Beat Biscuits
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
Mix Graham flour with cold water to form a stiff dough.
Beat and shape
Beat the dough with a hammer for 15 to 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into squares and prick the tops.
Bake
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) until done.
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 and body of the dough, with bran and germ adding a nutty flavour.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the flour so its proteins and starches form a stiff, workable dough.
The step that matters
Beating the dough. Repeated beating works air into the stiff dough and develops gluten, which gives the biscuits their blistered, layered, crisp texture. Stopping too early leaves them 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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