TThis recipe comes from What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking, a rare 1881 cookbook written by Abby Fisher, a formerly enslaved woman whose knowledge was dictated and published at a time when few Black authors were credited in print. The instructions are pretty sparse and assume a level of intuition that was common at the time. Measurements are loose, timing is vague, and yet the method reveals a deeply practiced culinary tradition.
What might make most turn away immediately is the technique: These are not quick biscuits. They are “beat” biscuits, meaning the dough is physically worked and quite literally beaten until it becomes “moist and light.” Before baking powder was common, this kind of labor was used to replace chemical leavening. It is equal parts baking and endurance, and honestly, a little bizarre by today’s standards. The idea that you are expected to beat dough into submission until it transforms feels almost absurd now, but it works!
Give it a go today if you have a little frustration to burn off, beating the dough for about 15 to 20 minutes until it feels elastic, then bake in a very hot 425°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
