Bacon fat is basically free in my kitchen, so I turn around and use that in buttermilk bacon fat biscuits. You won't believe the taste and texture!
I don't think I need to explain myself on why bacon fat is great in biscuits but here’s some perks in my books.
If you cook bacon regularly, you have bacon fat on hand (because you're not throwing it out, right??) use it versus buying butter…the most expensive part of biscuits! You already have "free" bacon fat on hand. That's kitchen math, yo.
The other interesting thing is butter is only on average about 80% fat and the rest moisture, whereas bacon fat is 100% fat, so you are adding a higher fat content, plus more delicious, by using less.
I think these are good with both sweet and savoury applications. The world has proven over and over that bacon is good for more than just with eggs or on a burger. Bacon fat biscuits with jam…yes, please!
Key Ingredients
Flour - I like organic all-purpose for these. There's just something about white biscuits!
Fat - I'm using bacon fat since it's free in my kitchen, but you can also render other animal lard.
Buttermilk - We are using true cultured buttermilk (the thick stuff!) rather than leftovers from butter making or cheating with vinegar or lemon juice.
How to Make Buttermilk Bacon Fat Biscuits
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter pieces.
Step 2: Use a fork to combine until the dough resembles peas. Then stir in your buttermilk.
Step 3: The dough will be shaggy and sticky at this point!
Step 4: Generously flour a counter and add half your dough, placing more flour on top.
Step 5: Pat into a rectangle, then fold in half. Turn 90 degrees and fold again. Repeat 5-6 times. Then shape back into a rectangle.
Step 6: Cut into 8 biscuits and freeze for 5 minutes before baking. Repeat with second half of dough.
Tips and Tricks
Beyond just saving bacon fat, you can also render your own lard from any of your butchering.
Want more ways to use bacon? Bet you haven't tried adding it to pasta sauce!
Substituting fats isn't always a 1:1 type of thing. Because butter has a higher moisture content, you need to work your recipes a little differently. I have also perfected using bacon fat in cookies!
Yes, the folding is necessary. It's more than in my Short Cut Puff Pastry, but less fiddly than if you were making true croissants. I promise the flaky layers make it all worth it in the end.
Keep things cold. I put half the dough in the fridge while working the first half, then slightly freeze the biscuits before baking. This keeps the fat intact.
FAQs
Any animal fat is fine here, as long as it's fairly solid when cold. I just feel like bacon fat is super easy to "make" compared to rendering lard, so it's what I reach for. It's also more common in non-homesteading homes! I actually don't suggest using butter due to the different levels of fat in lard vs butter.
These are a laminated dough, which is what makes your flaky layers. I highly recommend doing this method, it will be well worth it. It's not quite as finicky as making croissants because we don't truly care what these look like in the end. But pulling apart the layers just gives you more area for butter and jam!
You want your fat COLD here - because you want the flour to coat the pieces of fat, rather than the fat melting into the flour. This means the Fat will stay IN the biscuits rather than ON the baking sheet! It's why you can use fat straight from the freezer! No need to thaw - just use a box grater. It's so much easier than cutting into cubes.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Easy Dough Recipes
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Bacon Fat Biscuits
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 3 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons cold bacon fat/lard
- 2 cups cold buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Keep fat/lard and buttermilk cold until ready to use. If you freeze lard you can later add to the flour with a cheese grater.
- Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add cold bacon fat/lard to bowl.
- With fork, press lard into flour mixture cutting it continually until lard is the size of peas or slightly larger. Alternatively if you froze lard, you can grate it into the flour and stir to combine.
- Add cold buttermilk, stirring 5-10 times. The dough will be wet and sticky.
- Divide dough into two and keep one half in bowl and in fridge until ready to work.
- Transfer first dough mass to a floured surface, flour hands and top of dough. Pat down dough until 1 inch thick.
- Using a metal spatula, fold dough in half, turn 90 degrees. Pat down and fold again 5-6 more times to create layers.
- Press dough 1 inch thick again, shaping into a rectangle. With a sharp knife cut into 8 equal squares.
- Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Set in freezer for 5 minutes.
- Take out of freezer when oven is ready and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Brush biscuits with melted butter if you feel the need to.
- Prepare second half of dough while first bakes.
Notes
- Halve ingredients if you want a smaller yield of 8 biscuits.
- You can store the second half in the fridge, covered, for 1-2 days if you want to bake them fresh another day.
Ashley Roberts
Have you made these with a gluten free, cup for cup flour?
Thank you.
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You should be fine to make them gluten free, although Kate hasn't tried it yet. But the gf blends are pretty interchangeable