Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- All-purpose flour 360 g (3 cups)
- Fine sea salt 1 1/4 tsp
- Baking powder 1 tsp
- Cold beef drippings or unsalted butter 120 g (1/2 cup)
- Warm water 160–180 ml (2/3–3/4 cup)
- White vinegar 1 tsp (optional)
- Soft beef drippings or butter 60 g (1/4 cup), for lamination
- Brine: 60 ml warm water + 1/2 tsp salt
- Optional toppings: flaky salt, sesame seeds, cracked black pepper
Do This
- 1. Heat oven to 205°C (400°F). Line 2 baking sheets.
- 2. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder. Cut in cold fat to sandy crumbs with pea-size bits.
- 3. Add 160 ml warm water (plus vinegar), mix to a soft dough; add up to 20 ml more if dry. Rest 20 minutes.
- 4. Roll to 30×40 cm; spread half the soft fat; fold in thirds. Rotate, repeat with remaining fat. Chill 10 minutes.
- 5. Roll to 4 mm (1/8 in). Cut 4 cm (1.5 in) rounds; re-roll scraps once.
- 6. Dock with a fork; brush brine; sprinkle toppings.
- 7. Bake 12–16 minutes until golden with crisp edges. Cool on rack.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic Rio de la Plata flavor: delicately salty, ultra-flaky, and perfect with mate or a swipe of soft cheese.
- Works with beef drippings for a traditional savory edge, or butter for a gentler, dairy-rich profile.
- Simple pantry ingredients and a quick, approachable folding method for beautiful layers.
- Stays crisp, reheats well, and freezes like a dream for last-minute snacks.
Grocery List
- Produce: Optional fresh oregano or chives (garnish)
- Dairy: Unsalted butter (if not using beef drippings); queso fresco or cream cheese for serving
- Pantry: All-purpose flour, fine sea salt, baking powder, white vinegar, sesame seeds, black pepper; beef drippings (grasa de pella) or rendered fat
Full Ingredients
For the Dough
- All-purpose flour: 360 g (3 cups)
- Fine sea salt: 1 1/4 tsp (about 7 g)
- Baking powder: 1 tsp (4 g)
- Cold beef drippings (rendered) or unsalted butter: 120 g (1/2 cup), cut in cubes
- Warm water: 160–180 ml (2/3–3/4 cup), start with 160 ml and add only if needed
- White vinegar: 1 tsp (optional, for tenderness)
For Laminating
- Beef drippings or unsalted butter: 60 g (1/4 cup), soft/spreadable
For Finishing
- Brine: 60 ml (1/4 cup) warm water + 1/2 tsp fine salt
- Optional toppings: 1 tsp flaky salt; 1 tbsp sesame seeds; 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper; 1 tsp dried oregano
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat and set up
Heat the oven to 205°C (400°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Gather a 4 cm (1.5 in) round cutter, a rolling pin, and a fork for docking.
Step 2: Make the dry mix and cut in fat
Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the cold beef drippings or butter. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut and rub the fat into the flour until it looks like coarse sand with visible pea-size bits. Those little pieces are your future flaky layers—avoid overworking.
Step 3: Add liquid and rest the dough
Stir in 160 ml (2/3 cup) warm water and the vinegar (if using) with a fork until shaggy. If the dough seems dry, add up to 20 ml (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) more water, a splash at a time. Turn onto the counter and gently knead just 15–20 seconds to bring it together. Flatten into a 2 cm thick rectangle, cover, and rest 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
Step 4: First fold with fat
Roll the dough to roughly 30×40 cm (12×16 in). Spread half of the soft fat (30 g) over two-thirds of the surface. Fold like a letter (uncovered third over the center, then the covered third over that). Dust off excess flour, rotate 90 degrees.
Step 5: Second fold and brief chill
Roll again to a 30×40 cm rectangle. Spread the remaining soft fat (30 g) over two-thirds. Fold like a letter again. Wrap or cover and chill 10 minutes to firm up, which makes cutting cleaner and layers more defined.
Step 6: Roll thin, cut, and dock
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 4 mm (1/8 in) thick. Cut rounds with a 4 cm (1.5 in) cutter. Gather and re-roll scraps once (re-rolling more can toughen the biscuits). Transfer rounds to the sheets, spacing slightly. Dock each with a fork 2–3 times to prevent puffing.
Step 7: Brush, bake, and cool
Brush lightly with brine. Sprinkle optional flaky salt, sesame, pepper, or oregano. Bake 12–16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway, until deep golden at the edges and the undersides are crisp. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with mate or a smear of queso.
Pro Tips
- For the most delicate layers, keep the dough cool and handle it minimally—visible fat flecks are good.
- If your beef drippings taste very robust, use a 50/50 mix with butter for balance.
- Docking is key: it prevents doming and encourages even crispness.
- Re-roll scraps only once to avoid tough biscuits.
- Extra-crisp finish: after baking, drop the oven to 160°C (325°F) and dry the biscuits for 5 more minutes.
Variations
- All-Butter Bizcochitos: Use only butter for a slightly lighter, dairy-sweet flavor and pale golden color.
- Herbed & Peppery: Add 1 tsp dried oregano and 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper to the dough; finish with sesame seeds.
- Cheesy: Sprinkle 30 g (1/3 cup) finely grated hard cheese (Reggianito, Parmesan, or Sardo) over the dough before the second fold for a subtle cheese layer.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Store completely cooled biscuits in an airtight tin at room temperature up to 5 days. Re-crisp in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 3–5 minutes. Freeze baked biscuits up to 2 months; thaw and re-crisp as above. To make ahead unbaked, cut and dock rounds, freeze on a sheet until solid, then bag. Bake from frozen at 205°C (400°F) adding 2–3 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate per biscuit (1 of 40): 75 kcal; Fat 4.5 g; Carbohydrates 7 g; Protein 1 g; Sodium 120 mg. Values will vary with toppings and exact fat used.
