Kitten head biscuits are a beloved Southern comfort food, known for their golden brown crust, fluffy interiors, and the distinctive "kitten head" shape they take after rising. Dating back to the days of plantation cooking, these delectable biscuits have become a cherished tradition passed down through generations, often enjoyed with hearty stews and fried chicken. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, embarking on a culinary journey to create the perfect batch of kitten head biscuits can be a rewarding experience. In this article, we will guide you through the process of selecting the finest ingredients, preparing the dough, shaping the biscuits, and achieving that perfect golden-brown crust. So gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's embark on this delicious adventure together!
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
CATHEAD BISCUITS | LODGE CAST IRON
For the right crispy texture, do not substitute butter or margarine for the lard in these biscuits, and serve them with plenty of butter and homemade fruit preserves, molasses, or sorghum syrup.
Provided by Jim Villas
Categories Baking Recipes Breakfast Recipes Side Recipes
Yield 12 - 16
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease two 12-inch cast iron skillets and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together. Add the lard and cut it in with a pastry cutter or rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture is just crumbly. Gradually stir in just enough buttermilk to form a soft ball of dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, knead about 8 times, then shape by hand into biscuits about 3 ½ inches across and 1 inch high.
- Arrange the biscuits fairly close together in the prepared skillets and bake in the upper third of the oven until golden brown and craggy on the outsides, about 17 minutes.
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.
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.
CATHEAD BISCUITS
Provided by Food Network
Categories side-dish
Time 1h
Yield 4 large biscuits
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine 2 cups of the flour with the baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening and 3 tablespoons of the butter until the mixture is the size of small peas.
- Add the buttermilk, and stir until the dough is just mixed and starts to form a ball.
- Rest the dough in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Transfer the dough to the floured surface, and sprinkle with a little extra flour. Knead the dough 3 to 4 times. Do not overwork the dough. It will make the dough tough and difficult to work with.
- Flatten the dough into a 3/4- to 1-inch-thick disk with a rolling pin. Cut out biscuits with a large 4- or 5-inch biscuit cutter.
- Bake the biscuits until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Brush the hot biscuits with the butter. Turn on the broiler. Broil the biscuits until desired brownness.
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
CATHEAD BISCUITS
Don't worry, there aren't any actual cat's heads involved. The origins of the name are lost to time, but the conventional wisdom seems to be that they're called that because they're about the size of a cat's head. An old Appalachian favorite. Less fuss than rolled and cut biscuits. White Lily flour is preferred.
Provided by xtine
Categories Breads
Time 30m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Mix dry ingredients and sift into mixing bowl, then cut in lard or crisco until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
- Stir in buttermilk until it is incorporated with the flour mixture. The dough will be kind of wet and very sticky.
- Flour your hands and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough in the flour just enough to make it handleable - you don't want it to stick to your hands too much, but don't work in too much extra flour either or the biscuits will be heavy and taste of raw flour.
- For each biscuit, pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a large egg or a small lemon and pat out in the ungreased pan with your hands. You don't want it to be really flat, just pat it down a bit so it's relatively biscuit-shaped and about 1 inch high.
- Bake at 475 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Keep your eye on them while they're in the oven so they don't burn.
- Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter, if desired.
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.
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.
CAT HEAD BISCUITS WITH SAWMILL GRAVY
These biscuits are so named because they are the size of a cat's head. This biscuits with sausage gravy recipe is from the Deen Brother's Y'all Come Eat cookbook.
Provided by Crafty Lady 13
Categories Breakfast
Time 45m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°F Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
- For the biscuits, in a medium bowl, gently stir together the 3 cups flour, the buttermilk, and butter until the dough just comes together. On a floured surface, pat the dough into a 1 1/2-inch-thick round. cut the dough into six 4-inch circles; transfer to the baking sheet. Bake about 25 mintues or until golden brown.
- For the gravy, in a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until brown, breaking meat up with a fork as it cooks. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet.
- Heat the remaining fat over medium heat and whisk in the 4 1/2 tablespoons flour; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk; increase heat to medium-high and simmer about 3 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the sausage, pepper, and salt. To serve, split the biscuits and top with generous spoonfuls of gravy.
Tips:
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients: This will make a big difference in the taste of your kitten head biscuits.
- Make sure your butter is cold: This will help the biscuits to be flaky and tender.
- Don't overwork the dough: Overworking the dough will make the biscuits tough.
- Chill the dough before baking: This will help the biscuits to hold their shape and rise evenly.
- Bake the biscuits in a hot oven: This will help them to rise quickly and evenly.
- Serve the biscuits warm: They're best when they're fresh out of the oven.
Conclusion:
Kitten head biscuits are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They're perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and they can also be served as a snack. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make a batch of kitten head biscuits that will be sure to please everyone.
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