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 bowl.
Mix in the baking powder and salt thoroughly.
Add the lard and mix until crumbly.
Gradually add cold water until the mixture is soft.
Roll out the dough to a thick layer and cut into shapes.
Bake
Bake in a preheated 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 main structure that holds the risen biscuit together.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking, lifting the dough so the biscuits rise and become light.
- Lard
- Coats flour particles and, left in pieces, melts to create flaky layers and tenderness.
The step that matters
Add the cold water gradually. Stop as soon as the dough is soft. Overworking develops gluten, which makes biscuits tough. Cold lard kept in pieces melts in the oven and creates flaky layers.
“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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