26 June 2014

Freezing Unbaked Biscuits - Homemade Freezer Biscuits



Freezer Biscuits / www.delightfulrepast.com

Making unbaked biscuits for the freezer helps you get a jump on busy-day meals. I love being able to pull out as many biscuits as I need and maybe even a main dish or a side--a casserole from a day when I really had my wits about me and made a big batch of something, enough for a meal that day and one later. The freezer can be your best friend!

Freezing unbaked biscuits is something you can do when you have a few extra minutes on your hands, or you can just freeze a few every time you make a batch of biscuits and need fewer than twelve. You'll feel so clever!

And, unless you're Southern (I'm half Southern, on my Daddy's side), you may not know that biscuits aren't just for breakfast. They go with lunch and dinner as well. There could be a feast on the table, but if there wasn't some sort of bread, Daddy's dinner was not ready! 

Here are my two basic biscuit recipes, one made with a combination of organic milk and buttermilk, sour cream or plain yogurt, and one with organic buttermilk powder and milk. I always use organic flour and butter as well.

There's nothing like hot, homemade, fresh-from-the-oven biscuits to round out any meal! Especially when topped with homemade jam, like my Strawberry Freezer Jam or Peach Freezer Jam.


homemade freezer biscuits / www.delightfulrepast.com

Biscuits 

(Makes 12 biscuits)

2 dip-and-sweep cups (10 ounces/283 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces/71 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup buttermilk or sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 to 2/3 cup milk

Biscuits - Made with Buttermilk Powder

(Makes 12 biscuits)

2 dip-and-sweep cups (10 ounces/283 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons buttermilk powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces/71 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 to 1 cup milk

1 Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. In a 2- to 3-quart bowl, whisk together the flour, buttermilk powder (if using), baking powder and salt. With your fingers (or a pastry blender or two knives, but fingers are best), cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some bigger uneven chunks remaining.

2 In 1-cup glass measure, measure milk (for recipe with buttermilk powder) or stir together milk and buttermilk, sour cream or plain yogurt. Pour 3/4 cup of the liquid over flour mixture and gently mix until just combined, adding only as much of the rest as needed. Squeeze the dough gently together and place it on a lightly floured surface.

Note: Especially if making the recipe with just milk, start with just 3/4 cup, adding more only if the mixture still has dry spots.

3 Pat the dough into about a 3/4-inch-thick 6-by-8-inch rectangle. With a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut the dough into 12 square biscuits, and then gently round each biscuit by hand (as in photo below) or leave square. (Or, if you must, cut with a sharp 2-inch round biscuit cutter; but if you use a round biscuit cutter, you either waste dough or have some less pretty, less tender biscuits made from re-rolled dough.)



4 Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap (I use a half-sheet pan with storage lid), place in freezer. Once the biscuits are completely frozen (about three hours), put them in a freezer bag or container and store in freezer for up to 2 months.

5 Preheat oven to 475F/245C/Gas9. Take out desired number of biscuits and place 2 inches apart on appropriate size baking sheet (I like to use an insulated baking sheet for biscuits) that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Brush tops with milk, buttermilk, cream or melted butter, if you like. Bake for 5 minutes at 475F/245C/Gas9; lower temperature to 425F/220C/Gas7, and continue baking for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

38 comments:

Cranberry Morning said...

Mmmm. They do look delicious. And I would never think of eating a biscuit for breakfast. To me they seem like a dinnertime addition or evening treat while watching a mystery. And definitely on the jam, strawberry or peach..

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Ooh, yeah, Judy--a biscuit with jam and a cup of tea while watching a mystery in the evening!

betsyb said...

I love the idea of freezing unbaked biscuits and this is the second time I've seen it mentioned in the past two weeks. I need to get on the bandwagon, here. Love your buttermilk and yogurt version.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Betsy! They all freeze well, too. Very handy!

bj said...

ummm, your biscuits look sooo good. We do love a good biscuit. I bake mine in a cast iron skillet as we love crispy bottoms.
Re: cornbread...I like it Southern Sweet OR without sugar...Mr. Sweet won't touch it if it even sits CLOSE to sugar...hahhaa...
I am following you thru Google Friends Connect...:)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, BJ! Yep, one of my Southern relatives did not want a drop of sugar in his cornbread, and it had to be baked with a little bacon grease in the bottom of the cast iron skillet! He would eat a biscuit and jam after every meal and not need dessert.

~~louise~~ said...

Hi Jean,
I'm really, really, really going to try my hand at making biscuits, soon! My grandkids are coming in /august and I would just love to have fresh, frozen biscuits in the freezer. I'm making fresh yogurt this week so I would probably try that recipe but both sound divine. There's nothing like homemade biscuits and I aim to make sure I have some!

Thank you so much for sharing both recipes, Jean...I'll be pinning this:)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Louise, thank you! I hope you and the grandkids enjoy the biscuits. I remember making biscuits with my Southern grandmother (the other grandmother was English) when I was little. I got to bake my tiny little biscuits on a metal coffee can lid. I bet your grands are looking forward to August!

The Cranky said...

How perfectly timed! My youngest (Scottish) sister-in-law was asking me just today about 'American' biscuits. I think I'll post the url for this on my blog, if you wouldn't mind?

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the recipes and the great tip on freezer ready biscuits. Enjoy the weekend.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jacqueline, I wouldn't mind at all! Please tell *all* your relatives, friends, coworkers, total strangers and assorted pets about my blog! :D

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Mildred, thank you. I think my freezer biscuit stash is down to four right now - must get some more in there!

Caroline Taylor said...

Lovely idea, especially for breakfast!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Caroline, thanks. Yes, it's especially appreciated at breakfast when we don't have much time and could really use a head start.

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Dear Ms. Jeani – I tried your biscuit directions, but I do not feel clever, as you promised. Maybe it’s because I’m not from the South and had trouble with your directions. You mentioned a baking sheet, but here in Minnesota we just put them on beds. And I had considerable trouble finding parchment paper that didn’t have funny little marks on it, plus I was arrested and jailed for destroying Egyptian artifacts. I do like your butter and jam, however, and since I’m much better with pizza sourdough, I’ve taken to making jam & butter pizzas w/pecans. Much better than prison food.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Hmmmm ... Sully, you just might be onto something. Jam, butter and pecans on my homemade pizza dough ... hmmmm.

My Garden Diaries said...

Thanks for the recipe friend! They look absolutely fantastic! And freezing them is such a great idea!! Happy weekend to you! I will be trying these for sure!!! Nicole xo

Angie's Recipes said...

That's a great idea, Jean. Thanks for sharing!
Have a lovely weekend!
Angie

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Nicole! Let me know how they turn out for you. Be sure to come back next week as I'll be having a great giveaway!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Angie, thank you! I love time-saving tips like these to help me get weeknight dinners on the table.

Richard Sheppard said...

Mmmmm, I love biscuits! It's the last thing I had my grand mother show me how she made them before she died (years later). So I always have fond memories of when she did make them when I'd come to visit. I like your idea of freezing them before cooking, I'd never thought of that. That way I only have to get my hands sticky once!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Richard, I just love "grandmother" stories! I first made biscuits with my grandmother (the Southern one) when I was a little girl. Ever practical, she would have thought of freezing unbaked biscuits IF she had had a freezer. She had a a really small refrigerator with a postage stamp size freezing compartment she only used for her ice cube trays.

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

Jean you always make us look clever and like great cooks with your recipes! I've never thought to look for buttermilk powder....where would I find it?

I'm all set to make some of your scones...you've converted me from a person disinterested in scones to a scone lover. Easy to fix, tasty and the hubby loves them! Lightarted Sue

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sue, thank you - that is the greatest compliment! And it makes me so happy to make another scone 'convert'! You can find buttermilk powder (I think the brand is Saco) at chain supermarkets, and you can find the organic buttermilk powder (Organic Valley) at health and whole foods stores; my health food store didn't carry it, but they special order it for me.

Halcyon said...

I miss biscuits and grits.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Not a lot of biscuits and grits in Berlin, Halcyon? :D

Beth said...

I don't often make biscuits, but they're always a treat when I do. Yours look fantastic!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Beth, thanks! I'm having them more often since I cleared some freezer space to keep them on hand at all times.

Sippity Sup said...

I love to get into it about biscuits. I had an aunt who swore biscuits were inedible the a human hand ever touched the dough. She made them in a bowl and cut them out straight from the bowl. They turn out crumbly and delightful. To this day that is my preferred method. But I know other cooks who fold the dough (with their hands) in thirds, roll it out, fold it again, etc. These biscuits turn out flaky. So many wonderful ways to go. GREG

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Greg, wouldn't it be great to have a side-by-side tasting of your aunt's biscuits, the multi-folder's, my way, your way, all kinds of ways?!

Grant said...

What a great idea! Never thought to freeze them unbaked. We always make extra and freeze the cooked ones. But this is a fantastic idea. Thanks Jean, you've taught me something new that will be such a boon to having fresh biscuits (or scones as we call them over here in Oz).

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Grant! Yes, American biscuits are rather like a savory scone - no sugar, no egg. I love both. I can't choose one over the other - it would be liking choosing one of my grandmothers (one English and one Southern US) over the other! :D

Carole said...

Hi Jean, just stopped by to let you know you've been featured today over at Carole's Chatter. Cheers

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Carole!

Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic said...

Yum! I would welcome biscuits for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, too :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Bianca, I must admit I'd rather eat biscuits than chocolate - I'm a breadaholic! :D

Shelley said...

Jean - As soon as I read that you were part British, part Southern I came over here to find a biscuit recipe. Two Southern cooking skills I've always wished for are to make pie pastry and biscuits with confidence. Mind, I don't want to practice - I only do pies at Thanksgiving - because I'd have to eat the mistakes and my scales would tell me about it. My pie crusts are ugly but edible and that's probably as good as it's going to get. I've never managed biscuits here in Britain and they don't have refrigerator biscuits, which I adored before I left the US.You don't want to know how many times I've tried bringing these home on the plane (in ziplock bags, thankfully). One thing I discovered when investigating 'strong' flours for my breadmaking machine (it had to go in the attic, I just ate too much bread). It would seem that 'strong' flour made for bread here in Britain is 'Durham wheat' and imported from the US. Apparently all the usual wheat from the US is this type and therefore 'strong'. I hoped that using 'strong' flour for my biscuits would help, but that wasn't the problem. So I may have to give this recipe a go, the yogurt one, I mean. I've never seen buttermilk powder here in Britain. I'm really excited to have discovered your blog - I've added to my reading list - but a bit apprehensive about how many miles I'll need to walk (I'm not much of a runner anymore) to make up for it.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Shelley, thank you so much! The flour you will need for biscuits is called "plain flour" in the UK. Strong flour, called bread flour in the US, has too high a protein content for anything besides yeast breads (and I don't even use it for yeast breads). Go to the top of the blog and click on my British Conversions page for more such info.