Homemade biscuits are an accompaniment for just about any kind of meal. Smear them with jam for breakfast or serve with ham as part of a holiday dinner. Most biscuit recipes call for a dairy-based moistening agent, such as milk or cream. Despair not if you do not have any milk left in the house, as you can easily make homemade biscuits with water. This yeast-based recipe makes 2 dozen biscuits.
Pour 3/8 cup warm water and the envelope of yeast into a mixing bowl. Let the yeast dissolve--it will start to look frothy.
Measure 2 1/2 cups of flour into another mixing bowl. Add 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/8 tsp. baking soda to the flour. Mix all dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon.
Put half a stick of butter or margarine in with the dry ingredients and mix until the dough starts to crumble. This process may be easier to complete with your hands rather than a spoon.
Pour the yeast-and-water mixture into the dry ingredients. Add an additional 1 cup of warm water. Mix everything well.
Spray the inside of a clean mixing bowl with cooking spray and put the biscuit dough into the bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes or until the dough is firm enough to roll out.
Sprinkle a cutting board with flour to prevent the biscuit dough from sticking to the surface. Flour your hands and a rolling pin as well.
Turn the biscuit dough out onto the cutting board and roll until the dough is about 1/2 inch thick.
Dip a round biscuit cutter into the flour and cut out biscuit shapes. If you do not have a cutter, use the top edge of a drinking glass.
Place the biscuits on a greased cookie sheet. Cover the full sheet with a clean dish towel.
Let the biscuits rise for half an hour before baking.
Bake the homemade biscuits at 400 degrees F. for about 15 minutes.