Why This Old-Fashioned Biscuit Method Stuck Around For So Long - Tasting Table

"Beaten biscuits were developed by Southerners during the Civil War era, when supplies to make bread, like yeast and baking soda, were scarce. Instead of relying on these leavening agents, home cooks would mix lard, flour, and milk to create a thick dough, and beat it with a rolling pin or hammer until soft. This process of beating and folding the dough created pockets of air to help it rise while baking."

"Annie Fisher, a daughter of former slaves, popularized beaten biscuits in the early 1900s by selling them through her successful Missouri catering business. Since then, beaten biscuits have remained a popular Southern delicacy. Even with access to all sorts of quick leavening agents and easy ways to make soft bread at home, this old-fashioned method is still beloved by amateur and professional bakers alike."

"The endult is denser than biscuits we've come to know, and you may run the risk of ruining your biscuit dough by overworking it. When done right, though, they're perfect with thick slices of country ham sandwiched in between. Texture and taste differences from regular biscuits"

"Beaten biscuits are typically smaller in size than regular biscuits, and have more of a cracker texture versus a bread or pastry. They aren't as crumbly as traditional biscuits, making them the perfect base for sandwiching meat, butter, jam, or any other delicious ingredients your heart desires. Thanks to the inclusion of lard, most will have a rich flavor similar to that of regular buttery biscuits."

“Biscuit” can refer to different foods, but beaten biscuits are a Southern variety named for the dough-beating process. They originated during the Civil War era when yeast and baking soda were scarce. Cooks mixed lard, flour, and milk into a thick dough, then beat it with a rolling pin or hammer until soft. Beating and folding created pockets of air that helped the biscuits rise during baking. Annie Fisher, a daughter of former slaves, popularized beaten biscuits in the early 1900s through her Missouri catering business. Beaten biscuits remain popular because the method still appeals to bakers, though overworking dough can ruin results. They are smaller, denser, and less crumbly, with a rich flavor suited for sandwiches with country ham, butter, jam, or other fillings.

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