Southern-style biscuits are a classic breakfast food, and "big as a cathead biscuits" take the classic to a whole new level. These enormous biscuits are a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach, and they're perfect for a hearty breakfast or brunch. The key to making big biscuits is to use a lot of butter and to work the dough as little as possible. This will result in light, fluffy biscuits that are sure to impress your family and friends.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
CATHEAD BISCUITS
The recipe for these extra-large biscuits comes from Virginia Willis, the author of "Secrets of the Southern Table." A phrase her grandfather once used, the name indicates that it's a biscuit as big as a cat's head. Each one is golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside, with a light, airy interior.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes
Yield Makes about 9
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. (You can also bake the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet.)
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in buttermilk and mix until just barely combined. It will be a shaggy mass. (Alternatively, you can mix the dough in a food processor: Pulse to combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in buttermilk through feed tube and pulse until just barely combined.)
- Turn shaggy mass out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly, using the heel of your hand to compress and push dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Give dough a small turn and repeat four or five times. (You want to just barely activate the gluten, not overwork it.)
- Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough 1 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds (press cutter straight down without twisting so biscuits will rise evenly when baked).
- Place biscuits on prepared sheet. (If biscuits are baked close together, sides will be tender. If biscuits are baked farther apart, sides will be crisp.)
- Reroll scraps once. Do not simply roll them into a ball; this will create a knot of gluten strands. Instead, place the pieces one on top of the other in layers, then roll out dough and cut out more rounds.
- Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool just slightly. Serve warm.
CATHEAD BISCUITS
This is the old-time recipe from our grandmamas. There is no real measurement in this for the shortening. Wonderful and tasty heavy biscuit from the old times. Great with homemade sausage gravy. Always always always use White Lily® flour for the fluffiest biscuits. I usually don't always use all of the buttermilk. I seem to usually have just under a 1/4 cup leftover.
Provided by Hollinhead77
Categories Bread Quick Bread Recipes Biscuits
Time 25m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat an oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch cake pan.
- Sift flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Make a dent in flour by pushing flour from center toward sides of bowl. Add 2 walnut-size lumps of shortening and a splash of buttermilk to the flour where you made the dent. Work the shortening into the flour using fingers in a twisting motion (rub thumb against pointer and middle finger motion) until the shortening is fully incorporated into the flour.
- Pour buttermilk into the flour about 1/4 cup at a time, continuing to work it in with your fingers until the buttermilk is completely incorporated into a sticky dough.
- Roll dough into 8 large balls and drop into prepared cake pan, working around the outside and putting the last one in middle to fill the pan. Press dough balls with back of fingers to flatten until they touch and are about 3/4- to 1-inch thick.
- Bake in preheated oven until the tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 336 calories, Carbohydrate 49 g, Cholesterol 17.4 mg, Fat 11.6 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 8 g, SaturatedFat 5.2 g, Sodium 910.3 mg, Sugar 2.7 g
FLUFFY CATHEAD BISCUITS WITH HONEY BUTTER
Cat head (or cathead) biscuits are a Southern staple whose name refers to their large size (about as big as a cat's head). The dough for this hand-rolled biscuit recipe is made by incorporating flour into the wet ingredients, instead of the reverse. The result is a fluffy (rather than flaky) biscuit, ready to be split and spread with flavorful honey butter.
Provided by Joe Sevier
Categories Biscuit Bake Breakfast New Year's Day Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free
Yield Makes 12 biscuits
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- For the biscuits:
- Arrange rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400°F. Whisk buttermilk powder, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly distributed and no lumps remain. Add 2 cups water and whisk to combine. Add lard and butter.
- Add 2 cups flour and mix with a fork until mixture resembles porridge. Using fork, press fats against side of bowl to cut into smaller, irregular, flattened pieces.
- Fold in remaining 1 1/2-2 cups flour by the half cup with fork until a wet dough forms. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface. Dust top of dough with more flour. Gently fold dough into itself until it feels like a pillow and is no longer sticky. Using a floured bench scraper or butter knife, divide dough into 12 equal pieces.
- Working with 1 piece at a time, dip cut sides in flour and gently roll into a ball with your hands. Nestle each ball side by side in a large cast-iron skillet or on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake biscuits until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Brush with melted butter, if desired. Serve with honey butter.
- For the honey butter:
- Combine honey, butter, and salt in a medium bowl. Mash with fork until just combined but not emulsified.
BUTTERMILK CATHEAD BISCUITS
In 'Sweet Auburn Desserts' by Sonya Jones; named such because they are as big as a cat's head.--4 inches wide.
Provided by ratherbeswimmin
Categories Breads
Time 1h3m
Yield 6 biscuits
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 450°.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Cut in the shortening, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the flour mixture has the consistency of course-ground cornmeal.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add the buttermilk.
- Stir the mixture until the buttermilk is fully incorporated.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead carefully a couple of times.
- To make the biscuits, pinch off a 3-inch ball of dough and mold a slightly rounded ball.
- Place the biscuits onto an ungreased baking pan.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops of the biscuits turn a light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 320.2, Fat 13.7, SaturatedFat 3.5, Cholesterol 1.6, Sodium 471.7, Carbohydrate 42.3, Fiber 1.4, Sugar 2.1, Protein 6.7
SCALLION AND CHEDDAR CATHEAD BISCUITS
Southerners are known for giving their recipes colorful names. This one got its name because each extra-large drop biscuit is as big as a cat's head. The treats are crisp and golden outside, soft and pillowy inside, and filled with scallions, cheddar cheese and just the right amount of black pepper. These cathead biscuits are quick to fix and simple to make-you don't even have to roll out the dough. -Cheryl Day, Back in the Day Bakery
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 50m
Yield 1 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment., In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter; toss to coat. Cut in butter using a pastry blender, or pinch it with your fingertips, smearing it into the flour. You should have various-sized pieces of butter, ranging from coarse sandy patches to flat shaggy pieces to pea-sized chunks. Stir in the scallions, cheese and pepper. , Make a well in the center, pour in 1-1/2 cups buttermilk and gently mix until mixture is crumbly but starting to come together into a shaggy mass. If the dough still looks too dry, add up to 1/2 cup more buttermilk. The dough should be moist and slightly sticky. , Turn the dough onto itself a few times until it forms a mass. Gently pat down the dough until it resembles a loaf of bread. Dust the top lightly with flour., Using a 3-ounce (89 ml) ice cream scoop, portion dough 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten biscuits., Lightly brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until biscuits are golden brown, 25-30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 351 calories, Fat 23g fat (13g saturated fat), Cholesterol 76mg cholesterol, Sodium 591mg sodium, Carbohydrate 28g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 9g protein.
OLD-FASHIONED CATHEAD BISCUITS RECIPE - (4.4/5)
Provided by msippigrl
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 500° F. If desired, prepare a floured work surface. I just did everything in the bowl the dough was mixed up in. Whisk together in a mixing bowl, the flour, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined. Make a well in the center and add the shortening and buttermilk; using your hands, squeeze the shortening into the buttermilk until well blended, then start to work in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Don't overwork the dough. Wash the dough off your hands. At this point, I sifted flour lightly over the dough in the bowl then picked it up and sifted a little in the bottom of the bowl. Then I squeezed or pulled off a piece of dough about the size of a lemon, rolled it around a few seconds between my palms, then placed it on a baking sheet. If preferred, you can just turn dough out onto a floured work surface; sprinkle top and sides lightly with flour, enough that you will be able to handle the dough without it sticking to your hands. Flour your hands as well. Pull off a piece of dough about the size of a lemon; roll it around a time or two in your palms then place it on a baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough. (I got 6 large catheads). Bake biscuits for 10-12 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Remove from oven and butter tops of biscuits, if desired, and serve immediately.
(BIG AS A) CATHEAD BISCUITS
This is my mom's biscuit recipe, passed down from her mom and grandma who lived their entire lives on the Mississippi Delta. Of course it took a lot of trial and error to get it right because she was from the 'handful of this and a pinch of that' school of cooking. You can use milk or plain yogurt in place of the buttermilk. Shortening or butter can stand in for the lard. Serve with butter, jelly, honey, gravy, or whatever your favorite biscuit topping is.
Provided by Susan Gamble
Categories Biscuit
Time 35m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Prepare a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
- Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a mixing bowl.
- Mash small chunks of lard into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with your fingers, letting each addition integrate fully before adding the next, until all the lard has been added and the mixture resembles coarse-ground cornmeal.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour milk into the well. Stir the mixture with a spoon, making sure to scrape the edges of the bowl so that the dry flour there gets wet, just until the milk is incorporated into the dry mix and there are no large areas of powdery flour remaining, leaving lumpy dough which is sticky in some places and even a bit grainy in the driest areas. From here, use your hands to carefully mix to ensure even consistency.
- Divide dough into 8 equal chunks and shape each into a thick biscuit. Put the shaped biscuits into the prepared cake pan with the sides touching.
- Bake in preheated oven until the tops are light golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 205.8 calories, Carbohydrate 28.5 g, Cholesterol 8.1 mg, Fat 7.8 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 4.6 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 390.5 mg, Sugar 1.6 g
Tips:
- Use buttermilk or sour cream for a tangy flavor and a tender crumb.
- Grate frozen butter into the flour mixture for a flaky texture.
- Do not overwork the dough, as this will make the biscuits tough.
- Let the biscuits rest for a few minutes before baking to allow the gluten to relax.
- Bake the biscuits in a hot oven until they are golden brown on top.
Conclusion:
Cathead biscuits are a delicious and versatile Southern staple that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With their simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, these biscuits are a great option for beginner bakers and experienced cooks alike. Whether you serve them with butter and honey, gravy, or your favorite jam, cathead biscuits are sure to be a hit. So next time you're looking for a hearty and satisfying meal, give this classic Southern recipe a try.
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