Beaten Biscuit--Whole Wheat
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the dough
Measure 1 quart whole wheat flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅓ cup oil, and 1 scant cup ice water.
Rub salt and oil into the flour, add water, and knead until smooth; dough should be very stiff.
Shape and cut
Separate dough into several pieces and put each through a food cutter 6 or 8 times to beat.
If no food cutter, beat with a mallet or rolling pin, or pick apart with thumb and fingers repeatedly until dough snaps when pulled apart.
Shape each piece into a small thick biscuit and make a hole through the center with thumb or finger.
If desired, roll dough ½–1 inch thick, cut with a small round cutter, prick with fork, or cut into squares; rolled thin, cut with a large cutter and prick well to make wafers.
Bake
Bake biscuits thoroughly in a moderate oven.
Optionally replace oil and water with a cup of medium thick cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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. See the original page.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Whole wheat flour (in the method)
- Forms the structure of the dough and absorbs the water to give the biscuit its body.
- Oil
- Adds fat that tenderizes the dough and keeps the biscuit from becoming tough.
- Ice water
- Provides moisture to bind the dough; cold water keeps the fat firm and the texture tender.
- Cream
- Can replace the oil and water, adding fat and moisture for a richer, softer crumb.
The step that matters
Beating the dough. Repeatedly beating or passing the stiff dough through a cutter develops gluten and layers it, so the biscuits become firm and crisp rather than crumbly. Too little beating leaves them short and fragile.
“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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