Secret of big, buttery biscuits revealed
Luckily, I’ve never had an issue with addiction, despite my debaucherous youth. But I do feel like I have a slight sense of what withdrawal feels like, at least for a pastry lover. It can be traumatic when your local shop sells something truly scrumptious, something you crave at random moments of the day, and then goes out of business. This happened recently when I heard that Knead Patisserie had closed.
You may have missed this little neighborhood gem of a sweet shop, as it was tucked in the back of Local Mission Eatery, an understated restaurant on San Francisco’s busy 24th Street in the Mission. Here I fell for the honey-glazed biscuit: Giant, 2½inch-high towers of flour and butter, a perfect example of decadence. The biscuits start as an almost perfect cube, but once you break them open, the layers shift in thin, shale-like pieces.
I asked chef Shauna Des Voignes for her secret. When she replied that the biscuits aren’t just rolled and cut in the Southern tradition but given three envelope folds, I actually let a small gasp escape my lips. Oh, so that’s how she does it!
An envelope fold (or book fold, in some cases) is a classic French pastry technique and quite simple. Dough is rolled and folded over itself repeatedly. Think of flaky croissants or fragile puff dough.
As if all those layers of tender, buttery goodness aren’t already enough, Des Voignes spoons a bit of crystalized honey over the top of each biscuit just as it comes from the oven. The stillsoft honey melts down the sides, forming a sticky glaze; the crystals remain atop, adding a bit of sugary, crunchy texture. It’s a great way to use up that crystalized honey sitting in the back of the cupboard.
Des Voignes offered a tip along with the recipe for the upcoming holiday season. “You can chill and cut them, and then bake them the next day,” she says. (Any longer and the dough starts to turn green.) “You can also freeze and bake them from frozen — no need to thaw.”
The biscuits may no longer be sold, but I’m very happy they can be made. I can remain in the denial stage indefinitely.