Dutch ovens were created in order to allow you to bake over an open flame. When a standard oven is not an option, they are the perfect solution. No Dutch oven? A good alternative can be made with any heavy cast iron pan with a tight fitting lid, or even just tin foil over the top to create a good seal. Another option is to make biscuits in an open skillet. Cast iron still works best for this because it disperses heat more evenly, but any skillet will do. These will turn out slightly different, more fried and crispy on the outside and a little flatter than the standard baked variety.

Baking in a Dutch oven or cast-iron pan is easy. Grease your pan and preheat over a medium-high flame. Place your biscuits in the bottom of the pan, taking care not to burn yourself on the edges. Place the lid or tinfoil on the pan to create a good seal, and set the timer to 20 minutes. Don't peek -- this will release heat from your makeshift oven and prevent the top from browning.

Another stove top method for cooking biscuits is in an open skillet. These biscuits turn out crispier on the outside while staying soft on the inside. Coat a skillet in oil or butter and heat to medium low. The temperature must be lower in this method so the outside doesn't burn before the inside is done cooking. Place 2-inch mounds of homemade biscuit dough in preheated oil or butter, flattening with a spatula or your fingers to 1/2 inch high, and cook until they turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until it's also golden brown and cooked through, another 10 minutes.

There are many versions of biscuits, from family recipes to cardboard tubes of dough from the grocery store. In the Dutch oven method, any style of biscuit works well. Rolled or pre-made biscuits should be touching if you like them soft, or spaced further apart if you like them crispy all the way around. Drop biscuits should be spaced out according to your recipe. In the open skillet method, pre-made dough or rolled biscuits will work just as well. Regardless of dough type, all biscuits in this method should be spaced out a couple of inches so they can be easily flipped.