Baking Powder Biscuit
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the dough
Sift the baking powder through the flour.
Rub in the lard and salt.
Stir in the cold water with a spoon.
If the dough is too soft to roll out, flour the board well.
Shape and bake
Roll out the dough.
Cut into shapes.
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the main structure that holds the biscuit's shape as it bakes.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when moistened and heated, lifting the dough so the biscuits rise.
- Lard
- Coats flour particles and forms pockets that make the biscuits tender and flaky.
The step that matters
Stir in the cold water with a spoon. Cold water keeps the fat in solid pieces, which create flaky layers as they melt in the oven. Stirring gently and only until combined limits gluten development, which would otherwise make the biscuits 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.
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