Kentucky Beaten Biscuits

Name: Kentucky Beaten Biscuits
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2 cup flour; 1 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Baking powder; 0.25 cup Lard; 0.75 cup Milk

Dense, flaky biscuits made by pounding stiff dough until it blisters, an old-fashioned Kentucky tradition.

🇺🇸United States· Kentucky

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 70 min
Servings: 12
Difficulty: Hard
Calories: 140 kcal

Equipment

•Rolling pin or mallet
•Fork for docking

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 140 kcal
fat: 7
carbs: 16
protein: 3
calories: 140

Instructions

1
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
2
Cut the lard into the flour until the mixture looks crumbly.
3
Stir in the cold milk until a stiff dough forms.
4
Put the dough on a floured counter. Beat it with a rolling pin or mallet for 20-30 minutes, folding often, until smooth, stretchy, and blistered.
5
Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut it into small rounds.
6
Dock the biscuits by poking holes across the top of each one with a fork.
7
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Bake the biscuits for 20-25 minutes until pale golden and crisp.
8
Let the biscuits cool slightly before serving.

Chef's tips

Traditionally, cooks beat the dough with a rolling pin or mallet for 20-30 minutes until it blisters and makes a popping sound. This creates the signature crisp layers. You can also pulse the dough repeatedly in a food processor to save time.

Storage

Store in an airtight tin at room temperature up to 1 week.

Reheating

Warm briefly in a low oven to refresh the crust.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Not beating the dough long enough, which makes the biscuits tough instead of flaky
•Skipping docking (poking holes with a fork), which makes the biscuits puff unevenly