Anyone have The Gift of Southern Cooking: Recipes and Revelations from Two Great American Cooks?

But it's still available, I was just wondering if Lily White and White Lily Flours were connected

in some way, or were the same company that changed names, but I didn't run across any info. I had no idea that we ever even had a flour mill here since fruit is what our valley was known for. Seems now I'm finding that came later. Who knew I'd run across a bit of a history lesson looking for flour!

 
I use Rumford because it has no aluminum in it. . . .

which is what causes that nasty flavor.

If you make your own you can really insure it is fresh!

 
Baking powder can get old; to test try this: . . .

take a cup of water and drop a teaspoon of baking powder in it. It should bubble pretty ferociously. If it does not, you need fresh stuff.

Do you think your baking powder is old?

Also, you might want to put fresh baking powder into a glass jar with a steel top for storage. Any moisture will affect the action of your powder, and glass and steel are pretty much moisture proof.

For sure, check on your oven heat. Another rise is oven spring--you need that heat of the oven to make all that gas (that the baking powder created) in your dough expand quickly and help your biscuits rise. Try fresh baking powder, higher heat, and preheat well and see if that doesn't help.

As for flour type, I live in Southern California and have used Gold Medal AP flour, various bread flours and Smart-n-Final (a local wholesale-to-the-public store) AP flour and always get a good rise. I am careful to have a very moist dough, don't over handle the dough, have fresh baking powder and know my oven's temp is on and preheat it well--AND I cook (just to make sure) on a preheated baking stone, which gives a nice crusty bottom too boot!

I have heard though that White Lily (and flours of that type) have a different flavor than the regular AP flours one finds generally. Flavor that is long-time appreciated in the South!--And I cannot get it here. . .

And my disclaimer: with all of cooking, your mileage may vary! smileys/smile.gif

 
Don't know where you are in SCal but FYI, they have WL at Surfas in Culver City, but it's $10

I'd read on a forum they had it and just checked, it's in stock, but it's $10 for a 5lb bag.

 
Both are Tennessee products

Both White Lilly and Martha White are Tennessee products. Martha White comes out of Nashville and White Lily out of first Knoxville and now Memphis. I understand that both are now owned by Smuckers. While Martha White is closer to me, I was raised to use White Lilly for flour and Martha White for cornmeal. I never questioned my Mother’s judgment in those choices. I have never conducted a trial of the two in side-by-side recipes. And personally, I believe that the White Lily we buy now is not as fine or soft as the original winter wheat I knew as a child. I don’t get the rise for biscuits that I use to.

 
It's not old baking powder, bought a new one after the first batch was flat. I'm going to try

again testing oven temp and making a wetter dough. First I have to buy more buttermilk. Thanks for the help.

 
I was chief biscuit maker when I was around 11-12 and I remember them being

lighter with a good rise. However, we used Gold Medal flour for everything. My mother was very frugal and bought store brands (IGA was local) but she never bought any flour other than Gold Medal.

 
I just watched Shirley Corriher make her "Touch of Grace Biscuits" . . .

and will be trying this technique this fall, when the weather cools a little more.

My present way of making biscuits is somewhat like hers, wet dough, dry flour when cutting/shaping. But, I think my dough is just a tad more dry and I just pat my dough out, cut it straight down with a biscuit cutter, use lots of flour on the board and over the top of the biscuit.

I knead my dough just a tiny bit, by turning some what spread out, floured dough upon itself, just a few of times, may be 3 or 4 times, flouring any spots that seem to need it. I pat out thickly then cut and into that HOT oven it goes.

 
Eh - not sure it is as critical as it was 20-30 years ago....

I don't notice as much difference as I used to. I also buy a brand called Southern Biscuit and that is what I have been using as of late, or White Lily. Martha White was the main brand we used growing up.

 
Thanks for posting this. Fine Cooking has featured her tips and scientific info and it's nice to

put a face with the name. Very helpful biscuit making info. I actually have the recipe but have never made it. I believe she is the source of info to put lemon juice in pasta water to keep pesto from turning dark when tossed with the pasta. It works.

 
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