I woke up this morning and I really wanted to make bagels - plain bagels, everything bagels, cinnamon raisin bagels, really any type of bagel - but I had to settle for biscuits. I quickly learned that in order to make bagels correctly, you need flour with a protein concentration of 11-13%, which is found in bread flour. Bread flour is much better consistency wise when aiming to make bread that is chewier such as bagels or pizza crust. I hadn't even thought about the fact that bread had protein in it at all, so I had just assumed that I could make bagels with any flour.
I decided that I want to do it right, so I put a pause on bagel making and made these delicious biscuits. While we didn't have flour that was high in protein, we did have self-rising flour which is low in protein at <8.5%. So, I looked on the back of the flour bag and saw the recipe for these biscuits and quickly threw them together to satisfy my wanting to bake something. The one hurdle I had to get past was that I didn't have any whipping cream, so I melted butter and added in milk to make a substitute.
These biscuits took 5 minutes to prepare and only had to be in the oven for 10 minutes, so they were done before I knew it. I highly recommend them whether or not you are in a rush. They are the perfect thing to throw in the oven on a cold fall/winter morning! I love them with butter but they practically call out to be topped with jam. My older brother and father both grabbed one as they ran out the door - so I think that is a sign - a sign that they are tasty, I definitely think they are.
Ingredients ~
1 1/2 cups (170g) King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour
3/4 cup (170g) heavy or whipping cream*
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional; for a saltier biscuit
*If the dough doesn't come together readily, dribble in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons cream, to make it totally cohesive.
Instructions ~
Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a rack in the top third.
Mix the flour and cream until smooth and cohesive.
Scoop 1-ounce balls of dough onto an un-greased or parchment-lined baking sheet; a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here. Leave a couple of inches between them. Not into scooping? Pat the dough 3/4" thick and cut biscuits with a cutter instead, if desired.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with cream, milk, or water; this will help them rise. Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes, until they are light golden brown on top, and baked all the way through; break one open to make sure.
Remove the biscuits from the oven, and serve warm, or at room temperature. Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Recipe From: King Arthur Flour
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