biscuit dough, push straight down and pull up. Do not twist the biscuit cutter in the dough. Twisting it seals the edges off and will keep your biscuit from rising. Resist the twist!!
Ok, so having gone through all that, let’s make some biscuits. I promise, you got this. Your family will go nuts for these! And only 2 ingredients. Yep, just 2 (and a little melted butter).
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Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups White Lily Self-Rising flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup melted butter (for tops of biscuits)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 500F degrees (yes, that is the correct temperature) Spray a baking sheet with a little nonstick spray. Measure out flour (using technique above) into a large bowl.Gradually stir in cream, adding enough to moisten flour to a sticky dough.
Mix gently then turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (use the self-rising flour).
If it is too sticky to handle, add just a sprinkling of self-rising flour to the top.
Fold the dough two times to form a ball.
Pat or roll dough gently to a 1/2 inch thickness.
You’ll notice, it’s not rolled out into a big sheet.
I just pressed it out gently with my hands, leaving the dough fairly thick. 
Take your biscuit cutter and dip it in a bit of the self-rising flour (this will keep it from sticking to the dough as it cuts). Then begin to cut out biscuits as close together as possible. Do not twist your biscuit cutter when cutting them out. Just press down, and pull up.
I got about 3 biscuits from this first cutting. I probably could have cut out 4. Then I rolled the dough back up and spread it out again. Then did a second cutting. Don’t cut the dough more than twice. The dough starts to get tough after that and it changes the texture. So two cuttings will be the maximum for these biscuits. I get 6 biscuits from this recipe. Place biscuits on your prepared cookie sheet.
Note: Place biscuits close to each other (with sides touching) for soft biscuit sides. Separate biscuits if you want a biscuit with slightly crisper sides.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with a bit of melted butter.
Note: Little hands love to help make biscuits!
Then place biscuits (one sheet at a time, in the middle rack) in preheated oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
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I love how these biscuits separate just a bit in the middle. It makes them easy to split. Brush tops of biscuits with a little more melted butter and serve while warm.
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And then put a little more butter on the insides if you’d like too.
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I’m telling ya, these biscuits are so fluffy and beautiful. No one can resist them! I gotta say, there is something so relaxing and pleasing about making a good biscuit. Just looking at the counter I made those biscuits on makes me happy.
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If you follow these few suggestions here, I promise you will have a beautiful, fluffy and amazing tasting biscuit. If you can get your hands on some White Lily Self-Rising flour, then I know you will never go back to using anything else again because everyone will be so impressed by your soft and fluffy biscuits. Southern bakers swear by this flour for a reason.
Here are some additional tips from White Lily:
| TIP | Biscuit dough does not need to be kneaded except just to form a ball. A few gentle folds is enough. It is a common mistake in biscuit making to overhandle the dough. |
| TIP | TO STORE: Cool biscuits completely. Wrap in plastic wrap or place in freezer storage containers. Biscuits can be frozen for up to one month. To reheat: Place biscuits on baking pan and bake 5 to 10 minutes at 400°F. Refrigeration is not recommended. |
Enjoy!
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2-Ingredient Cream Biscuits
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups White Lily Self-Rising flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup melted butter for tops of biscuits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500F degrees (yes, that is the correct temperature)
- Spray a baking sheet with a little nonstick spray.
- Measure out flour (using technique above) into a large bowl.
- Gradually stir in cream, adding enough to moisten flour to a sticky dough.
- Mix gently then turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (use the self-rising flour).
- If it is too sticky to handle, add just a sprinkling of self-rising flour to the top.
- Fold the dough two times to form a ball.
- Pat or roll dough gently to a 1/2 inch thickness.You'll notice, it's not rolled out into a big sheet.
- I just pressed it out gently with my hands, leaving the dough fairly thick.
- Take your biscuit cutter and dip it in a bit of the self-rising flour (this will keep it from sticking to the dough as it cuts).
- Then begin to cut out biscuits as close together as possible.
- Do not twist your biscuit cutter when cutting them out.
- Just press down, and pull up.
- I got about 3 biscuits from this first cutting. I probably could have cut out 4. Then I rolled the dough back up and spread it out again.
- Then did a second cutting.
- Don't cut the dough more than twice.
- The dough starts to get tough after that and it changes the texture.
- So two cuttings will be the maximum for these biscuits.
- I get 6 biscuits from this recipe.
- Place biscuits on your prepared cookie sheet.
- Place biscuits close to each other (with sides touching) for soft biscuit sides. Separate biscuits if you want a biscuit with slightly crisper sides.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with a bit of melted butter.
- Then place biscuits (one sheet at a time, in the middle rack) in preheated oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Little hands love to help make biscuits!Here are some additional tips from White Lily:
Biscuit dough does not need to be kneaded except just to form a ball. A few gentle folds is enough. It is a common mistake in biscuit making to over handle the dough.
To Store: Cool biscuits completely. Wrap in plastic wrap or place in freezer storage containers. Biscuits can be frozen for up to one month. To reheat: Place biscuits on baking pan and bake 5 to 10 minutes at 400°F. Refrigeration is not recommended.
I rarely make biscuits anymore…but I will be trying this recipe…my husband will be thrilled again! 🙂
This recipe will make biscuit making fun again. I love biscuits any way I can get them but my hubby says these are his absolute favorite and really they couldn't be easier to make. Good one to make with kids!
sooooooooo preheat the oven to 500 degrees??? is that correct??? Can't wait to make these!!!
That is correct! Have fun making these! 🙂
I grew up with White Lily Flour, and at the age of 70, I am not likely to change!! It used to be made in a nearby town, but was sold several years ago and is now made elsewhere. The quality is still the same, though, and I've tried some less expensive products, only to return to White Lily. Happy to say that my daughter has the same loyalty! I'll try this recipe, for sure! Oh, and White Lily used to make THE BEST muffin mixes in pouches, but the new company stopped making those, and I still miss them. Martha White is not bad, but just is not the same as White Lily.
Glenda, I love hearing that. I am well and truly hooked on it now!
Glenda, I am 67 yrs. old and I loved White Lily Blueberry muffins, a few other flavors but our boys loved blueberry. I have tried the other pouches but just not as good. My Mama would make the best biscuits with White Lily flour and buttermilk. They were so light and not fall apart. I can make a light biscuit but mine fall apart. Not like my sweet Mama’s.
Once you've tried White Lily, no other flour will do! Baked items just do not have the same taste nor texture as White Lily! I must try these soon…Love your site, Brandie!
Yes! I would totally agree with that. Who knew flour could make so much of a difference? But it really does!
This was such a blast for me, loved making biscuits and trying out the different kinds! I have been experimenting quite a bit this week with trying to come up with a version for my "Midwest" friends who can't get their hands on White Lily. I'm not there yet. White Lily is definitely some special flour for light and fluffy and flavorful biscuits. I WILL find a way to keep it in my pantry, even if it means ordering it online!
Thanks for the little tips as a Reminder: DRY ingredient measuring cups, using a Cutter and NOT twisting.
Of course you Must use BUTTER if it's calling for it. Try making what I've called my basic cookie recipe, which is a sort of Shortbread Cookie recipe with margarine instead of butter and you'll notice the Difference. Butter makes your cookies Crisper, so if you like a softer cookie, go with the oleo ;>
Great tips about the cookies Annie. Thank you!
Look at those biscuits….they are beautiful Brandie! Makes me want to make some for breakfast! Have to make them early in the morning here in Texas. The temperatures are in the upper 90's and 100's, but that doesn't keep me from baking when you know you are having these 🙂
You won't regret it Kay! I just know you are going to love it!!
Meant to say I ordered my White Lily flower after seeing your post…there you go…I'm ready to make some!
Great recipe, Brandie! I found homemade biscuits to be so intimidating. Your post makes them seem much easier.
You can do this Brandi! Just a few basic techniques like I mentioned above and you can do these easily. If you have any questions, just let me know 🙂
Can you double this recipie? Im going to get some White Lily flour!!! Thanks!!!
You definitely can double this recipe Kristy. Hope you love it. Make sure you come back to let me know how it turned out!
I just bought White Lily flour last week but haven't tried it yet, glad for these reviews and this post here!
These biscuits are amazing, few ingredients and look at how yummy they are! I need these, asap!
Pamela, you won't be disappointed. I just know you are going to love these 🙂
Really looking forward to trying these, any idea on how they would work with coconut milk ?
Hi Angie, I don't cook or bake with coconut milk so I really couldn't tell you how that would turn out. But I will say that you need heavy cream in this recipe. It's the only one I would use. 🙂
I have used White Lily Self Rising Flour for years. My grandmother used it and always had the best biscuits.. I use to have trouble finding in it Indiana and I use to go to Ky and get it. Then when I lived in Fl I had trouble finding it for awhile.. Oh I was so glad when the Publix started carrying it.
For the ones who have never used it, you are missing the best biscuits.
I completely agree Belinda!
What an awesome tutorial Brandie. Your biscuits look tooooo beautiful and inviting! I've been making lots of 7-Up biscuits lately…amazing what ideas folks come up with huh? We don't have this White Lily flour around here, so I will be on the hunt to get some. Thanks much for sharing.
Thank you!
Those are yummy looking biscuits, Brandi! I was a biscuitmaker for Bojangles for a year and a half so I've made LOTS AND LOTS of biscuits…I even burned a couple of panfuls, too!!
Brandie you were in my little piece of the world. Hope Nashville made you feel welcome. My Dad taught me how to make biscuits when I was a little girl. And White Lily has been a staple in our home for a long time
Brandie you were in my little piece of the world. Hope Nashville made you feel welcome. My Dad taught me how to make biscuits when I was a little girl. And White Lily has been a staple in our home for a long time
Yep…that's how it's done. I'm a Martha White fan but White Lily is a good flour,too and yes the flour matters alot. You did a great tutorial. I set the oven to about 450 degrees. I think the next time I make 'em I'll try it at 500. Thanks for sharing.
I'm inspired!! I have wanted to start baking scones again too but thought it too much trouble. I think using the White Lily flour could be worth experimenting with.
Thanks… that trip to nashville sure was worthwhile.
Living in the North, I can't get White Lily flour unless I order it on line and at $9.95 a bag it's expensive. Can I use another self rising flour and still get the same wonderful results as you did? My hubby grew up on biscuits and I know that he would sure enjoy these! Thanks for posting this recipe….I so enjoy your newsletters! Carol
Hi Carol! I wish I could tell you that you would get the same results, but really, it's the flour that makes these so special. You can certainly use other self-rising flours and this recipe will still work. But I really recommend the White Lily if you can ever get your hands on it and you'll see the difference 🙂
I believe that I will be buying some White Lily flour…..ASAP! These biscuits look amazing.
I just made these wonderful biscuits. I used a stoneware pan and should have baked them another minute or two longer. They looked done, but were a little doughy on the inside. But the flavor and texture were magnificent. Who would have thought heavy cream could make a biscuit this good? White Lily has been my go to flour for 25 years. Thank goodness I can find it easily. Thanks so much for sharing this with us!
P.S. I found a tip online for kneading dough that I thought I'd share. Use a pillowcase. You may have heard of this before, but I had never. I saw it on a video a few months ago. I've always had a hard time with dough being hard to deal with because it is sticky. Since learning to spread flour on a pillowcase and pulling it up around the dough to knead it, my problem has disappeared!
Tammy
I like your pillow case tip. I keep a large piece of unbleached muslin in my cabinet, lightly floured to make my biscuits and any other pastry on. I used the muslin to lightly “knead” the dough about 3 times, gently folding the dough over without touching it with my hands.. Makes delicious flaky biscuits!
I used Martha White flour for many years. On a whim, I decided to give White Lily a shot. I never looked at Martha again, bless her heart. Now, I live in Jordan and can't get either one. Not only that, self rising flour is unheard of here! After adjusting to using plain flour, and to the higher altitude, my biscuits are finally good again. This recipe makes me want to dance around the kitchen. I'll definitely be going to the market in the cool of the evening to stock up on some heavy cream. Gawd, I adore biscuits and my Middle Eastern friends have learnt to love them too! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I love this recipe and the amount of detail you had about everything anyone ever needs to know about making biscuits. Wonderful. I am going to feature the biscuits with a link to all your wonderful writing and pics. I am also going to make them!
I have to say I LOVE this flour. This was the only one that my mom would buy to make biscuits with. She didn't like the biscuits to look yellow like a lot of other flours can produce. I continue that tradition and this is the only flour I buy as well. My hubs says my cat-head biscuits are the best in the whole world.
I will definitely take the time to make these for our special Sunday breakfast. I am from West Virginia, and I learned to cook before I learned to play the piano for Sunday School!!! When I read your blog I feel as if I am sitting down to have a cozy chat with my sister, or a dear friend. Your positive attitude and loving heart are reflected in your writing. Keep Smiling…
I've made quite a few biscuits in my days…but I can say now…that I've never had a better biscuit that these are. My sister and I made them for dinner tonight with some sausage gravy….they were delicious!! This will be my go-to recipe for biscuits from now on! TFS!
This is my kind of cooking/baking. Quick, easy and DELICIOUS! Would have never thought they could be this good, light and fluff. This recipe is definitely a KEEPER! I will be making them often. Thanks for sharing.
Wow I have never been able to make these always to dry.I just made them I;m amazed that it was easy that i to could make good biscuits so good wow
I make biscuits fairly often … anxious to give this recipe a try – and I have the PERFECT tomato to slice to go with them…and maybe some country ham and cooked summer apples!
I have been making biscuits for going on 52 years now…Don't make as often as use too..I always used self rising flour, and buttermilk…..I"m not sure we can get White lily flour here now, but will sure try, I want to make these…And I have never rolled out my dough and cut it with cutter…I have just always made my little well in flour bowl made from their and pinch then off…This is way I learned to make them…I have made a lot of pans for our bunch at dear camp, they thought they had a gold nugget…These sound so good…Thanks.I will be putting this on my Gloria"s Recipes page…Hope you visit page….
Until I found this recipe, the last time I made biscuits was probably about 25 years ago and they turned out like little white hockey pucks so I gave up. I've now made this recipe twice and the flavor is great. First time they tasted good, but crumbly (probably too much flour, and yes I'm using White Lilly). Second time was much better and I think I'm getting the hang of it now. Second time I even dared to make breakfast for MIL (and she makes good biscuits), hubby, son, grand-daughter, and friend, and they all seemed to like them. Mine weren't pretty like yours, but I think with practice they will look better. With just two ingredients they were simple to make and they are really tasty.
Debbie
I so agree about the White Lily flour! And not just for baking biscuits either,any baking such as homemade cakes and cookies.I have tried other flours and there is no comparison.
You can buy White Lily at Save-A-Lot food stores if you live in the south, for around $3. I live in Tennessee.
I love your recipes, and these biscuits look delicious! One thing… every time I click on your website, I always get a bunch of pop up ads. I have antiviral protection and pop up blockers, but these still come thru. Do any other of your readers have this problem?
Hi Susie! Thank you for letting me know. That problem should be fixed now! 🙂
The picture of the biscuits look great. Did you cook the biscuits in the picture touching or separated?
I baked them separate. If you like soft edges, bake them together.
Hey Brandi, any tips or warnings for a non stick pan? I want the kind of pans you show in the pic but don't own any right now I know a spray won't work on them it will just bake on.
Hi Amanda, if you are using nonstick baking pans then just skip the nonstick baking spray step. It'll still come out fine. Or, if you are still concerned they might stick, just put down a layer of parchment paper on your baking sheet. Hope that helps!
These biscuits are the bees knees. I'll not use any other recipe from now on. I just used generic self rising flour from Wally World, and baked them on a sheet pan covered with a re-usable parchment. Unbelievably easy, and melt in your mouth tender. They went perfectly with our sausage gravy. There hasn't been one thing I've made from your site that hasn't been delicious and a huge hit with my family. It's the first place I stop when I'm planning my meals. Thank you Brandie <3
Angie, what an amazingly sweet comment. Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me that. It just makes all the work worth it to know someone is loving what I'm sharing. I hope you continue to love all the recipes you might try!
What would the temperature be for a fan assisted oven? 180 degrees C ?
Oh, I wish I could answer your question. I'm so sorry but I don't have a fan assisted oven so I'm really not sure. Perhaps another reader on here has one and can make a recommended baking temperature!
I'm a novice about flour, so does it matter if it's unbleached? Amazon currently has unbleached White Lily self rising flour for a really good price!!! Thanks.
I say if you have found it at a great price, go with it. Some bakers prefer the unbleached. The only difference, the unbleached is a more natural wheat color and some bakers feel this does enhance the taste. Either way, you can't go wrong with the White Lily. Once you open the bag, I recommend putting it in a lidded container. 🙂
Brandi – I finally found the White Lilly Flour at my local Kroger store. I live in central Arkansas and found a list of stores that carry this flour on the White Lilly Flour website. Also, I saw that some folks mentioned the cost of ordering the flour online, but the website also has a store, were you can order and their prices were very reasonable, in my opinion.
So, my question is, you mentioned that you also use this flour for pancakes. After searching your blog, I couldn't find the recipe and wondered if you would post this sometime. Thanks for all the great recipes. I will be making my biscuits today. I plan on making a double batch, because good biscuits don't last long at our house!
holy smokes they look DEELISH and easy lol.thanks!! Love your blog!
I wonder if I can find White Lily flour here in CA though?:( I used to use it in SC and I remember REDBAND lol
Pardon the stupid question, but I wanted to know if whipping cream would do or is it imperative to use heavy whipping cream? My Tom Thumb was out of it and grabbed the regular just hopi' and a'prayin' it would work. Does anyone know?
OMG, Brandi!! These biscuits look so good, I am a biscuit addict!! I was on a mission to get White Lily flour as Ive been in Phoenix, Az. for 30+ yrs & people havent even heard of it here! I'm originally from Illinois and I recall my Grand-Mother using White lily flour years ago when I was a kid so I was thrilled to find this recipe…& for the fact that it only takes 2 Ing's! Let me add, someone else mentioned their biscuits turned out like 'Hockey Pucks'..-HA! That would have been a compliment to how mine turned out..lol! 😉
Now, Im going to be honest here…my MIL has the 'feel' for breads, biscuits, baking etc & Ive been determined to at least turn out a decent biscuit since the only help Ive ever gotten from her has been…"I guess you just dont have the feel for baking-..Gee Thanks for the encouragement!!?" (This is my 2nd MIL & Im finding out, she is not a huge fan of mine-her prob..not mine as Ive realized, theres NO pleasing this woman! :-/
My 1st MIL was a blessing from God & truly taught me everything she could about being a good wife, Mother baker, etc!) Anyway, I digress.
I went to Amazon looking for White Lily & knew(or hoped) I could probably beat Amazons price by going straight to the source- Smuckers.com! I just wanted to share with you guys that if you do go to their site & choose from the "Flour & Cornmeal 4 (5 lb) pack" for $16.00 you can then choose ALL flour, you dont have to choose any cornmeal at all! You can mix & match the 4 (5 lb) pack however you want, so I ended up getting 4 bags of Self-Rising flour for $4.00 per bag. Here was the downside-shipping was almost as much as all 4 bags of flour! That was a bit disheartening! Although..Im chomping at the bit to get baking these biscuits, so I ordered & it arrived very quickly! So, with that I have a few questions!
I ran into my local Safeway & all they had for heavy cream was a quart container for $5.39!! Where do you all buy your heavy cream for a more reasonable price? My goodness, that seemed expensive! And, rather than using non-stick baking sheets. Have any of you ever tried baking them in cast iron skillets, generously oiled? I recall my Grand-Mother making them that way & it produced a more crispy edge that was dee-lish!! Just a thought! Question #2, whats the best way to store flour to maintain its freshness? Ive seen some Chef's keep their flour/sugar in large, glass, wide-mouthed containers. How do some of you store (at least) 5 lbs of flour to maintain its freshness? Also, does anyone have anymore similar recipes like this one, including White Lily for pancakes, pie crusts etc? Please share if you do! 🙂
Lastly,I wanted to let you all know, if anyone does end up going to Smuckers.com…they enclose a coupon for free shipping for your next order…as long as its $75.00 or higher! But, at their prices..it would make sense to stock up! Especially if you saved on shipping!
Brandi, thank you so much for your recipes! Along with so many others..Ive not made one thats turned out wrong or bad-you give me the encouragement & confidence I need in the kitchen even if my MIL doesnt! Losing my Mom at an early age, Ive had to rely on hit & miss recipes and your recipes are definitely Big Time HITS in our home!! Thank you so much for what you do!!(sorry about the length of post-thank you for your patience!)
Happy Biscuit Making & Blessings!
Can you bake them at a lower temperature than 500? Our smoke detector goes off if the oven is over 375.
What do you do with the leftover dough after you've cut out the biscuits? I realize it would only be a little bit of dough but it would feel like a waste to throw it out…
I tried making these, I dont know what Im doing wrong. They dont raise at all, and the bottoms are burned absolutely black. I can't believe you are baking these at 500 degrees. What could I be doing wrong? I bought White Lily flour just to make these, too.
Are you sure you purchased self-rising flour? Sounds like there isn't a leavening agent in your flour. You need to use self-rising only for this. Also, the temperature is correct. It might seem high but it is correct.
I tried this recipe, and they are delicious. One problem and question: they rose up nicely but when I removed from the oven in a bit they had sunk down. Still tasted good though. Do yours rise and then fall some as they cool?
I just checked, it is indeed White Lilly Self Rising Flour. I used a foil lined pan, would that have caused such a black burned bottom on them? I may try one more time, as I have another cup of heavy cream, but Im really disappointed. I was all ready to enjoy these!
Don't use aluminum foil. Just go by the directions I have here. Aluminum foil works as a heat conductor and therefore is superheating your biscuits way too fast, which is why they are getting so dark on the bottom. Just spray with nonstick cooking spray. And make sure your rack is in the middle of the oven. Also, do not twist your biscuit cutter when cutting down on biscuits. If you see my tutorial above, I show you how to do it. Twisting down on the dough will seal off the edges and won't allow the biscuit to rise. Just push down and pull up. Hope that helps
Thanks Brandie for taking the time to help. Im determined to make these work! Okay, I will try a different pan. I just cut them with a knife into squares, I didnt twist. Okay, I read the tutorial again, took a deep breath, and Im going to try again!
OMG It worked!!!! I Made Biscuits That Are Edible!!!!! Isnt it amazing what happens when you actually follow instructions??? Awesome!!
Yay!! I'm glad you gave it another go and they turned out great! Sometimes it's those small details that mean a whole lot to the finished product. Way to go!!
This is how my Grandma made them.. she also used butter but my neighbor across the street used Mayo in hers and was just as yummy.. especially with Red-eye gravy in the morning..
can I make these with gluten free flour
I just made these this morning and they are fantastic…thanks for the recipe Brandie,delicious as usual!!
My mom made biscuits very similar to these, except she used buttermilk and lard. She made the best scratch biscuits ever, and all of Nashville would back me on this statement. The Fire Dept.. would request them often. Just something she learned on her on. The other difference, and this might help those using high temp, was she would place them on the bottom rack in the oven, then take them out and place them on the top, on broil till lightly golden brown. Perfect every time! I am going to try them this way. Thanks!
You can Get The white lily Self rising Flour at walmart
Diane Manley , im from Australia can we get white lily here ?
Hey! First off, I both LOVE and HATE you 😀 This recipe is so freaking easy that I can whip up a mess of biscuits with almost every meal (which is why I love you) but me and grain based carbs don't really get along, I eat them then they cause me to get fat, then I cry and they cry it's really just a big mess (which is why I hate you.) And now, to make matters worse, my chef mind took over last night while I was baking up another batch of biscuits to go with dinner and thought "Hey, I wonder if I could turn these into breakfast scones?" and so I did! To the flour I added 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup dried cranberries and 1 tbsp cinnamon then mixed with a fork till fully incorperated then I added the cream (I always use a fork to mix the dough) till it was forming large clumps. I tossed the whole thing on a floured surface and pressed it out to a large and thick circle (like you describe above) and then used a pizza cutter to quickly cut the circle in to 8 triangles, I then moved the whole circle triangle thing to a greased cookie sheet, covered it in melted butter and sprinkled sugar then baked it at 425 for 25 minutes and OMG these are the BEST scones (or sweet biscuits as my hubby says because we live in " 'merica!") ever!! Super moist and very satisfying 😀 Sorry to make you fat.
Hahaa! So funny! What a wonderful idea – love it! Thank you so much!!
Thank you for sharing, glad I found a biscuit recipe this great. Love this recipe. So easy and quick, they turned out great. So tasty.
My mother never cut her biscuits out she just pinched a small piece off her dough and rolled them in her hand and then put them on her pan to bake,they were always good.My Dad had made her a long bowl out of a tree trunk for her to make her biscuits in.I know she used self rising flour but I can't remember what brand she used.
Same question as someone above: what do you do with the leftover dough and what if your fire alarm is sensitive to high temps? Also has anyone tried making the biscuits and freezing the baked biscuits? I would love to have these stocked up in the freezer.
I've lived in the South my whole life-50 SW of Houston in a Czech community & NEVER heard of White Lily Flour until here. I actually had a hard time finding it. Some Randall's have it. There is NO substitution for this flour!!!!! Unbelievable the difference in the results. My first biscuits I used what I always used, Pillsbury. They were like hockey pucks! White Lily-my husband says " This is not the same recipe!!' Threw old flour out! White Lily is the only one I will use now. Thank you!!!!
I wanted to make biscuits and gravy for dinner tonight. I figured I'd give these biscuits a try thinking if they came out hard or tough the gravy would make up for it. I WILL NEVER AGAIN USE A DIFFERENT RECIPE FOR BISCUITS!!!! I have been using bisquik and making drop biscuits for years now because every time I made cut biscuits they came out like hockey pucks! These came out perfectly for me and on the first try at that! They even looked like yours in the picture which almost never happens. Thank you for such an awesome recipe 🙂
Runnergirl, what a sweet comment! Thank you so much!! I am so happy you had success! And I really appreciate you coming back to leave a comment and let me know. You are an official Biscuit Super Star!!
Brandie,
We are on low sodium diet. Can you use plain flour(only White Lily) and add baking powder and salt? Love, love your website, you always have the best recipes!
Does anyone know where you can find this brand of flour? I've never heard of it. I've looked in my local walmart but I didn't see it…
I live in Texas, just north of Houston and no one sells White Lily. I ordered it from Smuckers online and got it in 3 days. I just got back from vacation in Alabama and they sell White Lily at Walmart and also in Mississippi and Louisiana. I lugged back 6 bags with me! It is in the freezer in vacuum sealed bags. Thankful I have enough for these delicious biscuits. I use parchment paper on my pans, follow all your directions exactly and they come out perfect everytime. I even through the remaining dough scraps on the cookie sheet and they are yummy with some homemade blackberry jelly. I LOVE this recipe. Thank you!!!
Hi Brandie!
First time biscuit maker here. I followed your instructions to a T, or so I thought. My dough was soooo sticky! It stuck to everything and my biscuits were more like blobs than perfect circles. They tasted great. Any tips?
I was so excited to find the white lily self rising to try these. But they didn't rise at all. They have a good taste but they are not big biscuits! No idea what I did wrong.
Hi there! Love your posts! I'm from Ireland and we love our biscuits here too! We call them scones tho and we call your cookies, biscuits! Raisins or sultanas are popular in scones here too. We have self- raising flour here but to be honest I prefer to add my own baking powder as that way I can control how much is added, sometimes with self-raising flour you don't know how much you're getting! When I'm feeling super organised I make up batches of the dry ingredients (incl raisins cos I love my fruity scones!) and keep them in separate bags in my pantry then just need to add the butter, Buttermilk & egg & they're mixed in no time! So just another angle from across the pond!! Thanks again for your great posts! Farewell from Ireland (Slan leat!)
I rarely make biscuit due to them coming out more like rocks! I tried this recipe tonight, and these are the lightest biscuits I have ever made! This will become my go to recipe for biscuits. My husband is currently eating his sixth one with butter and grape jelly of course. Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe!
THANKS FOR A GREAT AND EASY RECIPE.
I made these first before the Sunday Breakfast and made the error of leaving them in the oven while I got the rest of the meal done.
They lost a lot of their softness, but were still very good.
Thanks again
Bob
I am from WV and I make Buttermilk biscuits all the time from scratch and make them in an iron skillet. Tried this recipe and was very very good but I'm wondering if I can do these in an iron skillet as well ??
Making these as we speak!
I seriously love and appreciate how much detail you go into about the measuring cups. I had no clue it made a difference! I ran to the store this morning and got dry ingredient cups!! And biscuit Cutters! They look amazing and I am excited to try them!! I will be making these from here on out!
Oh my goodness. I never post comments and I never try to out-do my grandma's buttermilk biscuits, but I had to post about how incredible these biscuits are. I didn't have that brand of flour, but my brand worked fine. So soft and melt-in-your-mouth good! Now my go-to recipe. Thanks for sharing !!
I just made these biscuits and I have to say that they are amazing. I couldn't believe how easy they were. I will be making them all the time.
Question..is there enough fat content in the whipping cream to make up for not using shortening or butter in other biscuit recipes? I just can't wrap my head around how these will be the same. Also, at 500 degrees, would you place them on the center rack in the oven?
OMG I have to thank you for this recipe. Mine never turn out, ever. I ordered White Lily flour on Amazon and it came today, Christmas Eve. I followed your instructions except I bake on stonewear so I didn't have to grease the pan. They were amazing. So soft and fluffy and they rose up tall!
Oh my, I can't wait! So tired of buying canned biscuits! My mother only ever used Bisquick growing up, so I've been experimenting with recipes & yours sounds like what I want for rushing around on Sunday mornings! Maybe my 5 yr old will even start eating biscuits!
Do you know if for a cream substitute I can use my go to?
(For each cup of heavy cream, I melt 1/3 cup of unsalted butter and add it to 3/4 cup of prepared powdered milk) I don't know that I'd go through enough heavy cream to justify buying it & so far this has worked in other recipes for me fairly well!
Made these biscuits today for breakfast and they were delicious!! They were light and fluffy…perfect!
Thank you for the great recipe!!
I was craving biscuits and gravy this morning but biscuits are such a pain (and a mess) to make. And then I saw your recipe on Pinterest and had to try it. They came out PERFECT! I made mine 2" in diameter and got 9 biscuits. I had to bake them for 11 minutes instead of the 8-10 but they turned out to be the best and easiest biscuits I've ever made and I thought my old recipe couldn't be touched! Well, out that one goes. This is the only recipe I'm going to use from now on. Thanks!! 🙂
This recipe is close to how I make biscuits but I use buttermilk instead of heavy cream. I handle the dough very little and they turn out great every time. I am definitely going to try these.
A tip that I learned years ago from an amazing baker is to use a spoon to scoop your flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping the cup in the bag. It's the same idea as fluffing with a fork, but then you don't have to worry about making as much of a mess and can spoon from any size container.
Found your recipe on Pinterest and had to try it. I've made them three times and they came out delicious every time! Thanks so much!
the recipe i use is: 1 pint of heavy whipping cream and 3 cups white lily self-rising flour.
when i was reading this i said to myself… wait a minute, did *I write this????? i've been making whipping cream biscuits for years. i've done my best to spread the word, even shipped white lily flour to cali and ohio… before 9/11!!! after that i was too worried to mail 'white powdery substances'.
i worked at an oil refinery and one of the guys came in with an armful of pillsbury flour, wesson oil, baking powder and all kind of sifters and bowls and such so he could 'make his grandmother's biscuits'. well, he mixed it all up and threw it on the counter and kneaded the living crap out of it. i told him the same thing… 'no no, don't do that! biscuits are not bread!' well they came out like hockey pucks, about an inch of hard brown crust and empty inside. he was shocked that they didn't come out like grandma's. i told him his grandma could probably make biscuits out of sawdust. but anyway, i decided to take up the banner and teach those guys how to make biscuits. i brought in the easiest thing for them… butter flavored crisco… along with white lily self-rising flour and milk and showed them the tricks to measuring… not to tamp, etc. but we made drop biscuits, not the kind you just drop from the spoon with the burned points on them, but the kind where you gently toss the dough back and forth in lightly floured hands until it's smooth. i'd tell them… 'easy! you're not breading an oyster!'
well, they got the whole thing down and were making their own biscuits then one guy came into the shack where i was working and reached into the trash, picked up the recipe part of the sunday paper and said 'hey looky here… whipping cream biscuits'. he wanted me to make them and i said 'no… they're not going to come out right and i'll get the blame!' well, the next day he brought in the whipping cream and white lily s/r flour and wanted me to make them so i did. and that was it, whipping cream biscuits from then on out!!
i brought sacks of flour with me when i went out of town to visit friends and like i said, mailed it across the country to other friends. i always told them "it HAD to be white lily!" one of the maintenance workers ate one of the biscuits and he came and asked me very quietly and anxiously if he could have the recipe… a lot of people down here hoard recipes and won't give them out. but of course i was thrilled to give it to him. he actually used to own a restaurant and said those were the best biscuits he'd ever tasted.
over here in the uk we use standardised self raising flour for virtually all baking unless the recipe says to use plain flour (equiv to your all purpose) or strong white flour (specific bread baking flour) if you find your SR flour isnt doing what it should, you can always add extra baking powder to the recipe to give it a boost in 1/2 tsp increments ( may need to experiment a little to achieve good outcome)
Is there such a thing as self rising gluten free flour???
I am so thrilled to have found your recipe! I'm in GA and have always used White Lily self rising flour. This was easy as pie. My in-laws in MN can't find self rising flour so when they visit they stock up on it. I use it in my fried chicken recipe and they just love that. Now they'll love my biscuits. I thank you so much. I now make biscuits like Granny did.
I will be making these biscuits and then freezing them to take on vacation. Do I thaw the biscuit when reheating or do I reheat from frozen?
I've been seeing this recipe since I started following you on Facebook, and finally found White Lily flour at my local Kroger, so knew the time had come for me to make these. Long story short, these are the *BEST* biscuits I've ever eaten! There aren't enough superlatives to describe just how good they are. Mine didn't turn out quite as pretty as your photos, but the taste and texture are beyond compare. Thank you for this recipe, which will be my go-to recipe for biscuits from here on out. Yummy yummy!
HELLO , I just made these this morning and I was so impressed.
Great recipe, just simply yummy.
I would not change a thing.
Thanks for posting these easy, Delicious biscuits that are so easy to make.
Caroline
These were amazeballs! I didn't have self-rising flour, so I substituted 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, & 3/4 tsp. salt. (Same amount of cream.) I used them for breakfast biscuit sandwiches, but they were good just by themselves without extra butter, and I'd even use them for biscuits and gravy. Two thumbs up.
Really liked your article on biscuits. I love biscuits and make them a lot. I don't know if I have ever eaten a bad biscuit, but some are just good and some are great. From other comments, I guess these are great. I find White Lilly flour at Krogers near Indianapolis, IN. Another website said Indiana is about as far North as you can find it, and I think that the farther west you go it gets harder to find. I think the reason Kroger sells it up here is because Kroger has a strong presence in the South, and probably sells it to be competitive in their southern stores. ( Just my opinion). For those of you who are having trouble finding White Lilly, I noticed on my last trip to the store to get a bag of White Lilly, the protein level on the white Lilly is only 2%, while most AP flour is around 6-7% ( I think). But I checked a bag of King Arthur self rising flour and was surprised to see that it was also 2%. I sent an email to KAF noting the similarity and in their response they said they reformulated their self rising flour 2 years ago. If i couldn't find the White Lilly, I think I might give the KAF SR flour a try.
What I found interesting about this recipe is its lack of fat. I have looked at a lot of biscuit recipes and they all use fat, shortening, lard or butter in them, but from the pictures it seems these are just fine without fat. I will give this recipe a try tomorrow. I bought the cream today.
Hello,
With your recipe, I've reached a new level in cooking!
Thank you, Tom
Try this one y'all…2 1/2 cup Lily White; 2 tsp sugar; 1/2 cup butter (one stick); 3/4 to 1 cup whipping cream. I melt the butter in the microwave before I mix it with the flour and sugar. Once the whipping cream is mixed in, I don't mess with it much, just roll 'em and cut 'em. Works great for me.
I know White Lilly is a tradition in the south, and I often use it myself for biscuits ( I have a bag in the pantry right now), but I have compared the nutrition lst on the side of different flour bags and most self rising flours that I checked have 2% protein just like WL. KAF says they use flour from the mid Atlantic states and they reformulated their flour two or three years ago. I still buy WL because it is cheaper, not because I think it is better.
I made the 2 ingredient biscuits tonight and they were not only easy, but so, so delicious! My husband is a happy man right now…after dinner, he brought out the jam and kept going! I will definitely make these again and thanks so much for a great recipe.
Now Sharon, those are the comments I like to get! They are so easy and delicious and I am so glad hubby approved! Happy eating!
I live in Oklahoma and need to research where White Lily Flower is sold. I don't think it is sold here but want to know what states close to Oklahoma does sell this flour. Want to buy some if I happen to visit one of these states while on vacation this summer. So if any of your readers could tell me of some places to get it I would appreciate it. Also want to tell you that my mother would press out her dough and then cut them out with a knife and all the grand kids loved her square biscuits. No second rolling to cut more biscuits and no wasted or tough biscuits! Also can be done and on the table quicker!I plan on making these for my grad kids too maybe with some chocolate gravy! Thanks for the great recipe!
I know you can order White Lily online. I have a lot of friends that order it through Amazon 🙂
I am 80 yrs. old and have been making biscuits for many years. I do not believe this recipe. I am going to try it this weekend. It is so simple. Can I use any self-rising flour? I have Gold Medal. DO NOT send to my Google acct. Please any replies to noconnell@maine.rr.com
Thank you for you reply.
I just made these this morning and they were great! I couldn't find White Lily self-rising flour at my store so I bought King Arthur brand. And I'm southern so of course I had to use my cast iron skillet 🙂
Of course the cast iron skillet is a must. So glad these biscuits were a hit for you.
These are the best biscuits ever! I can't stand the idea of wasting a single gram of dough, so instead of a round biscuit cutter, I use the lifting tool for cakes. Same premise after I have the dough patted out (don't slide, just straight up and down) and we have square biscuits. Taste great and no waste.
Was very hopeful for easy biscuits. They are light and fluffy. Thank you for sharing your recipe and I will use this for strawberry shortcake or something like that.
So glad these were a hit for you Anne!
I order my White Lily from Amazon… We can not buy this in Texas…Do not bake biscuits without this flour….. Wonderful recipe….Thank you….
Hi Jody! I am in total agreement. I usually tell folks to get it from Amazon if they can’t find it locally. It is totally worth it!
Hi! Can you double this recipe? The recipe is not big enough for my family.They love stew and biscuits.
Have a wonderful day with flour hands and on your counter.
Doris
Hi
Is heavy cream the same as double thick cream? Where I stay they sell cream and then double thick cream?
Hi Sam! Yes, you will want to purchase the double thick cream. Hope that helps 🙂
Can I replace melted butter by coconut oil? About reheating biscuits, I suggest spritzing them with water when reheating them in the oven to moisten the biscuits like they were before.