Baking Powder Biscuits

When preparing biscuits, it is important to keep your ingredients and the dough as cold as possible. I recommend using latex gloves when shaping the dough to lessen the amount of body heat that comes in contact with the dough.

Makes about 16 biscuits
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

* 8 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 t. salt
* 3 T. baking powder
* ¼ cup white sugar
* 8 oz. dairy-free cream cheese, such as Toffuti, cold
* 6 T. dairy-free soy margarine, cold
* 1 cup unsweetened plain soymilk
* 1 T. vinegar

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.

2. Using a pastry cutter, cut the dairy--free cream cheese and soy margarine into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles pea-sized granules.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

4. Combine soymilk and vinegar in a small pitcher or bowl, mixing well. (Mixture will thicken slightly.) Place in refrigerator to rest for 10 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour a counter or work surface, as well as a metal bench scraper and round cutter.

6. Just before mixing, put on a pair of disposable plastic or latex gloves, or, alternatively, slip your hands into sandwich baggies. This will help keep the dough as cold as possible during shaping.

7. Gradually add the soymilk mixture to the biscuit mix, until the dough holds together and is just a little sticky but does not stick to your gloves. Place on the floured counter or work surface, and, working quickly, shape into a rectangle about 2”thick, flattening out the surface with your gloved palms.

8. Using the floured bench scraper, create a sharp edge around the rectangle you’ve created, trimming the edges of the dough in quick, even motions. With sharp, singe strokes, cut the dough 16 circles with the floured round cutter, adding more flour as needed. Flouring the edge of the bench scraper as needed, lift the biscuits with the scraper, not your hands, and place them on the lined baking sheet. (The less you touch the dough and the colder it is, the better your biscuits will rise.)

9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through, until the biscuits are golden brown. Serve warm.