Biscuit Science

Understanding Chemical Reactions to Optimize Your Biscuit

Considering the science of food can take your biscuits to the next level. Here are our top three tips to keep in mind when recreating HunnyBunny's iconic biscuits.

Temperature

This first science-backed tip you should consider before making biscuits is using cold butter. Cold butter releases steam when baking, creating air pockets that help form the quintessential, flaky layers. Because of the steam that is released during the baking process, cold butter promotes the biscuits to rise. Using anything but cold butter makes your layers susceptible to over-incorporating. If not cold, your butter could melt out of your pastry in the oven, seizing any chance of a flaky biscuit. Temperature is a critical component to the success of baked goods. When talking about pastry, specifically biscuits, the temperature of your ingredients can make or break your product.

Quality

The second scientific suggestion is to prioritize the quality of your ingredients. It may be easy to use the baking powder that’s been sitting in your cabinet for the past 4 years, but that ingredient could be the reason your biscuits don’t rise. Fresh baking powder is imperative in any recipe. It is often the key leavening agent and helps achieve a light and airy texture. Older baking powder accumulates moisture every time the container is opened, adversely impacting the outcome of your biscuit. Another way to ensure a quality biscuit is an intentional choice in flour. All-purpose works most of the time, but if you plan on making a lot of bread-y pastries, look for an all purpose flour with a high protein content. Flour with higher protein makes for a stronger dough and gluten formation, offering enhanced structure.

Accuracy

The final consideration to make when baking biscuits is accurately measuring your ingredients. We recommend using a sifter for dry ingredients. This tool will eliminate clumps and offer greater precision in measuring. Using the proper amount of each ingredient can affect the integrity of the biscuit. For example, using too much flour can make a biscuit dry and crumbly. Instead of plunging the measuring cup straight into the flour, gently spoon the flour in, being careful not to pack it down.

Our chef has mastered the science of biscuit making. Come on over to HunnyBunny Biscuit Co. to witness the scientific deliciousness!

From the Kitchen,

Messina Paratore