He uses what he calls a "quick set" starter and uses normal dry yeast. 4C warm water, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 pkg of yeast, 4C flour. This yields a thin batter. He peels a good sized potato, drops it into the batter and covers it (with a towel so it can breathe) for 12-24 hours.
He says you can use it in place of milk in any recipe. He stirs it down. He keeps the starter in a 1 gallon crock. He pulls 3C of starter, then "recharges" the starter with 1.5 cups of flour, 1.5 cups of water, 2 tb sugar. He plugs his book, "A taste of cowboy", which I may get at some point. We take 3C of starter, another package of yeast, more sugar, a little salt, baking powder (2.5 tb) 1/3 C of vegetable oil, 2.5-3 C of all purpose flour. This yields a dough that he just flattens down and then starts cutting out biscuits. He says "do not use just a cookie sheet", you need sidewalls. Put them in not quite touching. Let them rise until doubled in size before cooking them.
30 minutes at 350 degrees.
2C flour and 1.5C of heavy cream. Cut them an inch thick. Don't twist as that seals the edges. Put them touching in the dutch oven. One inch dough gives a 2 inch biscuit. Use a fork to lift a biscuit and check the bottom.
Cover them with some plastic and let them rise for 40 minutes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. They will be nicely golden brown. All that butter makes for a nice brown bottom.
The grand finale. No rise time! Combine half cake flour and half bread flour. I see King Arthur in the video. With just all purpose, they are somewhat crumbly. Use 1.5 cups of each. 2.5 tb of baking powder, 2 tb of sugar, and 12 tb of butter (holy cow!!). Use the butter cold and grate it. He adds a tb of bacon grease. 1.25 cups of chilled buttermilk. You want a shaggy dough, a bit wet.
He kneads it a little, then shapes it into a loaf so he can cut 7-8 equal pieces which he then shapes into a ball (rolling between palms of his hands). Into a dutch oven they go, filling the bottom side to side. He greases the oven first with 2 tb of butter (more butter!!).
At home, preheat the oven to 425 (and use a cast iron skillet). Using a skillet (or oven) with sides, makes the biscuits rise up not to the side. Slow cooking gives them time to rise.
More details in another video:
He is making these in 24 degree weather with a tiny bit of wind. This explains why he has no trouble grating butter. The amount of butter and the need for cold conditions is almost certainly going to rule this out for me (in Tucson, Arizona). It has been 110 outside today and 80 in the kitchen. And we are thankful for that 30 degree difference.He says it is 10 years since he had these, so this butter extravaganza is not a regular breakfast thing (or he would have died of a heart attack long ago).
However, the idea of biscuits and coffee for breakfast sounds like a good plan.
Tom's Dutch Oven Info / tom@mmto.org