The Key Differences Between Drop Biscuits And Regular

Biscuits are one of the most beloved items on Southern dining tables. They are often savory and delicious eaten on their own, but often as a side for a main meal, much like a dinner roll would be. Made simply with flour, some type of fat, and the essential addition of buttermilk, it manages to be both a blank canvas and incredibly moreish.

There are two popular types of Southern biscuits: drop biscuits and regular (or rolled) biscuits. Using the same base ingredients mentioned above, these two types of biscuits are prepared in slightly different ways (often depending on the amount of time available to the cook) and produce noticeably different results.

The most obvious key difference is texture. Drop biscuits are often made with a looser dough, almost batter-like, and the result is a denser and more crumbly biscuit. Regular biscuits are airy and flaky from distinct layers of dough and fat, which give a slight advantage of structural integrity to the final product.

It is apparent from the different textures of these two biscuits that they require different techniques. Drop biscuits get their name from how they are formed: By spooning the dough and "dropping" it onto the cooking surface, whether it be a baking sheet or straight onto a chicken pot pie. When baked on their own, they take less than 20 minutes in the oven. This makes recipes like these copycat Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits perfect for satisfying a craving or fulfilling the starch quota for dinner. 

For rolled biscuits, they require, well, rolling. Think of the process of making puff pastry, though much more forgiving. The biscuit dough is rolled into a large sheet and folded several times to create layers. This folded dough is often cut into circles before being arranged on a tray for baking. Said layers will then puff up and rise in the oven, which gives diners the pleasure of eating their biscuits layer by layer if they wish or to bite straight through them for a satisfying, shattering crunch. This easy recipe for rolled buttermilk biscuits takes about twice as long from start to finish as drop biscuits but is still easily achieved for those looking for that flaky texture.

Now that you have trays full of perfectly baked biscuits, what are the best ways to enjoy them? You could eat them unadulterated, perhaps with a little pat of butter sandwiched between a halved biscuit. However, the serving suggestions are plentiful. The classic Southern dish of biscuits and gravy is the obvious first choice for those looking to enjoy biscuits in their natural habitat, so to speak, and can be eaten on their own for breakfast or as a side for fried chicken. Upgrade the sausage gravy with homemade sausage and lots of umami as the perfect foil for biscuits.

Biscuits are not just for savory applications either. You could use them for strawberry shortcakes; the buttermilk tang in the biscuits pairs beautifully with the strawberries — especially if you macerate the berries with balsamic vinegar like in this strawberry shortcake recipe. Jazz up the strawberry shortcakes with flavored whipped cream and fresh herbs, and you have yourself a winning dessert.