There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
The more the dough is worked the more the butter will melt, making the biscuits less flakey!
For fluffy biscuits, this one is simple and works great! http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2013/11/cream-biscuits-best-biscuit-to-risk-it.html?m=1
Basically, combine your flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. If you have a food processor, cut the butter into pats, add it to the mixture and pulse a few times until it resembles rough crumbs. If you don't, cut the butter into pats, then use a knife to further cut the butter in the mixture. I use my hands as well, breaking down the butter into much smaller chunks (well dispersed) within the flour mixture.
Once you've done that, add your milk and stir the whole thing into a dough and move to a well floured surface. Pat the dough into a rough rectangle (size depends on amount of ingredients used) about 1 inch high. Fold the rectangle in half, then pat out until it's 1 inch again. Do this a few more times (I usually do it 4-6 times), and then let the dough sit for a half hour. Cut the biscuits into rounds using a biscuit butter or a well floured glass (I use a floured peanut butter lid). Important that you DO NOT TWIST THE CUTTER. This crimps the edges together which impedes the rise.
Then add to a baking sheet (I butter mine), and bake at 425 for around 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. The folds create the layers, which increases the height of the biscuits and add the fluffiness. Link to the NYT recipe for all purpose biscuits below. Hope this helps! Picture of an early attempt attached to give you some reference.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013741-all-purpose-biscuits
I will have to try the butter trick and not over-working the dough. With less Gluten build up and 'pockets' of butter during the cook, that might just do the trick.
That recipe looks really good!
Also, the amount you knead can affect things too.