Volume 3, No. 41 October 24, 2003
B is for biscuit Mrs. Wilkes’ restaurant serves about 630 biscuits each day. The Wilkes family says they love these with Georgia cane syrup and eat them morning, noon and night — even as dessert. Boardinghouse-style Biscuits From “Mrs. Wilkes’ Boardinghouse Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from Her Savannah Table,” published by Ten Speed Press, courtesy of Design Press. The book is available at all SCAD galleries, Ex Libris, Gryphon Tea Room and local bookstores. 2 cups self-rising flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons shortening 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/3 cup buttermilk 1/3 cup whole milk 1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon water Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease an 8-by-8-by-2-inch baking pan well. Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl. Cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the buttermilk and milk. Mix lightly and quickly with your hands to form a dough moist enough to leave the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by picking up the sides of the dough away from you while pressing down with the palms of your hands and pushing the dough away. Repeat six or seven times. Work the dough into a large ball while kneading. Keep your fingers dry by frequently dipping them in dry flour. Pinch off portions of dough for desired size biscuits. Press lightly to make the biscuits look flat on the pan. Make sure the biscuits touch each other. Bake for 15 minutes. Yields about eight boardinghouse-sized biscuits.
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