Skip to main content
Main

Whole-wheat Biscuit

A simple whole-wheat biscuit made with graham flour, shortening, and liquid, baked until golden.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 6 ingredients
Jump to recipe ↓

Whole-wheat Biscuit

Ingredients

Directions

The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point. The book gives no cooking times either; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.

Prepare the dough

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

  2. In a bowl, combine the graham flour, salt, baking powder, and sweetening (if using).

  3. Add the shortening and mix well.

  4. Gradually add the liquid until the dough is slightly thinner than for plain biscuits.

  5. Return the bran to the mixture after sifting.

Shape and bake

  1. Roll out the dough and cut into biscuits.

  2. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Graham flour
Provides the structure of the biscuit, with bran adding a coarser, nutty texture.
Shortening
Coats flour particles and keeps the biscuit tender and flaky as it bakes.
Baking powder
Releases gas when heated, helping the biscuits rise and become light.
Liquid
Hydrates the flour so it forms a dough that holds together when rolled.

The step that matters

Gradually add the liquid. Whole grain flour with bran absorbs liquid differently from refined flour, so adding it slowly lets you reach a dough that is soft but not sticky or tough.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

You might also like

Tomato SoupTomato Soup526 recipesBrown BreadBrown Bread461 recipesMutton BrothMutton Broth292 recipesYorkshire PuddingYorkshire Pudding264 recipes