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.
Mix 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 biscuits, and 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
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the main structure as its proteins form gluten when mixed with water.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when moistened and heated, lifting the biscuits as they bake.
- Lard
- Coats flour particles and keeps layers short and tender, giving a flaky texture.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the flour to form the dough while keeping the fat firm.
The step that matters
Stir in the cold water with a spoon. Mix only until the dough just comes together. Overworking develops gluten, which makes biscuits tough, and warm dough softens the lard, which reduces flakiness.
“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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