Maryland Beaten Biscuits

Long before baking powder, Southern and Chesapeake cooks made biscuits rise the hard way: by beating the dough. These Maryland beaten biscuits have no leavening at all. The lift and texture come entirely from air pounded into a stiff flour-and-lard dough with a mallet.

That beating is the whole craft, and it’s a workout. You pound the dough for a good half hour, folding and whacking, until it turns smooth, elastic, and blisters with little air bubbles. That develops the gluten and gives the biscuits their signature dense, crisp, almost cracker-like crunch.

Don’t expect a fluffy, flaky biscuit; that’s not what these are. They bake up small, pale, and hard, made for splitting and stuffing.

Poke each one with a fork before baking so steam escapes and they don’t balloon. Traditionally, they’re served warm, split and filled with thin slices of salty Maryland country ham.

Kitchen Tips

• Beat the dough until it blisters and turns smooth and elastic; that’s what makes a true beaten biscuit.
• No baking powder needed; the air you pound in is the only leavening.
• Dock each biscuit with a fork so steam escapes and they stay flat and crisp.
• A food processor can stand in for the mallet; pulse the dough until it’s smooth and blistered.

Variations

• Serve split with country ham, the classic Maryland pairing.
• Spread with butter and honey or jam for a simpler treat.
• Make them smaller for two-bite party biscuits.