Many Southerners swear by White Lily Flour for making the highest-rising, light and fluffy biscuits. I might add another descriptive word and that is flaky. The biscuits crumble when you cut into them, not exactly the texture I prefer, but still good when you smother them with butter, gravy or even maple syrup.
A few years ago this flour, which is milled from 100% soft winter wheat, was finally available to us Northerners. The company has been around since 1883 and that sure says something for its flour. For every cup of all-purpose flour used in a recipe you need to substitute 1 cup and 2 tbsp. of White Lily All-Purpose Flour.
Nancy, a fellow blogger recently posted a biscuit recipe but she used yeast and self-rising flour. Here are two examples of different versions of biscuits using a Southern flour. Not bad for two Northerners 🙂 Please check out her recipe https://feastingwithfriendsblog.com/2016/08/05/buttermilk-biscuits/
White Lily Southern Style Biscuits
- 2 cups soft wheat flour such as White Lily
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
- 2 tbsp. Crisco, cut into cubes and chilled
- 1 tbsp. lard, cut into cubes and chilled
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. I like to use a fork but you can use a pastry blender or two knifes and cut the butter, Crisco and lard into the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk and stir only until combined.
Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead about 10 times. Pat into a 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick circle. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter (or bigger if desired) dipped in flour cut out as many rounds as you can. Combine the scraps, pat into a circle again and make more rounds until the dough is used up. I ended up with 12 biscuits.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or so. It took 17 minutes in my oven. Remove and brush with melted butter if desired.
Recipe by cooking with aunt juju
Have you ever wondered about all of the different versions of biscuits? First, there is the flour that is used. Many recipes use all-purpose and many use self-rising. I am a King Arthur Flour (KAF) follower and this is the brand of flour I always buy. They make quite a few varieties and some are available at stores and the rest can be bought online at their store. Have you heard of Bisquick? This packaged mix makes great biscuits and are the ones my siblings and I grew up on 🙂
This recipe used a different flour, White Lily Flour, the biscuits seemed a little too flaky. They rose beautifully and tasted good, just kind of wanted to fall apart when you cut into them. Maybe it was me and I should try to make them again…
Second, there are numerous “wet” ingredients to choose from such as sour cream, buttermilk, milk, whipping cream and even mayonnaise. I wish I could make one of each and do a taste test – then I might know which biscuit I prefer.
I have posted a few different recipes for biscuits and one I love for strawberry shortcake that is a family favorite. The addition of orange zest makes these special 🙂
- Caramelized Onion Sourdough Biscuits
- Breakfast Biscuits
- Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
- Two Biscuits
- Strawberry Shortcakes
I’ll try this recipe. Have lots of leaf lard that I need to use. Love the idea of using in biscuits. I’ve never used white lily flour but have hear so much about it. Like you I use King Arthur. The biscuits look amazing.
Three different fats in this recipe! Like Nancy this was my first time using White Lily Flour – the Southerners swear by it. I still like KAF! Thanks Suzanne…
I guess us Northerners CAN make biscuits! These look so scrumptious, Judi. The height you achieved is outstanding. Now that I have the flour, I’ll give your recipe a try for sure! Thanks for the mention and the linky tool, it’s greatly appreciated!
You betcha Nancy! Maybe they rose too much – I will be anxious to try your biscuits. I love the process you went through to achieve those beautiful biscuits.
Rose too much??? No way! They look fabulous, Judi!
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Thanks so much for linking my recipe – we do seem to think alike 🙂
I’ve already eyed Nancy’s recipe, and now this – guess I’m destined to make some biscuits soon! 🙂
There are so many recipes Ronit – I have posted a few favorites. They are fun to make and eat of course 🙂
I have never heard about White Lily Flour before but your biscuits looks absolutely delicious and super tasty Judi. My kind of biscuit! 🙂
Thanks Linda! It’s a Southern flour and only recently available in the northern markets. My favorite is King Arthur Flour 🙂
Judi, both you and Nancy have been enticing us with your biscuits. How lovely, now that I’ve heard of White Lily Flour through both your sites, I’ll definitely have to look for it in the grocery aisle. I’m sure it would taste real good with just about anything.
Finally, we have been able to buy it here. However, for every cup of AP flour you need to substitute 1 cup 2 tbsp. White Lily Flour. I still like KAF but had to try White Lily for some southern relatives who always rave about it.
Neat!
🙂
Those are simply gorgeous, flaky biscuits! I grew up on Bisquick biscuits too. 🙂
I might have to agree with my Southern relatives that White Lily Flour makes some good biscuits! Mom used Bisquick for a lot of recipes – I guess with four hungry kids and a husband she needed to have easy things to make.
Make that 6 hungry kids and a husband in my house, lol!
Wow, these are gorgeous biscuits, Judi! They are so high, and they look like they would just melt in your mouth. I have never heard of this kind of flour. Thanks so much for the heads up about it!
Thanks so much Shari! These biscuits really did rise using White Lily flour. I’ve been hearing about it from Southern relatives for a long time.
I have never heard of that flour! I love biscuits and those look so good. Your opening paragraph made me so hungry for gravy and biscuits! Yumm
Gravy and biscuits is a favorite way to eat them! It’s a southern flour and only recently did it become available in the north. It sure made my biscuits rise 🙂
Wow yumm
Oh these look and sound delicious. Ruin me for Bisquick. Thank you. 🐞
Hey I love Bisquick too as I was raised on it. These biscuits sure did rise and had great flavor too. Wish I had a couple right now 🙂
I have seen the flour in our stores in the last few years, but I’m not much of a biscuit fan, except for the creamy scone like biscuits I use for shortcake. And I’m going to say it out loud – we like Grands biscuits, even though they have a little chemical aftertaste. So there ya go, lol, I’m a biscuit cretin! And I have tried the Cook’s method of making layered biscuits, btw….yours do look lovely and I like that they’re tall!
I had to try this flour because of my Southern relatives. It obviously makes some great biscuits. Pillsbury Grand biscuits are the best – I frequently served them to Gene in a pinch of course 🙂
🙂
I’m amazed by how tall this biscuit is! I’ll be trying this recipe for sure!
So was I actually! I did use a 2-inch cutter and got 12 biscuits out of the recipe. The dough was 3/4-inch thick so it does depend on how thick you roll your dough. It definitely did rise good 🙂
So tasty biscuits and loved your recipe 🙂