Biscuits. Hot. Buttery. They are a good, quick  substitute for yeast bread and there is nothing as good as a fresh hot biscuit out of the oven.

Here is my basic biscuit recipe:

Preheat oven to 425*F

2 cups self rising flour
1/4 cup cold lard
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Mix the flour and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
Cut the lard into the flour til it looks like cornmeal. You can use a pastry blender or a fork.
Add the buttermilk and stir well.
Turn the batter out onto a well-floured table.
Gently incorporate another 1/4 cup or so of flour as you lift and press the dough onto itself.
Coat your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking. You don’t want to add too much more flour, the wetter the batter the better as long as the batter is holding together and you can press it into a disc.
Gently pat out the dough into a disc about 1 inch thick.
Using a flour coated 2 inch cutter cut out 14 biscuits.
Bake on an un-greased baking sheet 10-12 minutes. Serve hot.

Now, if you prefer a whole grains recipe for biscuits, here is what I make.

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup gluten
1/4 cup cold lard
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1.2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk

Add the gluten, baking soda, baking powder and salt to the flour.
Cut the lard into the flour.
Add the buttermilk and gently incorporate it into the flour.
Pour the dough out onto a floured table.
Knead the dough gently by lifting it and folding it over on itself.
Pat the dough into a square about 1 inch thick.
Cut with a 2 inch, flour covered cutter.
Bake til golden, about 12 minutes.