Light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits are one of those baked goods that reveal instantly whether they’re homemade or popped out of a can. Mind you, not everything is that way. But biscuits? That’s what you want to teach your children to make.

I have good memories of attending a food and nutrition conference in Nashville, Tenn., with my daughter, Kate. The hotel we stayed had a “Biscuit Bar.” There were cheese biscuits, angel biscuits, buttermilk biscuits, herb biscuits — every biscuit imaginable. They were served with various jams, local honeys, flavored butters and breakfast meats.

The Southerner’s Cookbook reads, “Making great biscuits isn’t rocket science, but it requires a certain finesse.” Two secrets from that cookbook for light and fluffy biscuits:

One of my favorite baking instructors, Lee Boblitt of Springfield, Ill., believed in simplicity when making biscuits. He subscribed to the 4-3-2-1 Biscuits, which literally used 4 tablespoons of shortening, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt, to mix with a cup of buttermilk. He also subscribed to cutting his biscuits with a drinking glass (“One doesn’t need a fancy biscuit cutter,” he’d say), or simply cut into squares with a knife.

My Aunt Jane also wanted simplicity in her biscuits, and her recipe is a family treasure. They included a package of yeast — the only way, she said, to have a “mile-high, fluffy” biscuit.

I admit, biscuits aren’t the healthiest way to start every day (especially if you add gravy), but they’re a great way to start the day occasionally. And you can make them a little healthier — like with whole-wheat flour or sprouted flour.

Peter Reinhart , author of “Bread Revolution: World-Class Baking With Sprouted and Whole Grains, Heirloom Flours, and Fresh Techniques,” considers sprouted flours the next big trend among bakers. Panera now offers a sprouted roll, and the Alabama Biscuit Co., which I visited recently in Birmingham, offers its own biscuit mix using sprouted flours. When grains are sprouted, the bitterness goes away and the natural sweetness comes through without sacrificing nutritional perks. Sprouted flour tastes more like white flour but still has all the good-for-you benefits. In the sprouting process, some of the grains’ carbohydrates are broken down into a more easily digestible form, which means they have slightly less carbohydrates than unsprouted grains and may be easier on your stomach.

There’s an argument that White Lily Flour is the best to use when making a biscuit. It’s typically available in the South, and a bit harder to find in the Midwest or northern areas. White Lily has a lower protein content, which results in a softer biscuit. All I can say is give it a try.

Lee Boblitt’s 4-3-2-1 Biscuits

4 tablespoons shortening
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With a pastry blender, cut shortening into flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal or peas; add other dry ingredients. Mix well. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then slowly pour in the buttermilk, stirring until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Roll or pat the dough to a 1-inch thickness, and using a biscuit cutter or glass, cut out as many rounds as possible. Gather leftover dough and roll out again to get several more biscuits. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the biscuits have risen and the tops have begun to brown. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter. Serve warm. Makes eight biscuits. Note: Using slightly more butter and cutting it in less — only until the pieces are the size of peas — produces a flakier biscuit.

Aunt Jane’s Angel Biscuits

1 package yeast
¼ cup warm water
¼ cup sugar
½ cup Crisco
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in water and set aside. Mix shortening and dry ingredients as for pie dough. Blend thoroughly by spoon. Refrigerate in large, covered bowl. When ready to use, turn onto floured board and knead lightly (10 times). Roll-cut in greased pan. Let rise slightly (15 minutes from refrigerator). Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes until browned. Makes six to eight biscuits.

Sprouted Flour Biscuits

3½ cups sprouted whole wheat flour
2 cups buttermilk (maybe a little less)
4 tablespoons cold butter or lard
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix flour with buttermilk by hand, with electric stand mixer or food processor. Add remaining ingredients and blend just until smooth dough forms. Remove dough onto a well-floured pastry cloth or table sprinkled with additional sprouted flour to prevent sticking. Flour rolling pin. Roll dough to about ¾- to 1-inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter or glass and place on a buttered baking sheet. Reroll extra dough and cut into more biscuits. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes or until slightly brown on top. Brush with melted butter, if desired. Makes 12 biscuits.

Fargo Ware is a registered dietitian with Southern Illinois University Medical School in Springfield. Send recipe ideas to her at [email protected]. The opinions of this writer are not necessarily those of Farm Progress/Informa.