Seabiscuit

Cold Water Biscuits (aka Beaten Biscuits)

Ingredients

• 1 pint (2 cups) water
• 1 teacup (3/4 cup) lard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Enough plain flour to make a dough, approximately 8-10 cups

Instructions

1. To the pint of water, add the salt to dissolve. 
2. In a very large bowl, place flour and make a well in the center. Add the lard to the well and begin to pull flour into the lard, working in circular motions until the flour and lard are mixed and resemble coarse cornmeal. Make a well again in the mixture. There should still be plain flour around the sides of the bowl. Add the salted water to the well of the lard and flour mixture. Begin working in circular motions again to work the flour into the water. When it comes together and no longer pulls flour from the sides, turn the dough out onto a dough board or counter. 
3. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes. The dough will become very smooth, with no dry flour visible. The dough will be tacky, but not sticky.
4. Next, begin to beat the dough with a rolling pin or large flat hammer. Beat the dough for about 60 minutes, folding and turning the dough about once a minute, and beat down again. The dough will become very elastic. It is sufficiently worked when the dough blisters and makes a snapping or popping sound when beaten.
5. Roll or pat out to a 1-inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter, place on a baking sheet, and prick the top of each biscuit with a fork 3 times.
6. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Serve warm with country ham pieces or bacon. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.