SC - Tech info re Biscuits - OOP

[Ann & Les Shelton]

Before Christmas, we discussed the uniqueness of Southern biscuits.  I
happened to read an article today which may partially explain why they
are hard to replicate in other parts of the country.

The article was a profile on Shirley Corriher, a chemist and
professional food scientist.  Chefs like Julia Child use her to figure
out why foods behave the way they do.  She uses her grandmother's
biscuit recipe to illustrate the benefit of low-protein flour. 

She uses White Lily flour, a popular Southern brand, which has 9 grams
of protein per cup.  By comparison, Pillsbury and Gold Medal have 12
grams per cup.  The more protein, the more glutens formed and hardened
during baking.  With fewer glutens formed using White Lily, the biscuits
come out lighter and fluffier.  So, part of the reason our biscuits are
the delicacies they are may be due to the fact we're using lower-protein
flour.  

She didn't explain why there's such a difference in protein content
between brands.  I'm going to look at the popular brands in SC {Adluh,
Red Band, etc} and check their protein content to see if the lower
levels are prevalent among Southern brands.  Perhaps someone with a
greater knowledge of baking can explain the discrepency?

The article also included a number of her other findings, such as why
cranberries baked with baking soda turn green, which fruits destroy
gelatin and why sage helps a custard set.  Her 1997 book "Cook Wise, the
Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking" won a James Beard award.  She's now
working on a book about baking.

BTW, thanks for all the enlightenment on my question regarding the bowl
and pelys attachment.  I'm impressed that people would pull out their
personal equipment and risk breakage to pursue a theoretical point.

John le Burguillun
Cyddlain Downs {Columbia SC}
Atlantia
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