Soda and Cream of Tartar Biscuit

Ingredients

• 1 quart sifted flour
• 2 fall teaspoonfuls cream of tartar
• 1 even teaspoonful salt
• 1 even teaspoonful soda, measured after pulverizing
• 1 large tablespoonful butter
• Milk to make a very soft dough

Method

1. 1

   Mix in the order given, sifting the soda, salt, and cream of tartar into the flour.

2. 2

   Sift all together twice.

3. 3

   Rub in the butter with the tips of the fingers until there are no large lumps.

4. 4

   Gradually mix in the milk, using a broad knife.

5. 5

   When just stiff enough to be handled, cut through with a knife until barely mixed.

6. 6

   Turn out on a floured board, pat with a rolling-pin, cut into rounds, and bake at once.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated from matched ingredients across 3 servings.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Mrs. Lincoln's Boston cook book (1884) by Lincoln, Mary Johnson Bailey "Mrs. D. A. Lincoln,", page 55. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Soda and Cream of Tartar Biscuit. 1 quart sifted flour. 2 fall teaspoonfuls cream of 1 even teaspoonf ul salt. tartar. 1 even teaspoonful soda, meas- 1 large tablespoonf ul butter, ured after pulverizing. Milk to make a very soft dough : new-process flour will take a pint or more ; St. Louis flour, less. Mix in the order given, sifting the soda, salt, and cream of tartar into the flour. Then sift all together twice. E-ub in the butter with the tips of the fingers, until there are no large lumps. Mix in the milk gradually, using a broad knife and wetting only a small part of the flour with each addition of the milk. When just stiff enough to be handled (not kneaded) , cut it through with the knife until barely mixed ; it should look spongy in the cuts and seem full of air. Turn it out on a well-floured board ; toss with the knife till well floured ; touch it with the hands as little as possible ; pat it with the rolling-pin, which must be lifted quickly that it may not stick ; and when the dough is about half an inch thick, cut it into rounds and bake at once. To make Twin Biscuit^ roll the dough out less than half an inch thick, cut into rounds, spread with softened but- ter, and put two together, and bake ten or fifteen minutes. Baking-Powder Biscuit. These are made in the same way as the preceding, using three rounding teaspoonfuls of baking-powder in place of soda and cream of tartar. Sour Milk Biscuit. These should be made the same as cream of tartar bis- cuit, using one pint of thick sour milk instead of sweet milk, and omitting the cream of tartar. Observe the same directions as to lightness and dexteritj^ in mixing, and vary the amount of milk according to the flour. 84 The Boston Cook Booh. Whole- Wheat or Rye Biscuit (with Soda). 1 cup whole- wheat or rye flour. 1 teaspoonful cream of tartar. 1 cup white flour. 1 tablespoonf ul sugar. 3^ teaspoonful salt. 1 teaspoonful melted butter. % teaspoonful soda. Milk enough to make a drop batter (about one cup). If sour milk be used, omit the cream of tartar. Mix in the order given, and bake in hot gem pans twenty or thirty minutes. Cream BiKSCuit. When using sweet cream, make the same as cream of tartar biscuit; and when using sour cream, the same as sour-milk biscuit, omitting the butter in either case. Any of these mixtures may be baked in gem or muffin pans by using more milk, and making the dough soft enough fo drop from the spoon. Short Cakes, No. 1. 1 pint sifted flour. 3^ teaspoonful salt, scant. 3^ teaspoonful soda, measured after pulverizing. 1 full teaspoonful cream of tartar (

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.