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| Cooking from the wood burning stove |
This past week I baked biscuits, and served it with real butter, and honey.
Baking Powder Biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cups milk
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
Mix in shortening and add milk.
Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead about 15 times. Roll out to 1/4 to 1/2" thick. Cut with 2" bsicut cutter and place onto ungreased baking sheet. Place close together for soft sides, or apart for crusty sides.
Bake at 450 degrees, 10-12 minutes or till golden. Makes 12-16 biscuits.
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When using this recipe at the farm, I substitute REAL BUTTER in place of shortening.
Using this basic recipe, I added/subtracted a few things to RECREATE the cheddar drop biscuits I enjoyed so much at Red Lobster.
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| Cheddar Drop Biscuits |
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons of garlic salt
1 stick of real butter
1 cup of milk
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
* Fresh chives if possible
Mix flour, baking powder and garlic salt
Mix in butter and milk, add cheese - stir until gooey. If too thick, add extra milk to give the consistency needed to drop biscuits into greased pan.
Bake 450 degrees till golden. These are delicious!
Update (2026): Baking Biscuits the Old-Fashioned Way
Looking back at these photographs, I can almost smell the biscuits baking in the old wood-burning cook stove. One of my favorite parts of volunteering at the living history farm wasn't just wearing pioneer clothing—it was learning how our ancestors prepared everyday meals without electricity or modern conveniences.
Unlike today's ovens where you simply set the temperature and walk away, baking in a wood cook stove required experience and patience. The cook had to continually monitor the fire, add wood when needed, and judge the oven temperature by feel rather than relying on a thermostat. It was a skill that pioneer women practiced nearly every day.
One thing I discovered was that simple recipes often taste the best. Fresh biscuits served with real butter and local honey were always a favorite with visitors, reminding us that homemade food doesn't have to be complicated to be delicious.
Over the years I've also enjoyed experimenting with this basic biscuit recipe. By adding cheddar cheese, garlic, butter, and fresh chives, I came up with a version that reminded me of the famous cheddar biscuits served at Red Lobster. They quickly became one of our family's favorite side dishes.
Whether you're baking in a modern kitchen or over a wood-burning stove, homemade biscuits remain one of the easiest and most satisfying recipes to master. They're inexpensive to make, rely on simple pantry staples, and pair well with soups, chili, breakfast, fried chicken, or just a little butter and honey.
For anyone interested in homesteading, preparedness, or learning old-fashioned cooking skills, biscuits are an excellent place to begin. With just flour, baking powder, salt, shortening or butter, and milk, you can create a warm meal almost anywhere—even if the power goes out.
The History of Baking Powder Biscuits
Before baking powder became widely available in the mid-1800s, most breads depended on yeast or sourdough starter to rise. Baking powder changed home cooking by allowing families to make light, fluffy biscuits in less than an hour without waiting for dough to ferment. By the late 1800s, baking powder biscuits had become a staple on American farm tables because they were quick, economical, and made from ingredients most households already kept on hand.
Serving Ideas
These biscuits are delicious served with:
- Real butter and honey
- Homemade jams or preserves
- Sausage gravy
- Chili or vegetable soup
- Beef stew
- Chicken and dumplings
- Fried chicken
- Scrambled eggs and bacon
- Barbecue
- Sliced ham
1 comment:
YUM!!!!
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