Skillet Buttermilk Biscuits & Cast Iron Care

Bake up these soft, fluffy, buttery, golden buttermilk biscuits in a cast-iron skillet. Nothing can compare to a fluffy scratch-made southern buttermilk biscuit. The secret to their crispy bottom is from using a cast iron. 

Were right in the middle of Old Fashioned Favorites Week. For me cooking with cast Iron is old fashioned so, I thought it would post about how to season and care for cast iron cookware. As well as the recipe for those lovely buttermilk biscuits pictured above. Anytime, I post a recipe that uses my cast iron skillet, I get questions on how to care for cast iron, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to cover all of that.  

Growing up, I remember my mother cooking with cast iron and I never understood her love for them. Well, I have come to find out it is definitely a Southern Thang! And all I can say is, I love my cast iron just as much as my mother did. 

I don't what I would would do without them, because the cooking possibilities are endless and every true southerner knows the only way to cook perfect cornbread and biscuits is by using cast iron. 

If you follow proper cleaning and maintenance your cast iron cookware will last for generations.  Anytime I mention that I use cast iron to cook, the first response I get is "I always heard how dirty they are" absolutely not true!

That's just someone who hasn't been properly taught how to care for and clean for cast iron. Well I'm here to tell you how to to so, that way you to can enjoy the love of Cast Iron Cooking just as much as I do.  Once you cook with a cast iron skillet and learn all the basics, you will wonder WHY you haven't cooked with cast iron sooner.

To begin if you purchase an un-seasoned cast iron piece, it will need to be seasoned before using. Follow these simple steps below to season your new best friend.

HOW TO SEASON NEW CAST IRON:  

Coat your new cast iron cookware with vegetable shortening (inside and out). Place in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Remove, and wipe off any liquefied shortening. Your pan is now seasoned! To avoid a mess in the oven, place a piece of foil under the pan. Keep in mind with a new cast iron skillet or cookware a  true no-stick surface takes time to form.

WASHING AND CARING FOR CAST IRON:   
For best results, rinse the pan with hot water immediately after cooking. If you need to remove burned-on food, scrub with a mild abrasive, like coarse salt, and a nonmetal brush to preserve the nonstick surface; you can also use a few drops of a mild dish washing soap every once in a while. 

When I prepare meals such a baked spaghetti or any greasy saucy dishes those are the times I use a bit of (mild dish soap). There are many cast iron users who feel it’s best to stick to water only. It's really your preference.

Whichever route you choose, be sure not to scrub too vigorously, and take care not to submerge the pan in a sink full of water. This could cause damage to the seasoning on the pan. I have owned my cast iron skillets for 15 + years and have never run into a problems by washing them in mild soapy water.

Cast iron will rust if not dried immediately after washing. Start by lightly towel drying your cookware. Then, place it on the stove burner over low heat for a minute or two to pull out any remaining moisture. Turn off the heat and lightly coat the inside of the pan with cooking oil, and heat for a minute or two longer. This will help to restore any seasoning that might have been lost during washing. Let your pan cool completely and store.

STORING CAST IRON COOKWARE: 
I store my cast iron skillets in the oven, on the off setting of course. Always remember to never store foods in cast iron, as this can break down the seasoning. Never submerge cast iron in water and never put cold water in a hot pan; this can cause the pan to crack or warp. And lastly never wash your cast iron in the dishwasher. If you follow these simple steps your cast iron cookware will last a lifetime.

OK, now onto those pretty Buttermilk Biscuits pictured above.  As I mentioned in my previous Buttermilk Biscuit Tutorial. I could never ever make buttermilk biscuits from scratch. I don't know why, but they jut didn't turn out. 

One day, I was watching a episode of Diners Drive Ins and Dives  and that particular episode they  highlighted a southern hoe cake in a little restaurant in Kentucky, well that lady made the best buttermilk biscuits and all she used was self rising flour, shortening and buttermilk! Unfortunately they did not share the recipe, so it left me wondering. 

I kept telling myself how do they do it? how do they get those biscuits to turn out perfect every time. Well, it came to me in a dream, I know crazy!!! I guess I do my best work while I sleep LOL. For some reason I was visualizing a southern hoe cake and to me it taste just like one big ole buttermilk biscuit.

Well, the next day I woke up and said that's it, so I used this Hoe Cake aka Biscuit Bread  recipe to make the perfect southern biscuits. I used my cast iron skillet to bake the biscuits and yesterday my friends, I made the most perfect southern- skillet buttermilk biscuits using just 3 ingredients Yay Me!!!!!! 

I'm so super excited. I know a lot of you don't think this is a big deal, because you probably already know how to make biscuits, but I have always been biscuit challenged and envious of anyone who could produce a perfect biscuit.

Now I have 2 wonderful Buttermilk Biscuit Recipes one using real butter and one that uses shortening.  The ingredients you'll need are self rising flour (not all purpose), shortening or butter flavored shortening and buttermilk. My flour of choice is White Lily Flour of course.  

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Measure 2 1/2 cups of flour into a large bowl. I start with 2 cups but by the end you will use more when kneading the dough, so it ends up being about 2 1/2 to 3 cups. Add the shortening or butter and cut into flour, I find using my hands helps to distribute it better throughout the flour.

 

You can also use a pastry blender which works just as well. Add the buttermilk and lightly mix just until it starts to form together. If the dough looks really wet that's OK just add more flour. I like to start with a wet dough and then gently adding flour as I go.

Turn the biscuit dough onto a floured surface and lightly knead. Make sure not to overwork the dough or it will result in tough biscuits. Pat the dough into rough rectangle. Cut the biscuits using a biscuit cutter or glass to 1/4 - 1/2 thick. If you like higher biscuits then leave the dough a bit thicker. 

Pat the dough into a rectangle and then fold the biscuit dough into thirds (this creates buttery layers). Pat the dough out again into a ½ inch rectangle.

Using a floured 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits by gently pushing the biscuit cutter straight down and then up (do not twist the biscuit cutter or it will seal the sides preventing the biscuits from rising).

Cut out the remaining biscuits and place the biscuit into the prepared cast iron skillet, making sure the biscuits touch each other. By keeping the biscuits close together they will rise up instead of out.

Bake for 14-17 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom.

Pull the biscuits from the oven and brush with melted butter before serving.  Split each biscuit with a fork and serve with butter, jelly, honey or gravy. 

 

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