Beaten biscuits are a baked good associated with the Southern
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, dating from the 19th century. They differ from regular American soft-dough
biscuits
A biscuit is a Flour, flour-based baked food item. Biscuits are typically hard, flat, and Unleavened bread, unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing (food), icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also ...
in that they are more like
hardtack
Hardtack (or hard tack) is a type of dense Cracker (food), cracker made from flour, water, and sometimes salt. Hardtack is inexpensive and long-lasting. It is used for sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly during long sea voyage ...
. In
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
they are called "sea biscuits",
as they were staples aboard
whaling ships
A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales.
Terminology
The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Jap ...
.
Beaten biscuits are also historically associated with Maryland cuisine.
Characteristics and preparation
The dough was originally made from flour, salt, sugar, lard, and cold water. Modern recipes may add baking powder. They are beaten with a hard object or against a hard surface. It is pricked with a fork prior to baking and cut smaller than a regular biscuit.
The prepared dough is baked at for 20 minutes until tops are golden brown, but some bakers prefer a crisp, white biscuit that is baked with no browning.
How long the biscuits are beaten varies from one recipe to the next, from "at least 15 minutes"
to "30 to 45 minutes."
The beating these biscuits undergo is severe: they are banged with a "rolling pin, hammer, or side of an axe";
or they are "pounded with a blunt instrument...
ven
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It comprises an area of , and its popul ...
a tire iron will do...Granny used to beat 'em with a musket";
one book "instructs the cook to 'use boys to do it'"—that is, beat the biscuits vigorously—"at least 200 times".
''
Smithsonian Magazine
''Smithsonian'' is a magazine covering science, history, art, popular culture and innovation. The first issue was published in 1970.
History
The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life'' magazine ...
'' stated that "the 'prolonged and violent' work was often relegated to
enslaved cooks". Besides ensuring the proper texture for the biscuit, "this beating also serves to vent the cook's weekly accumulation of pent-up frustrations."
Uses
These biscuits were traditionally used in "ham biscuits", a traditional Southern
canapé
A canapé () is a type of starter, a small, prepared, and often decorative food, consisting of a small piece of bread (sometimes toasted) or cracker, wrapped or topped with some savoury food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite.
N ...
, where they are sliced horizontally and spread with butter, jelly,
mustard and filled with pieces of
country ham
A country is a distinct part of the Earth, world, such as a state (polity), state, nation, or other polity, political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, List of states with limited r ...
, or used to sop up gravy or syrup.
They are sometimes considered "Sunday biscuits" and can be stored for several months in an airtight container.
Beaten biscuits were once so popular that special machines, called biscuits brakes, were manufactured to knead the dough in home kitchens.
A biscuit brake typically consists of a pair of steel rollers geared together and operated by a crank, mounted on a small table with a marble top and cast iron legs.
Due to extensive work required to make beaten biscuits, they grew steadily less popular until the advent of modern household appliances, including the
Food processor
A food processor is a kitchen appliance used to facilitate repetitive tasks in the preparation of food. Today, the term almost always refers to an electric-motor-driven appliance, although there are some manual devices also referred to as "food ...
, which made them considerably easier to make. Ham biscuits are still widely found in the United States but are often made with standard
biscuits
A biscuit is a Flour, flour-based baked food item. Biscuits are typically hard, flat, and Unleavened bread, unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing (food), icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also ...
or dinner rolls.
See also
*
List of American breads
This is a list of American breads. Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history it has been popular around the world and is one of humanity's oldest foods, having been of importa ...
*
List of regional dishes of the United States
*
Annie Fisher's "old Missouri style"
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaten Biscuit
American breads
Cuisine of the Southern United States
Quick breads
Soul food
New England cuisine