On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1039

Quickbreads: Biscuits, Biscotti, Scones Quickbreads are appropriately named in two ways: they are quick to prepare, being leavened with rapid-acting chemicals and mixed briefly to minimize gluten development; and they should be quickly eaten, because they stale rapidly Batter breads are moister, richer, and keep longer (p 554) The term biscuit is an ambiguous one It comes from the French for “twice-cooked,” and originally referred to breads and pastries that were baked until dry and hard The Italian hard cookies called biscotti remain true to this heritage; they’re lean doughs leavened with baking powder, baked in flattish loaves, then cut crosswise into thin pieces and rebaked at a low oven temperature to dry them out French biscuits proper, and English biskets, were long-keeping sweets, small bread-like loaves made from foamed egg whites, flour, and sugar To this day in England, the word is used for little sweet dry cakes, what Americans call cookies Modern French biscuits are dryish cakes made from egg foams, usually moistened with a flavored syrup or cream Biscuits became something entirely different in America, and early in its history (see box below) American biscuits contain no sugar and often no eggs, are made from a moist dough of milk or buttermilk, flour, pieces of solid fat, and baking soda, and are cooked briefly into a soft, tender morsel There are two styles: one with a crusty, irregular top and tender interior; another with a flat top and flaky interior The first is made with minimal handling to avoid gluten development, the second with just enough folding and kneading to develop a structure with alternating layers of dough and fat The simple recipe and short cooking mean that the flavor of the flour itself is prominent English scones are similar to American ... different in America, and early in its history (see box below) American biscuits contain no sugar and often no eggs, are made from a moist dough of milk or buttermilk, flour, pieces of solid fat, and baking soda, and are... pieces of solid fat, and baking soda, and are cooked briefly into a soft, tender morsel There are two styles: one with a crusty, irregular top and tender interior; another with a flat top and flaky interior The first is made... with minimal handling to avoid gluten development, the second with just enough folding and kneading to develop a structure with alternating layers of dough and fat The simple recipe and short cooking mean that the