Homemade Sweet Potato Biscuits

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

• tip 1
  To keep your biscuits light and flaky, be careful to not overwork the dough. Only knead until the mixture is no longer sticky.
• tip 2
  A pinch of cayenne pepper added to this recipe will give it a delightful kick that pairs well with the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes. Take a look at our recipe for spicy sweet potato biscuits for more information.
• tip 3
  If your dough is having difficulties rising, make sure the spot you’ve picked is warm enough for the yeast to release gasses. If you have a gas oven, the pilot light alone will likely make your oven a warm enough place for the dough to rise—just don’t turn the oven on. If you have an electric oven, turning the light on in your oven will create a warm enough environment, although it will take some time to heat up. Because heat rises, the top of your refrigerator can also act as a warm space for dough to rise.
• tip 4
  For perfectly shaped biscuits, use this easy method: when pressing your biscuit cutter into the dough, press until you reach your work surface, but do not twist the cutter. Twisting will bunch up the dough along the sides of the cutter, resulting in misshapen biscuits. Simply press down, then bring the biscuit cutter back up. To avoid the dough from sticking to your cutter, flour it generously and often in-between cuts.
• tip 5
  You can also use a knife to cut your biscuits if you don’t have a biscuit cutter. Whether you cut them out as squares, triangles or circles, be sure each shape is roughly 2 inches wide for a good bake. If you find the dough is sticking to your knife as you cut, coat the knife is flour in-between cuts.