Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (2024)

Tools

Everything but the biscuits

By Haskell Harris and Phillip Rhodes

April/May 2019

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (1)

Photo: Johnny Autry

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (2)

Photo: Johnny Autry

The right baking goods—from measuring cups to mixing bowls—will do a batch of biscuits proud, every time.

Baking Sheet

Pastry professionals love Doughmakers pans and baking sheets, like this 10- by-14-inch Biscuit model, for their durability and signature pebbled surface. The pattern is embossed into the aluminum to allow airflow for better browning. It’s naturally nonstick, too ($14; doughmakers.com).

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (3)

JAcqueline Stofsick

Canister

Simple and elegant, this lidded terracotta container from Michele Varian takes inspiration from traditional French preserving jars, and provides a cool, dry, and dark place to keep flour fresh ($100; michelevarian.com).

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (4)

Jacqueline Stofsick

Measuring Spoons

The gold finish and substantial weight of these measuring spoons by Maison Plus elevate the everyday cooking essentials ($48, for a set that includes matching measuring cups; food52.com).

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (5)

Jacqueline Stofsick

Mixing Bowl

A wide, shallow bowl works best for mixing biscuit dough—you can really get in there with your hands to blend the ingredients and feel when the consistency becomes just right. This handmade glazed-clay vessel by M. Crow measures 10½ inches wide but just 4½ deep ($260; mcrowcompany.com).

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (6)

Jacqueline Stofsick

Measuring Cups

These pretty and practical ceramic measuring cups by Casafina are handmade in Portugal. They nest for neat storage and are microwave-safe for melting butter, and the spouts help funnel flour or buttermilk right into the mixing bowl ($70; relishdecor.com).

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (7)

Jacqueline Stofsick

Butter Dish

A Southern kitchen sure would be a lonely place without butter. This stonewaredish by Juliska, with a gleaming pewter finish, makes for a beautiful spot to keep it handy ($68; juliska.com).

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (8)

Jacqueline Stofsick

Rolling Pin

Designed in collaboration with Rachel De Jong, the former pastry chef at Virginia’s Inn at Little Washington, this French-style walnut rolling pin by De Jong & Co. is easy on the eyes and comfortable in the hands ($100; dejongandco.com).

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (9)

Jacqueline Stofsick

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (11)

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Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools (2024)

FAQs

Ready to Roll: The Best Biscuit-Making Tools? ›

Silicone pastry mats are excellent nonstick work surfaces. Dough that would normally require a lot of flour to prevent sticking, suddenly does not. The dough will slide and turn and roll easily.

What is the best surface to roll out biscuit dough? ›

Silicone pastry mats are excellent nonstick work surfaces. Dough that would normally require a lot of flour to prevent sticking, suddenly does not. The dough will slide and turn and roll easily.

What piece of equipment will you use to bake the biscuits on? ›

Biscuits baked on cookie sheets or jelly roll pans are crisper and slightly darker in color. For softer, fluffier biscuits, bake biscuits in metal baking pans with 1-1/2-to 2-inch sides. Scones and shortcakes can also be baked on cookie sheets or in baking pans.

What is the difference between the drop biscuit method and the rolled biscuit mix method? ›

Drop biscuits have more milk or other liquid added to the dough than rolled biscuits. The dough is moister and cannot be kneaded or rolled; simply drop tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet. Drop biscuits don't rise as much as other biscuits and they are always coarser in appearance and texture.

What is the best surface for rolling dough? ›

Surface tension is the key to shaping dough seamlessly. If your rolling surface is too slick or too rough the dough will either slide around or stick, never forming a smooth ball. But silicone, with its smooth but very faintly stippled surface, is great for shaping rounds.

What is the secret to a good biscuit? ›

The secret to the best biscuits is using very cold butter and baking powder. We've made a lot of biscuits, but this easy biscuits recipe is the one we turn to the most (they are so fluffy!). See our easy drop biscuits and cheese drop biscuits for even easier biscuits.

What are the two most important steps when making biscuits? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid. When the biscuits hit the oven, the cold liquid will start to evaporate creating steam which will help our biscuits get very tall.

What are the equipment used for biscuit making? ›

General hard dough biscuit production line consists of material dosing machine, vertical dough mixer, laminator, gauge rolls, rotary cutters, separate machine, baking machine, cooling machine, and packing machine.

What is the best temperature to bake biscuits? ›

A very hot oven is also key to good biscuits. My oven tends to run hot, so I put the temperature at 425°F, but if your oven is cool, you can go up to 450°F.

What should you brush your biscuits with as they come out of the oven? ›

Once the oven is ready to go, bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes, or until they achieve your desired level of browning on top. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack. Then, if you would like, brush the tops of the biscuits with some melted butter and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve.

Should you put biscuits in the fridge before baking? ›

Even though you're super-careful not to overmix your dough, you're still going to develop its gluten somewhat; that's just the nature of mixing flour with liquid. But if you chill your pan of biscuits in the fridge before baking, not only will the gluten relax (yielding more tender biscuits), the butter will harden up.

How do you know if you should roll or drop biscuits? ›

Drop biscuits have a dense, crusty, and crumbly consistency, whereas roll-and-cut biscuits are light, fluffy, and flaky. Since roll-and-cut biscuits hold their shape better and have a fluffier crumb, they'd work best for biscuit sandwiches and as a flaky topping for pot pies or casseroles.

What are the characteristics of a high quality rolled biscuit? ›

High-quality rolled biscuit will have an even shape with a smooth, level top and straight sides Crust will be an even brown When broke open, the crumb or soft interior, is white to creamy white It is moist and fluffy and peels off in layers 7.

What are the signs of a well-made biscuit? ›

The biscuits should double in size. They should have golden brown sides tops and cream-colored sides. Drop biscuits will be irregularly-shaped.

What do you use to roll out dough on? ›

A rolling pin is one of several essential kitchen tools. They are used to roll out dough for things like bread, pastry, pasta, cookies, and other baked goods, and sturdier ones can even be used to tenderize meat.

What should be added to a surface before rolling dough? ›

You can roll pie dough on any surface when your dough is extremely cold, because the cold dough is what really helps to keep it from sticking. Just a light dusting of flour applied many times is better than one big thick coating of flour. Just add flour as needed as too much flour can toughen the dough.

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