Maryland, or Beaten 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.
Make the dough
In a bowl, combine the flour, lard, and salt.
Gradually add cold water until a stiff dough forms.
Work the dough until smooth, then place it on a solid surface.
Beat the dough for 30 minutes or longer without adding more flour.
Shape and bake
Divide the dough into small balls and place them on a baking pan.
Flatten each ball with your hand and perforate with a fork.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 30 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
- Flour
- Forms the structure of the dough once mixed with water.
- Lard
- Adds fat that tenderizes the biscuit and keeps the crumb short.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the flour to bind the stiff dough together.
The step that matters
Beat the dough for 30 minutes or longer. Extended beating develops the gluten and blisters the dough, giving the biscuit its characteristic layered, firm texture. Stopping early or adding flour to ease the work leaves the dough too soft or dense, so the biscuits bake up tough or flat.
“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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