History

The Nashville House in Brown County popularized the fried biscuit with apple butter combination from the 1920s onward, drawing weekend visitors from Indianapolis to the Brown County art-colony town. The dish has roots in German-Hoosier farm cooking where leftover dough was fried in lard and served with fruit preserves, and the Bill Knight's Farm apple butter pairing remains the Indiana orchard signature.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 30Hands-on 30 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm whole milk, about 110 F
  • 1 packet active dry yeast, 2 1/4 teaspoons
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, melted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
  • Vegetable oil for deep frying
  • Warm apple butter, to serve

Method

  1. Whisk warm milk, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes, until foamy.
  2. Whisk in the melted shortening, salt and egg. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.
  3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3 to 4 minutes until smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
  4. Punch down the dough, roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1 1/2 inch rounds or squares. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.
  5. Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 360 F.
  6. Fry the biscuits 4 to 5 at a time, 60 to 90 seconds per side, until deep golden and puffed. Drain on paper towels.
  7. Serve immediately, warm, with apple butter on the side for dipping.

Tip from the editors. Don't crowd the pot. The biscuits puff dramatically and need room; cooler oil from overcrowding produces dense, greasy biscuits instead of light ones.

Where to eat fried biscuits and apple butter

Fried biscuits and apple butter in Indianapolis

Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Indianapolis. See where to eat Fried biscuits and apple butter in Indianapolis or the Indianapolis signature dishes guide.

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