Beaten Biscuit
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
In a large bowl, combine flour, lard, and salt.
Add water gradually until the mixture is stiff.
Work the dough back and forth in a machine for about 10 minutes until it blisters.
Shape and bake
Roll the dough thin and cut into small pieces.
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes.
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
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the main structure of the dough once mixed with water.
- Lard
- Adds fat that tenderizes the biscuit and shortens the gluten network.
- Water
- Hydrates the flour so the dough can form and be worked into a stiff sheet.
The step that matters
Working the dough in the machine. Kneading the stiff dough for about 10 minutes develops gluten and creates the blisters that give beaten biscuits their characteristic layered, crisp texture. Stopping early leaves the dough dense.
“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.
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