We like to say Rays Country Ham is a Taste from Another Place in Time. For us, that time starts with Ray's Mother, Dora Elizabeth Sutphin Goad, who was born today on August 23, 1895.
Our August 2018 Newsletter marked Granny Goad's Birthday by publishing her legendary Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe in the Carolina Alumni Review.
We have been pleased to receive notes from so many of our customers who have enjoyed making Granny Goad's biscuit recipe. Karen W. recently wrote: "I could hardly believe I could create something so magnificent!"
However, perfect, light and fluffy, homemade buttermilk biscuits are as much the result of the baker's technique as the ingredients. We want to share with you some baking tips only briefly referenced in Granny's recipe.
GRANNY GOAD’S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS RECIPE
4 cups all-purpose soft white winter wheat flour
(White Lily Flour is soft white winter wheat with low protein that makes fluffier biscuits.)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, cold
- ¼ cup lard, cold
(Lard is rendered pig fat — not Crisco — and now in disfavor despite lard having 20 percent less saturated fat than butter, being higher in monounsaturated fats, and without the trans fat of shortening. Hispanic grocery stores carry lard, usually sold under the name Manteca.)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 500 F
- Prepare a baking pan with a light lard smear
- Sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl
- Make a well in the center of the bowl for lard
- Work lard into the flour with fingers until pea-size bits
- Make a well in the center of the bowl for buttermilk
- Lightly work buttermilk into the mixture, handling the dough as little as possible
- Remove dough to a lightly flour-dusted surface
- Dust top of the dough with flour
- Use a rolling pin to shape dough to ¾-inch thick
Cut biscuits using a dusted 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter, pressing without twisting. - Gently move the biscuits to a baking sheet with edges touching
- Bake until golden brown (8-plus minutes)
GRANNY GOAD’S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS RECIPE
4 cups all-purpose soft white winter wheat flour
(White Lily Flour is soft white winter wheat with low protein that makes fluffier biscuits.)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, cold
- ¼ cup lard, cold
(Lard is rendered pig fat — not Crisco — and now in disfavor despite lard having 20 percent less saturated fat than butter, being higher in monounsaturated fats, and without the trans fat of shortening. Hispanic grocery stores carry lard, usually sold under the name Manteca.)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 500 F
- Prepare a baking pan with a light lard smear
- Sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl
- Make a well in the center of the bowl for lard
- Work lard into the flour with fingers until pea-size bits
- Make a well in the center of the bowl for buttermilk
- Lightly work buttermilk into the mixture, handling the dough as little as possible
- Remove dough to a lightly flour-dusted surface
- Dust top of the dough with flour
- Use a rolling pin to shape dough to ¾-inch thick
Cut biscuits using a dusted 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter, pressing without twisting. - Gently move the biscuits to a baking sheet with edges touching
- Bake until golden brown (8-plus minutes)
