shortcake biscuits spread rather than rise

[LMHmedchem]

Hello,

I posted this in the cake forum since I think that is the closest match, but these are really sweet scones so I don't know if this should go elsewhere.

I have a shortcake recipe that I have used for a while, I have added it below. This is a great time of the year for peaches around here so at the moment it's peach blueberry shortcake.

I really like the flavor and texture of these biscuits. My only issue is that they tend to spread out sideways instead of rising. They don't really get any taller than they are when they are cut. I am wondering what I can do about this. I have considered baking them in ring molds, but that shouldn't be necessary.

Does anyone see anything in the method or recipe that might account for the issue. I would generally suspect that the dough is overly wet but I don't think that is the case based on what the dough looked like. I could add more raising agent, but I don't want to risk tasting it. I think I should get a decent rise out of this so I am not sure what the issue is. Possibly it is a combination of humidity and heat in the kitchen.

Suggestions would be appreciated,

LMHmedchem

Shortcake Biscuits:
460  grams  all-purpose flour
80   grams  granulated sugar
24   grams  baking powder
8    grams  baking soda
4    grams  salt
240  grams  butter (frozen and grated)
330  grams  cold buttermilk
1    tbl    vanilla extract (or 2 tsp vanilla paste)
2    tbl    buttermilk (or  milk, cream, heavy cream)
            Turbinado Sugar for garnish (or cane sugar, brown sugar, maple sugar, etc)

Preheat the oven to 400°F

Weigh the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted
with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Place the mixing bowl back on the scale
and tare. Grate the frozen butter onto a plate using the largest holes of a grater. Add 240g to the bowl (a little
more than ½ of a 1 pound block or a bit less than 2¼ sticks). Mix with the paddle on the lowest speed until the
butter has been coated and the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Weigh the buttermilk into the bowl. Add
the vanilla and fold with a rubber spatula until the dough begins to come together. Do not overwork. The dough
will be loose and crumbly with scattered wet spots. Some of the dry ingredients will still be loose.

Empty the mixture onto a floured work surface and gently bring the dough together to take up the loose dry
ngredients. Flatten the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Fold each side into the center, turn the dough 90
degrees, and flatten again into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Repeat the folding, flattening, and turning 4 more times
ending with a 1-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 3-inch circles with a biscuit cutter. Do not twist the biscuit cutter
when cutting. Re-flatten the scraps and cut more circles until you have 9 biscuits.

Cover a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat and spray with baking spray. Arrange the biscuits on the sheet
and make sure the biscuits are touching. Brush the tops with buttermilk and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. Chill
in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Bake the biscuits for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from
the oven and cool on the baking sheet at least 10 minutes.

 

[retired baker]

I suspect thats a lot of baking soda.

The recipe I have doesn't use any soda.

 

[LMHmedchem]

I suspect that's a lot of baking soda.

The recipe I have doesn't use any soda.

I checked and the correct amount is actually 4g not 8g. This translates to about 3/4 of a teaspoon.

I don't know how that happened. For some bizarre reason, you are not allowed to edit your posts on this forum after some period of time so I can't change it in the original recipe. Hopefully no one will try the recipe using the incorrect amount.

At any rate, along with the buttermilk, the addition of soda means more raising horsepower. That should result in a better rise not worse. It is true that if you over-do the raising agent, the cake can rise and then fall again. I did not observe that in the oven.

This recipe uses mostly baking powder and then a small quantity of soda to interact with the buttermilk. This was supposed to improve the rise according to the recipe I started with.

LMHmedchem

 

[retired baker]

I checked and the correct amount is actually 4g not 8g. This translates to about 3/4 of a teaspoon.

I don't know how that happened. For some bizarre reason, you are not allowed to edit your posts on this forum after some period of time so I can't change it in the original recipe. Hopefully no one will try the recipe using the incorrect amount.

At any rate, along with the buttermilk, the addition of soda means more raising horsepower. That should result in a better rise not worse. It is true that if you over-do the raising agent, the cake can rise and then fall again. I did not observe that in the oven.

This recipe uses mostly baking powder and then a small quantity of soda to interact with the buttermilk. This was supposed to improve the rise according to the recipe I started with.

LMHmedchem

Baking powder controls rise.
Soda has a big effect on flow.
Soda is used in cakes to prevent doming of the top....nothing to do with the rise.

You don't need buttermilk or soda for these things.
Most recipes contain no soda, pick any recipe off youtube without soda, it will be better than what you made.