My Big Mama’s biscuits have always been a staple in my life. Every visit to Winona, Mississippi is complete with biscuit breakfasts every morning. Whenever she visits us in Chicago, she also makes biscuits. I can’t think of any other food in my family that has such a rich history.
Last Thanksgiving while in Winona, my husband and I taped a how-to video with Big Mama making her famous biscuits. We got our entire family, including a special cameo from Big Daddy, involved and ended up having a blast! She makes it look so easy, but the truth is I am still trying to master them. I think the video will not only help all of you but help me as well. I am so excited to finally share it. Feel free to share the link to the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOIN0c-oQsY
I can’t tell you how special the experience of making this video with my family was. It was a moment I will never forget nor take for granted. If there are any family recipes or historical information you want to know about the elders in your family, I suggest you sit down and record it or write it down. We take their stories, knowledge and wisdom for granted sometimes, and an experience like this is worth a lifetime.
Big Mama’s Biscuits
Ingredients
- 4 cups self-rising flour Big Mama's brand of choice is Martha White
- 2 heaping tablespoons shortening
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Add flour and sugar to medium sized bowl and mix to combine. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture.
- Add shortening to the middle of the flour and begin cutting into the flour.
- Next, add buttermilk to the biscuit mixture and begin working together with your hands to bring together. There will be some flour left so don't worry about this.
- Turn the biscuit mixture onto a kitchen board. Work together with your hands on the board until a dough consistency forms and add flour as/if needed.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to preferred thickness of 1/3-2/3 inch. I prefer about 1/2 inch thickness.
- Cut biscuit dough into circles using round cutter or back of a can.
- Place cut biscuits onto greased baking pan.
- Bake biscuits for about 12 minutes or until they have risen and are nice and brown. Watch the oven and take them out once they are browned to your liking.
- Brush melted butter on the tops of biscuits and serve warm.
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You should make more videos with you Big Mama and Big Daddy. Y’all are so sweet girl. And she make them biscuits just like my Big Mama. I love this. More videos like this are needed in times that we live in now. I know she does a good fried chicken, can we have a video please.
She passed away a couple of years ago. We miss her dearly.
Here it is 2020 in the middle of the Corona Virus pandemic and I’m just now discovering this video. Your grandmother is so precious and I sincerely hope she is still with you! I loved watching her make her biscuits and I loved that your entire family got involved in making the video. I’m 76 and my mama is 99 and still working her crossword puzzles. She is quite frail and doesn’t cook anymore but she cooked a lot of biscuits for our big family over the years. I’s the oldest of seven children and my daddy was a carpenter and built houses and barns. Mama cooked and washed clothes seemed like all the time when I was growing up. Thank you for taking the time to make this video and for sharing it with us. I wish I had done this for my mama and her coconut and chocolate cream pies with the flakey, tender crust and the real whipped cream on top! God bless you and your Big Mama and your entire family! 🙂
Oh thank you so much! Unfortunately, my Big Mama passed away last year but it makes my heart so so happy to have this video.
So glad you made a video, was so sweet to see your grandmother making biscuits and it surely helped to show the measurements for the recipe. I used to use Crisco quite a bit, but try to use butter now instead. I wonder how they’d turn out with butter?
Thanks so much for sharing, wonderful memories to make to share with your family.
I’ve got a great all butter biscuit recipe you should definitely check out right here on the blog.
Hi Jocelyn,
I just discovered Big Mama’s Biscuit recipe on Youtube and have a question for you. Before your grandmother baked her biscuits, she said, “its going to take the biscuits but a few minutes to rise.”. Do you have any idea how long we should let the dough rise before baking? There’s no mention of a rising time in the recipe. When I heard Big Mama say this, my first thought was that she is brilliant! Most recipes for baking powder biscuits don’t call for a “rise” so this may be why her biscuits are so special.
Hi Andee, just about 10 minutes should do it. And yep she is a genius!
I never have buttermilk in the house. Is it possible to substitute something else and have them turn out like yours?
Hi Sharyn, it won’t have the exact same flavor but you can always add lemon juice or vinegar to milk to create a buttermilk substitute to use in a pinch.
Loved the video
I am going to try my hand at making these biscuits
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy!
That has got to be one of the most precious videos I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to make these biscuits for my boys, compliments of Big Mama of course! You are so lucky to have her in your life. Love your blog and look forward to trying many of your lovely southern recipes.
Thank you so much!! 100% compliments to Big Mama, she is such a gem. I really appreciate your sweet comments!
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I thoroughly enjoyed your video. Reminds me so much of how my grandmother cooked and taught me. Blessings!!
Thank you so much! It was an experience I will never forget. Grandmothers are the best.