Baking Powder Biscuit
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a very 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 flour into a large bowl.
Thoroughly mix in the baking powder and salt.
Add the lard and mix until crumbly.
Gradually add cold water until the mixture is soft.
Shape and bake
Roll out the dough to a thick layer and cut into biscuits.
Bake in a very hot oven at 400°F (200°C) until golden.
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
- Forms the structure that holds the biscuit together as it bakes.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when heated, helping the biscuits rise and become light.
- Lard
- Coats flour particles to create a tender, flaky texture.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the flour so the dough binds, while keeping fat solid for flakiness.
The step that matters
Add the lard until crumbly. Fat must stay in distinct pieces coated with flour rather than fully blended in. These pockets melt in the oven and create flaky layers, so overworking the mixture produces a dense, tough biscuit.
“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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