Did You Know? – Sour Milk Biscuits

Most of us have had the experience of having milk sit in the refrigerator only to realize when it’s poured on our cereal or in our coffee or tea it has turned “sour”. That’s when it gets dumped out. But it wasn’t always like that.

In years gone by, particularly during the depression years, sour milk was almost never thrown out. It was used in place of buttermilk in baked goods. When money and food was often scarce and there could be a lot of mouths to feed, everything that could be used or repurposed was. This was a time of the age old adage, “waste not, want not”.

Flour and butter or shortening or lard were staples in most homes as was milk. But with no refrigeration, during the warm months in particular, milk had a greater chance of turning sour. Not wanting to throw out any food item gave rise to the birth of the Sour Milk Biscuits. They were cheap to make and filling served with some butter or maybe a bit of honey or syrup or in some cases they were the base for the beloved southern dish of Biscuits and Gravy.

However they came about, they are as satisfying and delicious today as they were a century ago when they apparently originated. If you find yourself with some milk that has “turned” as they say, instead of tossing it, give these biscuits a try. You will be in for a surprising treat!

Sour Milk Biscuits

3 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or shortening
1 1/2 cups sour milk
1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or with a silpat liner, or if neither are available, lightly grease the baking sheet.

Next, in a bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a fork or a pastry blender, cut in the butter or shortening until the bits of fat are about the size of peas. Alternatively, you can use a large grater and grate a stick of very cold butter into the flour mixture.

Add the sour milk and using the fork stir until the flour is well moistened. The mixture will look dry at first but keep stirring or turn out on to parchment paper and knead and it will come together better. Resist the temptation to add more milk to the dough as what makes the biscuits light and tender is not having too much liquid added to weigh them down.

Roll out the dough to about 1/2-3/4″ thick. Use a biscuit cutter, cut the circles of dough and place them on the baking sheet. Gather any left over scraps of dough and repeat the cutting process. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown.

Serve with butter and honey, or syrup for a sweet version, or with sausage gravy for a savory treat. Enjoy!