2 cups plain flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 ½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp hog lard (oil or shortening)
1 tsp salt
¾ cup butter milk (can make your own by adding xx to regular milk)
(Note: You can make your own buttermilk by adding lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk. Add 1 tbsp of juice or vinegar for every 1 cup of milk. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before using. Add to recipe as indicated.)
Mix all together, lard and buttermilk first. Add dry ingredients, stirring quickly. Roll out on a floured board, knead a little to smooth and flatten to about ¾”. Cut with a small top glass (if cookie cutters were invented then, we couldn’t afford one) that has been dipped into flour to keep from sticking to the dough. Continue doing this as needed while cutting. After cutting, pick up the dough trimmings and knead by hand to form more biscuits. They’re good too and we didn’t waste anything! Place in a greased pan, smear a little grease on top. Bake in the old range wood stove oven. Watch carefully as they had no temperature controls. “What a life!” These experiences were definitely character builders!
In a pinch, a modern oven will do. Cook at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until brown.
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