1/2 c Shortening; Vegetable
More for the pan
5 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Sugar
4 ts Baking powder
2 ts Salt
1 1/4 c Milk
4 Eggs; large
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 11 by 7 inch pan with
shortening.
2) Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl
until blended. Make a well in the center of this dry mixture and add the
milk, 1/2 cup shortening, and eggs. Mix the wet ingredients with your hands
until the eggs and milk are blended. (There will still be some lumps of
shortening.) Slowly work the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with
your fingertips. The finished dough should be soft but not sticky, so you
may have to add a little more flour if it seems too wet, or stop mixing
before all the flour is added if it seems too dry.
3) Turn the biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the
dough out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 3 1/2-inch rounds and place side by
side on the greased baking pan. (The biscuits should be touching but not
overlapping.) Reroll the dough as many times as necessary to cut all the
biscuits possible. Let the biscuits rest in a warm place 10 to 15 minutes
(on top of the warm oven is a good place).
4) Bake until the biscuits are deep golden brown and light to touch when
you pick one up, about 20 minutes. If some of the biscuits are browning
more quickly than others, rotate the pan after about 10 minutes. Break
apart and serve.
Yields
24 Servings