Biscuits from the Flying Biscuit Cafe

Submitted by Epi Curious

"From April Moon's Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook, these biscuits are her signature recipe from the Flying Biscuit Cafe, a popular eatery in Atlanta. On any weekday morning, over 700 of these biscuits are eaten and over 1,200 disappear on a weekend morning."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 8 biscuits
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (preferably White Lily)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder (yes, in addition to the 1 tbsp above)
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sugar (yes, in addition to the 2 tbsp. above)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2⁄3 cup heavy cream
• 2⁄3 cup half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half (for brushing on top of biscuits)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (for sprinkling on top of biscuits)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Place flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into 1/2 tablespoon-sized bits and add to the flour. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in all the heavy cream and the half and half. Stir the dry ingredients into the cream and mix with a wooden spoon until dough just begins to come together into a ball.
4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times to form a cohesive mass. Do not overwork the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1-inch thickness. The correct thickness is the key to obtaining a stately biscuit. Dip a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter in flour, then cut the dough. Repeat until all the dough has been cut. Scraps can be gathered together and rerolled once. Place the biscuits on the prepared sheet pan, leaving about 1/4 inch between them. Brush the tops of the biscuits with 1 tablespoon of half and half and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 20 minutes. Biscuits will be lightly browned on top and flaky in the center when done.

Reviews

[Janet W.]

My biscuits turned out almost like the ones I buy at the local Flying Biscuit. Biting into one of these is like love personified. Thank you for this amazing recipe. These are the best biscuits I have ever made. I did not have half and half, so ended up substituting skim milk and extra butter. I also brushed butter on top after baking since again did not have half and half.

 

[Joan R.]

retired Baker, made the recipe exact way as written then my way of using chilled butter and liquids mixing with a pastry fork, not a wooden spoon plus higher baking temp. Both were very tasty but flatter biscuits using room temp. butter. My method, biscuits rose much higher