Netty's Cooking From Scratch, Gluten and Lactose Free Buttermilk Biscuits

Hi Friends, this is Netty Daniels. I decided to start with a little introduction about me, as I am not sure who will see these recipes and might wish to use them. I’m southern, from Immokalee, which is about as far south as you can go and still be in Florida. Let me start by saying, I have no intentions of being like those television chefs and starting my own line of cookware. But some friends asked me to share recipes for my pies, Casseroles, breads, and such, so I thought this way would be easier for everyone.

I entitled it Netty’s cooking from scratch, as my mama started off this way, and it seems like the best place to begin. My mama used to say cooking is a way to show your family just how much you love them, and cooking from scratch is easy once you get the basics down. I decided to start odd with Biscuits, because they are at the heart of just about every meal we eat. My momma got up at 4:30 every morning as long as I can remember, to start the biscuits, and get the bacon frying. I honestly can't think of a better way then waking up to that aroma. When I turned 9, she taught me, and I’ve been doing it since.

My Daughter Ruthie has allergies, so we've had to modify most of the recipes passed down by my momma and my husband Bayler’s momma, Stella. Cooking and baking Gluten and lactose-free has become normal in our house, so when friends asked me to share these recipes, I decided this would be a good place to begin.

Biscuits, it's how my momma started me, so I guess it’s as good as any to begin. I have a 5-quart Ceramic biscuit bowl, similar to the one Momma used, and since I use it almost every day, I keep it on the counter, covered with a hand towel. It will be necessary to have a pastry cutter, a set of measuring cups and spoons, a Glass 2 and 4-cup Pyrex for measuring liquids, and a good wooden or marble rolling pin, which I believe is fundamental when making biscuits and pie crusts

Biscuits are a staple and not hard to make once you have the hang of things. Bayler has come to expect them every morning with his coffee and uses them to sop up his yokes. He says that’s the best part of breakfast.

Mama taught me to use lard to make great biscuits, so that’s the recipe I will start out with. You can use shortening or butter, but the biscuits will not be as flaky and soft inside as those made with lard. Take out your measuring cups and spoons, the pastry cutter, a drinking glass, and all your ingredients, then preheat your oven to 425.

• 2 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free flour
• 4 sp. baking powder (or Gluten-free baking powder)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3rd cup of lard
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 3 Tsp Saco Lactose-free Buttermilk mix

First, put your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, then add the lard (cold lard works best). Using the pastry cutter, work the lard into the dough until it resembles a wet sand texture. Now add the Saco buttermilk mixture. Work the buttermilk into the dough until all the flour is wet. If you have a dough hook on your mixer, you can use that to work the dough into a ball. Once it's well mixed, knead the dough for an additional 15 to 30 seconds so as not to overwork it.

Place a thin coating of King Author flour on your rolling surface and spread it out. Then, place the dough ball on the flour and take some flour in your hands to rub around the rolling pin.

Now begin gently working the dough ball until it is spread into a 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter or flour the edge of a drinking glass if you prefer.

Place the biscuits, with sides touching, in a nine-inch cast-iron fry pan to bake. Just grease the bottom and sides with the lard. You can brush melted butter on the top of the biscuits if you wish, but that’s a personal choice. Also, if you wish to make regular biscuits, just substitute the cold buttermilk with cold Silk-milk.

Bake the biscuits for 12 minutes or until they are golden brown. You can use them with sausage gravy, jam, or, like Bayler, to sop up your egg yolks, making this a great way to start cooking from scratch.