# Buttermilk Biscuits



## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits from Carla Hall Recipe on Food52


Carla Hall gives you decades of tips and tricks to make the perfect flaky buttermilk biscuits that are tender and crispy on the bottom. The ideal biscuit recipe!




food52.com





Just made these. Wow! Best biscuits I've ever made. Crispy on the outside, flaky and slightly chewy inside. Freezing and then grating the butter is genius. The only problem is that I added a bit too much buttermilk so the dough was too sticky. It was a bit of a pain to work with but the biscuits turned out fine, if a bit misshapen.

The recipe calls for 2 Tbs shortening or oil in addition to a lot of butter. I used oil, and I kinda wonder whether that's even necessary. I'll leave it out next time, but unfortunately I'm allowed by the health fanatics around here to make biscuits only once every 6 months or so.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Having more that enough to do I just use a buttermilk biscuit mix, just add water. Almost no cleanup, One bowl, one spoon, one cutter. I use baking paper on my pan, just let it cool and put away.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

wooleybooger said:


> Having more that enough to do I just use a buttermilk biscuit mix, just add water. Almost no cleanup, One bowl, one spoon, one cutter. I use baking paper on my pan, just let it cool and put away.


never heard of buttermilk biscuit mix but putting it on my list! If only I had a squeeze bottle of the honey, peanut butter marshmallow topping for them like all the Ohio Amish restaurants have on the tables.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

I struggle with biscuits !!
the "ready to use" buttermilk biscuit mix was my norm - but for some reason, it is not available in my area anymore.
I bought some "Leaf Lard" off the internet as recommended by Alton Brown and I can't tell the difference.
I even have Paula Deen's recipe - and still can't find just one recipe that I can use over and over with consistent results.
I remember as a youngun, my mother and grandmother always made the world famous biscuits !!!!!
[I have a bag of frozen - for those last resort times].
I'll try Carla's this afternoon - I'm always open to new ways of doing things.

this is the Biscuit Mix that I have been using: Walmart only.
it says on the internet it is available at my store, so I will order it online and pick it up this afternoon. if it is not available, I will order it and have it delivered to my home.
yeah - I like it that much !!









*it has little flakes of shortening and butter in the flour - just add buttermilk.







*


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

This recipe is definitely going to be my go-to. All the other recipes I've tried have turned out like hocky pucks. Maybe not quite that bad, but certainly nothing like this. These were even good this morning.

Although I have to say, nothing beats how easy cream biscuits are. No butter or shortening or lard, or milk, or buttermilk. Just self-rising flour and cream. (I just use regular flour and baking powder+salt.)


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

When I started using a mix Walmart was out of it. I bought this instead, 6 bag box was $30.00 when I ordered earlier this year. I like it, just add water. A 5 gallon bucket holds 25 lbs. A #10 can will hold 4 lbs. One recipe uses 1 lb. and 6 to 7 fl.oz. water or less if you let it set a few minutes to hydrate the dough.









Continental Mills Ranch Hand Buttermilk Biscuit Mix - 5 Lb.


Continental Mills Ranch Hand Buttermilk Biscuit Mix - 5 Lb.



www.roundeyesupply.com


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

I couldn't get Carla's video to play earlier. (did she really used to be "Carl" ??)
rebooted the PC and just now watched it. . . . I would have never of thought to use that much frozen butter.
I need to get some buttermilk, so will definitely give this one a try today !!! (butter is in the freezer now).
I'm like Jim - I hate making a mess with flour !! but this one might be worth it.
(also going to toss half a dozen raw biscuits in the freezer to see if they bake the same as fresh).
thanks for sharing snic !!


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Okay. Before you all jump on me for this. Hear me out.
My wife is a southern girl and made biscuits homemade for me for many years. However, one time we needed biscuits for a get together and there was no time to make them.
I bought these below and made them. Took them to the get together and was surprised at how many people asked for the recipe. Even my wife was impressed. I have never looked back.
These biscuits are clearly better than homemade. Each one rises exactly the same as the others and they are great. Consistent in every way. They come frozen ready for the oven.
I will put these biscuits up against any homemade biscuit. Try em and see!


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

Yeah but they're NOT homemade!!

If they're anything like refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, they'll be _almost_ as good as the real thing, but not quite.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

JV - yes, in a pinch, the frozen Grands are great. (and they do not have the texture of "canned" biscuits).
but, the photo is misleading.
#1 - two biscuits aren't enough for two people.
#2 - if you are having biscuits-n-gravy, and you can still see the biscuit, not enough gravy !!!
other than that, yes, they are good for what they are: convenience.
(and I have a bag of them in the freezer now).


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

J. V. said:


> Okay. Before you all jump on me for this. Hear me out.


Funny!😄


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

well - I just tried Carla's recipe - followed it to the letter.
I rolled it out too thin - it should be at least 1" thick when rolled out.
15 mins @ 450* is not enough - I had to go with 22 minutes, which is about my norm.
on a scale of 1 to 10 ~ I'll give this batch a 4.5
I'll make it thicker next time and see how that works.
the flavor was good, top and bottom was crispy - there just wasn't any innards.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

You can either have tender biscuits or flaky, not both. I can explain if anyone wants.

Darn, now I have to go to KFC. It's all you all's faults! I often buy a $3 chicken breast treat for the half tame feral cats I feed. They love it. But, I try to avoid the meal. Fried chicken, gravy, biscuit with honey & butter. . .awwww


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I loooooove buttermilk biscuits, with thickening gravy or a plate of sorghum lasses. I am a sopper, so I like my biscuits slightly tough. I can't stand a dern biscuit that falls apart draggin it through a plate of thick sorghum. The trick is kneading, but you don't want to knead so much you could use the biscuits for hockey pucks either. If I am pouring the gravy or molasses over the biscuit, I like the biscuits fluffier. A good hot bunch of biscuits right out of the oven buttered and some good ole chocolate gravy and my eyes will roll back in my head. lol

I don't make homemade biscuits too often, way too messy. I can just look at flour and get it on the ceiling. lol


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Nik333 said:


> You can either have tender biscuits or flaky, not both. I can explain if anyone wants.
> 
> Darn, now I have to go to KFC. It's all you all's faults! I often buy a $3 chicken breast treat for the half tame feral cats I feed. They love it. But, I try to avoid the meal. Fried chicken, gravy, biscuit with honey & butter. . .awwww


Nik, their biscuits are terrible, Bojangles biscuits are much much better.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

BigJim said:


> Nik, their biscuits are terrible, Bojangles biscuits are much much better.


I can make my own in a few minutes, scratch, buttermilk, tender not flaky.
This is a country area and there are few choices. KFC is across from the cats.
I won't start on chemical additives. . . I do wish they had greens.

I've never seen a Bojangles.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Nik333 said:


> I can make my own in a few minutes, scratch, buttermilk, tender not flaky.
> This is a country area and there are few choices. KFC is across from the cats.
> I won't start on chemical additives. . . I do wish they had greens.
> 
> I've never seen a Bojangles.


Hmmm, hadn't thought there may not be Bojangles out your way, it is basically a Cajon fried chicken fast food. The have as close to homemade buttermilk country biscuits as I have found. I wish I could find a place around who has good greens also. There is no mistaking when greens are out of a can or fresh cooked. One kind of greens I don't like at all is collards, they are so dern strong and most folks put sugar in them and that I sure can't stand. 

Now I am really hungry. lol


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I use Southern Biscuit Formula L as well. Easy. I throw a little Mozzarella grated cheese in it. I also don't use "Low Fat" butter milk. Go big or stay on the porch. Use "Whole" butter milk. Low fat butter milk is like drinking Lite beer......why?


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

John Smith_inFL said:


> well - I just tried Carla's recipe - followed it to the letter.
> I rolled it out too thin - it should be at least 1" thick when rolled out.
> 15 mins @ 450* is not enough - I had to go with 22 minutes, which is about my norm.
> on a scale of 1 to 10 ~ I'll give this batch a 4.5
> ...


Hm, interesting - I rolled it out to something like 3/4" (maybe it was closer to 1" - I didn't measure!) and 450 for 16 minutes was perfect. I used a cookie pan that has an insulating layer of air between the two sheets. Ovens do differ, but an extra 6 or 7 minutes seems like a lot.

Re the discussion about flaky vs tender - I'm not sure what "tender" means. I guess soft? The Carla Hall recipe says to fold the dough over in thirds three times, which makes the end result flaky. I'd say the inside was pretty tender whereas the outside was crunchy.

And re whole milk buttermilk: good luck finding that in NY!


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

@snic- tender is achieved by incorporating (mixing in) the butter. Well mixed in but not overly so or it will get tough. We use chilled butter, cut in.

To get a flaky biscuit, you don't incorporate the butter as much. Layering butter creates the 'flakes".

You can mix the ingredients with butter, holding back the water or milk until the last minute. When you add the water is when the gluten formation begins. Gluten (protein) is good because it holds the air bubbles, but, less gluten makes for a softer biscuit.

It's not like power washing!🤣 It takes a delicate hand.

I wonder what incorporating half to two-thirds of the butter then cutting in the rest of the chilled butter to layer, would do. . .or layering the top but having tender on the bottom. Hmmm.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

You can use a pastry cutter - a wire apparatus, or two crossed dinner knives.,


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

Nik333 said:


> @snic- tender is achieved by incorporating (mixing in) the butter. Well mixed in but not overly so or it will get tough. We use chilled butter, cut in.
> 
> To get a flaky biscuit, you don't incorporate the butter as much. Layering butter creates the 'flakes".
> 
> ...


This is the remarkable thing about using frozen butter, as in Carla's Hall's recipe. You freeze it, grate it onto the flour, toss it gently, then add buttermilk, then pat out and fold over a few times. So you aren't actually cutting it in at all. I think this is why the end result meets minimum standards for flakiness and tenderness (at least it did for me, unlike any other recipe I've used).


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Nik333 said:


> You can use a pastry cutter - a wire apparatus, or two crossed dinner knives.,


That is the way I make a pie crust. With biscuits I just knead a little longer as I like kinda tough biscuits that won't fall apart when drug through lasses.

I may be making biscuits wrong, I always bake at 375. Will that make a difference from baking at 400 or so?


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

snic said:


> Yeah but they're NOT homemade!!
> If they're anything like refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, they'll be _almost_ as good as the real thing, but not quite.


They are better than homemade. That was the point of my post. I have had all kinds of biscuits and there are none as good as frozen Grands. Does not even have to be buttermilk. I bet I could win a baking biscuit contest using them.
And no one would know the difference.



John Smith_inFL said:


> JV - yes, in a pinch, the frozen Grands are great. (and they do not have the texture of "canned" biscuits).
> but, the photo is misleading.
> #1 - two biscuits aren't enough for two people.
> #2 - if you are having biscuits-n-gravy, and you can still see the biscuit, not enough gravy !!!
> ...


One biscuit each is enough for us. And I prefer them all the time. Not "just in a pinch".



chandler48 said:


> I use Southern Biscuit Formula L as well. Easy. I throw a little Mozzarella grated cheese in it. I also don't use "Low Fat" butter milk. Go big or stay on the porch. Use "Whole" butter milk. Low fat butter milk is like drinking Lite beer......why?


We never buy anything low fat. Never. We drink whole milk and we use full fat everything. I hate buttermilk by itself, but its good in biscuits. We also use plenty salt. Salt being the key to good food versus great food.
I guess I may like lowfat buttermilk? I like light beer much better than regular or craft beer.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

here is my "less than satisfactory" results with Carla's recipe.
although the biscuits were thin and crispy top and bottom, they didn't have much "bread" in the middle.
I rolled them out probably less than 3/4" which is the problem. (lesson learned).
which, however, is perfect for coffee gravy (red eye, ham, or whatever it is called in your area).
strong cup of coffee to deglaze the pan of sausage, ham, bacon crispy goodness left over from frying.
although my brother was raised on it also, he hates it. he says: who in the world would boil lard in coffee then pour it over a perfectly good biscuit. ( I DO ). I guess it could be called an "au jus" sauce for biscuits ??
I have the double wall cookie sheet - I just prefer to use a biscuit pan that my grandmother used.

*Thin n Crispy*









*some budda and a little strawberry preserves*









*sausage patties, hash browns, couple eggs over medium and Red Eye Gravy over a crispy biscuit*








*I like the high-sided plates so the gravy doesn't run off the plate onto the table*


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

BigJim said:


> I may be making biscuits wrong, I always bake at 375. Will that make a difference from baking at 400 or so?


Making biscuits "right" is the same as making any food "right" - if you like the result, it's right.

I think the high temperature is supposed to help the outside get crispy without drying out the interior. Imagine a heat gun on "high". You can melt the top of something plastic pretty fast without melting the interior or bottom of it. But if you use a hair dryer, it will heat the whole piece much more evenly (although more slowly). If you want the biscuit to be crunchy outside and moist inside, you don't want the heat to be even. You want the outside to become much hotter than the inside (so it turns brown and crispy while the inside, being cooler, remains softer.


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

John Smith_inFL said:


> strong cup of coffee to deglaze the pan of sausage, ham, bacon crispy goodness left over from frying.
> although my brother was raised on it also, he hates it. he says: who in the world would boil lard in coffee then pour it over a perfectly good biscuit. ( I DO ).


🤯

Now THAT is something I've never heard of!


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

I have no idea when/how/where the "coffee gravy" originated.
all I know is that it was in my family way before I was born. ('48).
you would have to try it to form your own opinion. after frying sausage,
keep the pan hot and pour in a cup of real perked coffee (not that instant stuff).
a dash of salt and reduce it down a bit - pour it over a split open biscuit.
tilt the plate just a little so the juice stays on the biscuit end. think of it as "au jus" sauce for biscuits.
I broke my big plate with the high sides so I don't have room for the cheese grits too.
that is in a separate bowl.
(one cup of coffee with 1/4~1/2 cup sausage grease, reduced down, will cover 2 biscuits). so plan accordingly.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

BigJim said:


> I may be making biscuits wrong, I always bake at 375. Will that make a difference from baking at 400 or so?


I found temps from 375 to 450. You could try doing both Cook half the batch at 400 or 425 then let the oven cool a little and cook the rest. See what difference it makes. It probably does cook the outside harder at a higher temp, like snic said.

I found this - 








Our Favorite Buttermilk Biscuit


After baking hundreds of Southern buttermilk biscuit recipes, our Test Kitchen landed on this winning recipe for Our Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits.




www.southernliving.com


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Nik333 said:


> I found temps from 375 to 450. You could try doing both Cook half the batch at 400 or 425 then let the oven cool a little and cook the rest. See what difference it makes. It probably does cook the outside harder at a higher temp, like snic said.
> 
> I found this -
> 
> ...


That first biscuit looks like a drop biscuit. A drop biscuit is just mixed up and spooned onto a cookie sheet, I am not wild about them. That fellow made a soft biscuit and it would tear up soppin heavy molasses. I like mine a little tougher. Several of those biscuits he showed were canned. I do like White Lily flour but our favorite is Martha White, self rising. 

I will give it a try to see which way I like baking biscuits, on high or lower.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

BigJim said:


> That fellow made a soft biscuit and it would tear up soppin heavy molasses. I like mine a little tougher.


Aha! Now I understand.😄


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

John Smith_inFL said:


> I have no idea when/how/where the "coffee gravy" originated.
> all I know is that it was in my family way before I was born. ('48).
> you would have to try it to form your own opinion. after frying sausage,
> keep the pan hot and pour in a cup of real perked coffee (not that instant stuff).
> ...


Are you the new Cooking Moderator? Congratulations!😄


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

John Smith_inFL said:


> I have no idea when/how/where the "coffee gravy" originated.
> all I know is that it was in my family way before I was born. ('48).
> you would have to try it to form your own opinion. after frying sausage,
> keep the pan hot and pour in a cup of real perked coffee (not that instant stuff).
> ...


Don't know how I missed this post. Yeah buddy, red eye gravy is out of this world good. just like you said but I add a lot of black pepper when letting it cook for a while and some salt. I have been eating it since I was a kid born in 43. Back when living out in the sticks, we just had a fireplace and a wood cook stove in the kitchen. It got really cold in the winter. Mama made red eye gravy and put it on the table. We had to do some fast eating before the eye closed on the gravy. Once that eye closed it was over then, no more eating it. lol

Good looking biscuits John.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

I remember my wife using very high heat for biscuits and cornbread. But her mom ruined everything she cooked too!
But yes, they came out very similar to Johnny's biscuits.
Pillsbury Grands frozen raw biscuit 375° for 20 minutes and done. Better than most all homemade IMHO of course.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

Jim - my great-grand parents lived in a very small log cabin home in Central Alabama.
the wood cook stove was on the back porch. we would visit every few years and for some reason, I was infatuated with that stove. to a kid, you always remember warm biscuits and ham or sausage in the top warmer for a snack.
the family got a contract to raise chickens for KFC and that gave them the financial boost to build a new modern home and they put the old stove in the basement where I still made a special trip down into the dungeon to admire it. (for years and years). and there it sat - with junk piled on it. every time I visited in my later years, I tried to get my aunt to part with it. when her husband passed away and the 3 girls married and moved away from home,
on one visit around 1990 or so, my aunt, out of the blue, said - - - if you still want that old stove, you can have it.
wow - me oh MY !!! it took a couple of hours to take most of it apart but I backed my van up to the basement door and muscled that behemoth into my van (luckily, I had the van on that trip and not the small car).
after getting it back home and into my shop, a good refurbish, and poked a hole in the wall for the pipe and fired that puppy up !!! I was amazed at the engineering to direct the flame from the fire box over the oven, under the eyes and down the side and up the pipe. it also had the hot water tank on the side.
I've lost all the photos but here is one where I was cooking some omelettes or one of my SignMeet get togethers.
when I retired and sold my business, I sold the stove to a builder friend that just built himself a 3 story log home ~ and that stove sits proudly in his dining room to this day.
*it is a 1930 Home Comfort.
















*


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Regarding store bought pre-made food - there is the concern about multiple chemicals that don't have to be in your food.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

Nik333 said:


> *Are you the new Cooking Moderator? Congratulations!*


Yes I am !! 
and if you don't cook your eggs over medium with a crispy edge and your biscuits brown n fluffy smothered in some kind of gravy, I'll show you the door.

and thanks !!


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

John Smith_inFL said:


> Yes I am !!
> and if you don't cook your eggs over medium with a crispy edge and your biscuits brown n fluffy smothered in some kind of gravy, I'll show you the door.
> 
> and thanks !!


Man yeah, we call it lace on our eggs, the white has got to be done but the yellow not.

John, that wood stove is more fancy than Mama's was. She cooked three meals a day and worked in the field between meals. It was my job to get the fire wood in. The fire wood for cooking was Ash 1 1/2x 1 1/2 x 10 inches long. Ash was used because it burned fast, hot fire and little ashes.

As a treat back then, Mama would take a hot biscuit right out of the oven, lots of butter and sugar, that was sooooo good back then.


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

John Smith_inFL said:


> I sold the stove to a builder friend that just built himself a 3 story log home ~ and that stove sits proudly in his dining room to this day.


That's a fantastic story. Does your friend use the stove, or is it just decorative?

I've stayed in small vacation rental houses that have a small wood stove, and it's enough to heat the entire house (and then some).


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

snic - his original plans were to install gas burners in the eyes but upon getting it into his home, he felt it would not serve the stove well to modify it in any way - so it is just a nice original decorative piece in his home.
but for me, to actually use it as my grandparents and great grandparents did was my reward.
we tried to make biscuits in it twice but we just couldn't get the temperature right - so we gave up on that part.
we did fry a lot of stuff in pots and pans on top with good success. 
my shop was about 1500sf and it heated the shop up quite nicely.


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