I'm an inexperienced baker who tried making Joanna Gaines' biscuits, and the recipe was surprisingly easy to follow

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Samantha GrindellAug 6, 2022, 17:24 IST
I'm an inexperienced baker who tried making Joanna Gaines' biscuits, and the recipe was surprisingly easy to follow

I made Joanna Gaines' biscuits that are served at Magnolia Table.Samantha Grindell / Insider / Rob Kim / Contributor / Getty Images

  • I fell in love with Joanna Gaines' biscuits at the Magnolia Table restaurant in Waco, Texas.
  • I decided to try making the biscuits myself, even though I'm not an experienced baker.
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I had breakfast at Chip and Joanna Gaines' restaurant, Magnolia Table, and fell in love with Joanna's biscuits.

I had breakfast at Chip and Joanna Gaines' restaurant, Magnolia Table, and fell in love with Joanna's biscuits.
I ate breakfast at Magnolia Table in Waco, Texas.Samantha Grindell/Insider

During a visit to the "Fixer Upper" stars' famous restaurant in Waco, Texas, in February, I ordered the classic Farm Breakfast, which consisted of two eggs, tater tots, bacon, a side of fruit, and a biscuit served with strawberry butter.

I liked the meal, but the biscuit blew me away. The crumbly pastry instantly melted in my mouth when I took a bite, having the soft texture I look for in a biscuit. The strawberry butter took it to the next level by adding moisture and a subtle sweetness to each bite.

It was one of the best biscuits I've ever had, which is saying a lot, as I grew up in the South. I found myself regretting only eating one as I left the restaurant.

I decided to try to make the biscuits for myself.

I decided to try to make the biscuits for myself.
I made Joanna Gaines' biscuits.Rob Kim / Contributor / Getty Images

The recipe for "Jojo's Biscuits" is available on the Magnolia website, and since I don't know when I'll be able to go to Waco to get my pastry fix again, it seemed only fitting to try to make them myself.

I'd heard the recipe, which makes about 20 biscuits, was difficult to make, which made me apprehensive because I'm an inexperienced baker.

For me, baking usually consists of adding ingredients to a box mix, so making biscuits from scratch was intimidating. But I was up for the challenge since there was a chance of tasting something even vaguely similar to Magnolia Table's breakfast treats.

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Although I knew the recipe would be a bit challenging, I was pleased there weren't too many ingredients.

Although I knew the recipe would be a bit challenging, I was pleased there weren't too many ingredients.
The recipe doesn't require many ingredients.Samantha Grindell/Insider

You probably have most of what you need to make "Jojo's Biscuits" in your kitchen cabinet:

  • Self-rising flour
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Salted butter
  • Eggs
  • Buttermilk

Mixing the dry ingredients was easy.

Mixing the dry ingredients was easy.
The dry ingredients.Samantha Grindell/Insider

The recipe says to whisk the self-rising flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl.

The entire recipe ends up in this bowl, so I recommend using the biggest bowl you have available to you.

It's also a good idea to have a full bag of flour on hand, as you'll need more of it towards the end of the recipe.

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The butter had to be sliced before it could be incorporated with the dry ingredients.

The butter had to be sliced before it could be incorporated with the dry ingredients.
The butter has to be cut.Samantha Grindell/Insider

The three sticks of cold butter used in the biscuit recipe need to be cut into 1/2-inch pieces or grated before they can be added to the dry ingredients. I'm not that comfortable with a grater, so I decided to just slice the butter.

I used a baking scraper to measure out my butter sticks, as the one I have has ruler marks on it.

As I sliced up the butter, I laughed to myself thinking it was no wonder I liked "Jojo's Biscuits." Who wouldn't like a biscuit with three sticks of butter in it?

The recipe calls for a pastry blender to combine the butter and the dry ingredients.

The recipe calls for a pastry blender to combine the butter and the dry ingredients.
I ordered a pastry cutter.Samantha Grindell/Insider

I had never used a pastry blender before making the biscuits, and I ordered one on Amazon for the occasion.

Joanna's recipe instructs that the butter must be cut into pea-sized chunks, so I made sure to press into each chunk of butter, combining it with the flour mixture.

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The pastry blender was effective, but it wasn't perfect.

The pastry blender was effective, but it wasn't perfect.
The butter got stuck.Samantha Grindell/Insider

Because butter is sticky, chunks of it got stuck into the pastry cutter every few times I pressed it into my bowl full of ingredients.

I used a knife and my fingers to push the butter back into the bowl, continuing to combine it with the flour.

I got nearly everything down to pea size, but I struggled to find every slice of butter at this step because much of it had slipped toward the bottom of the bowl. I wish I had used a spoon to make sure I was splitting all of the butter in the bowl evenly.

Once the butter was mixed in, it was time to add the wet ingredients.

Once the butter was mixed in, it was time to add the wet ingredients.
The dough started to form as the egg and buttermilk were added.Samantha Grindell/Insider

The next step of the recipe is to stir two beaten eggs into the mixture using a wooden spoon.

I mixed my eggs together before I started combining my dry ingredients, so it was easy to grab them and mix them in.

After that, it was time to add buttermilk, again using a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients together until it created "a sticky mass." The recipe notes that you should add an additional teaspoon of buttermilk one at a time if the mixture doesn't have the right consistency. I ended up having to add one additional teaspoon to my dough before it seemed right.

Stirring everything together was definitely the most challenging part of the recipe, because the dough was firm thanks to all the butter. My arm started to get sore, and I had to take a few breaks as I stirred.

I also thought I was done once or twice, and then realized there was loose flour at the bottom of the bowl that hadn't been incorporated into the mass. I think if I had a bigger spoon, I might have had an easier time mixing it all together.

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I had to stir for about 10 minutes before the dough was combined properly.

I had to stir for about 10 minutes before the dough was combined properly.
The dough is supposed to be sticky.Samantha Grindell/Insider

I was excited to see my dough coming together, as it had the consistency and shape I was hoping for.

The dough has to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight after it's prepared. I let mine sit for about 45 minutes, pre-heating my oven to 400 degrees a few minutes before I took the dough out of the fridge.

Flouring my work surface before I assembled my biscuits was a crucial step.

Flouring my work surface before I assembled my biscuits was a crucial step.
I pressed the dough with my hands.Samantha Grindell/Insider

Once the dough chilled, it was time to press it out with my hands and cut out biscuits.

The dough is supposed to be pressed into a round that is about 14 inches wide and a 1/2-inch thick, according to the recipe. I measured my dough to ensure it was the proper length across, but I wasn't as consistent with making sure the slab had the same height all the way across.

Before I removed my dough, I made sure to thoroughly flour my workstation and my hands, as the recipe instructed.

Because of how sticky the dough had become as I stirred it together, I could tell this step would be important. I was glad I applied a lot of flour to my work surface, as I didn't have any issues with my dough sticking as I cut out my biscuits.

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I used a wine glass to cut my biscuits.

I used a wine glass to cut my biscuits.
A biscuit before it baked.Samantha Grindell/Insider

Joanna's recipe calls for a floured, 2 3/4-inch round cutter to cut out the biscuits from the dough.

Because I'm not an avid baker, I don't have cookie cutters or rounds around the house — but I do have wine glasses. I measured one of my glasses, and it happened to be the exact size Joanna recommended. I knew my love of rosé would come in handy someday.

I made sure to thoroughly flour the rim of the glass before I pushed it through the dough, and it worked like a charm. I was left with beautiful, round biscuits.

The final step is adding an egg wash to the top of the biscuits.

The final step is adding an egg wash to the top of the biscuits.
The biscuits before they baked.Samantha Grindell/Insider

I put my biscuits on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper, nestling them together as Joanna's recipe instructs. I typically make cookies when I bake, so I was surprised the biscuits were supposed to touch.

To make the egg wash, I combined one egg with buttermilk and brushed the mixture on top of the biscuits.

Once every biscuit had been lightly coated, it was time to pop them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

As I put them in the oven, I was worried I had done something wrong because the recipe had been so easy to make. Sure, it was time-consuming to stir everything together, but it wasn't challenging otherwise.

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I was pleased my biscuits had a golden brown look after 20 minutes exactly.

I was pleased my biscuits had a golden brown look after 20 minutes exactly.
The biscuits immediately after they came out of the oven.Samantha Grindell/Insider

I pulled my biscuits out when the crust had turned a golden brown, and I was immediately met by a scent I can only call buttery.

It was warm and inviting, and based on both the aroma and the look of the biscuits, I was optimistic I had actually pulled the recipe off.

I let the biscuits cool for about five minutes before I took a bite.

When I took my first bite, I was thrilled to find the biscuits tasted almost exactly like the one I had at Magnolia Table.

When I took my first bite, I was thrilled to find the biscuits tasted almost exactly like the one I had at Magnolia Table.
The biscuits were delicious.Samantha Grindell/Insider

My mouth watered as I bit into the flaky treat.

The biscuits had a soft interior surrounded by a crumbly crust, just like the delectable pastry I had tasted at Magnolia Table. They were sweet, but I could tell they would taste just as good with a jam as they would with bacon, as is ideal for a breakfast carb.

As I soaked up the flavor of the pastry, I knew that if I had strawberry butter within reach, I would have felt like I was back at a counter seat in Waco.

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My biscuits were slightly irregular because I didn't press my dough out consistently.

My biscuits were slightly irregular because I didn't press my dough out consistently.
The biscuits weren't uniform.Samantha Grindell/Insider

Although all of the biscuits were delicious, some of them were thicker than others because I had not been as diligent as I should have been when pressing out my dough round.

It didn't matter this time around since I was only making the biscuits for myself, but if I make the recipe for a group, I wouldn't want anyone to get a smaller biscuit than someone else.

I definitely recommend taking your time shaping the dough and cutting your rounds if you try this recipe.

Because the recipe was somewhat labor intensive, I might split up the work next time I make the recipe.

Because the recipe was somewhat labor intensive, I might split up the work next time I make the recipe.
I'll be making the biscuits again.Samantha Grindell/Insider

I wanted to take my time as I made Joanna's biscuits to ensure each step was done properly, so the recipe took me a few hours to complete, especially because of the time the dough chilled in the fridge.

That wasn't a problem here, but I could see that being annoying if I wanted to make this recipe for breakfast and woke up hungry.

Next time, I would probably let the dough chill overnight, as it would make serving the biscuits for breakfast or brunch nearly stress-free.

I also wouldn't wear black clothes next time I make the biscuits, as I ended up covered in white flour — a rookie baking mistake. But it was worth it for a taste of the decadent pastry.

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