¼ c lukewarm water (110° to 115°) 1 c lukewarm milk (110° to 115°)
1 package active dry yeast 4 T lard, cut into ¼-inch bits
1 tsp plus 2 T sugar and softened
3 to 3½ c unsifted flour 1 T butter, softened
1½ tsp salt Vegetable oil for deep frying
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Pour the water into a small bowl and add the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar.
Let the yeast and sugar rest for 2 or 3 minutes, then mix well. Set in a
warm, draft-free place (such as an unlighted oven) for 10 minutes, or until
the yeast bubbles up and the mixture almost doubles in volume.Place 3 cups of the flour, the remaining 2 T of sugar and the salt in a deep mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture and the milk and, with a large wooden spoon, gradually beat the dry ingredients into the liquid ones. Add the bits of lard and continue to beat until the dough is smooth and can be gathered into a compact ball.
Place the ball on a lightly floured surface and knead, pushing the dough down with the heels of your hands, pressing it forward and folding it back on itself. As you knead, incorporate up to ½ cup more flour by the tablespoonful, until the dough is no longer moist and sticky. Then continue to knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. Gather the dough into a ball.
With a pastry brush, spread the softened butter evenly over the inside of a large bowl. Set the ball of dough in the bowl and turn it about to butter the entire surface of the ball. Drape the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel and put it in the warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour to allow the dough to double in volume.
Pour vegetable oil into a deep fryer or large heavy saucepan to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat the oil until it reaches the temperature of 350° on a deep-frying thermometer.
Punch the dough down with a blow of your fist and, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rough rectangle about ¾ inch thick. With a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut the dough into 2½-inch rounds. Gather the scraps into a ball, roll them out as before, and cut out as many more 2½-inch rounds as you can.
Deep-fry the biscuits 3 or 4 at a time for about 5 minutes, turning them once with a slotted spatula so that they become puffed and brown on both sides. As they brown, transfer the biscuits to paper towels to drain briefly, then place them on a heated platter and drape foil over them to keep them warm while you fry the rest. Serve the biscuits hot. Makes about 1 dozen 2½-inch biscuits.
