Annie Fisher’s path to fame, ‘paved with beaten biscuits’ from Missouri, was nearly forgotten

Back in the 19th century, before baking powder and other rising agents were ubiquitous, you had to put in some serious elbow grease if you wanted a fluffy, airy dough to emerge from the oven.

One of the most laborious recipes of the era was the iconic Southern delicacy known as the beaten biscuit.

These tender, flaky hardtack rolls were often made by enslaved cooks and domestic servants, who would spend as much as an hour creating delicate layers in the dough by whacking it with everything from a rolling pin to an axe handle.

“A beaten biscuit is a very, very special-occasion dish in some households because it takes a long time to make,” says food columnist Donna Battle Pierce. “There's just nothing any better in the world than a thin slice of country ham on a beaten biscuit.”

And at the turn of the 20th century, the most famous beaten biscuits in Columbia, Missouri, were those made by culinary entrepreneur Annie Fisher — serving her beaten biscuits at a party or dinner was a major hostess flex.