Beaten Biscuits

Name: Beaten Biscuits
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 3 cup All-purpose flour; 1 tsp Salt; 0.5 cup Lard; 0.75 cup Milk; 1 tsp Sugar

Dense, flaky old-fashioned biscuits made by repeatedly beating a stiff dough to create their signature texture.

🇺🇸United States· Tennessee

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 12
Difficulty: Hard
Calories: 140 kcal

Equipment

•Rolling pin
•Baking sheet

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 140 kcal
fat: 6
carbs: 18
protein: 3
calories: 140

Instructions

1
Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar together.
2
Cut in the lard until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
3
Pour in the cold milk slowly to form a very stiff dough.
4
Put the dough on a floured surface. Beat with a rolling pin for 20-30 minutes, folding and turning often, until smooth and blistered.
5
Roll the dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut it into small rounds.
6
Poke each biscuit several times with a fork.
7
Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes until pale golden.
8
Let the biscuits cool before serving.

Chef's tips

Beat the dough with a rolling pin for the full 20-30 minutes, folding constantly, until it turns smooth and blisters. This creates crisp, flaky layers. Poke each biscuit with a fork before baking to keep it from puffing up too much.

Storage

Store in an airtight container up to a week; beaten biscuits keep notably well.

Reheating

Warm briefly in a low oven if desired, though they are traditionally eaten at room temperature.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Not beating the dough long enough, which makes it dense and tough instead of flaky and crisp
•Rolling the dough too thick, which stops the biscuits from baking evenly all the way through