K-1 Defense Biscuits
The rectangular biscuits that were the staple of the WWII K Ration
City/Region: United States of America
Time Period: 1942
The K Ration was three boxes: breakfast, dinner, and supper. Originally designed for paratroopers, they were full meals that required no heating, and while they were only intended to be eaten for up to three days at a time, they were sometimes eaten for weeks or months on end.
The instructions have very specific measurements for the biscuits, and misshapen ones were unacceptable. Manufacturers used molds to make perfectly uniform biscuits that could be packed tightly into boxes, but there’s no need to be so precise with a homemade version.
The instructions also say that the biscuits should have a “characteristically appetizing flavor”, which I must assume all manufacturers failed to produce. The biscuits are bland, and the kindest thing to be said about them is that they taste very healthy. I could see eating one or two with little difficulty, but having them be the bulk of your meal for months would be a trial.
“Type I, K-1. Shall be prepared in accordance with best commercial practice from ingredients in the following proportions:
Whole Wheat Flour . . . 73 pounds
Wheat Flour . . . 103 pounds
Soybean Flour . . . 100 pounds
Fine Cut Oat Meal . . . 70 pounds
Whole Eggs . . . 112 pounds
Dried Skim Milk . . . 70 pounds
Sugar . . . 24 pounds
Molasses . . . 12 pounds
Shortening . . . 114 pounds
Ammonium Bicarbonate . . . 3 pounds
Salt . . . 3-3/4 pounds
Cinnamon . . . 9 ounces
Moisture content of the finished product shall not exceed 7 percent.”
Ingredients:
- 73 g whole wheat flour
- 103 g all purpose flour
- 100 g soybean flour
- 70 g fine cut oatmeal
- 70 g dried skim milk
- 24 g sugar
- 3 g ammonium bicarbonate, or baking soda
- 4 g salt
- .5 g cinnamon
- 112 g whole eggs, about 2 large eggs
- 12 g molasses
- 114 g shortening
*I’ve used grams only here to measure in order to accurately follow the amounts listed in the original recipe.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk them together.
- Mix in the eggs, molasses, and shortening. I melted the shortening to make it easier to work into the dough, but I’m not sure if that was the best idea. If you make these with solid shortening, let me know how it goes in the comments.
- Work the dough in the bowl until it starts to come together, then turn it out and knead. It is quite dry and will be crumbly, but keep kneading it and it will come together and become smooth. Another note on this is that I kept washing my hands, which added a bit of moisture to the dough as I kneaded, so I’m not sure how much of an effect that had on the dough’s texture.
- Roll the dough out 5/12-inch thick, then cut into rectangles 3 3/16-inches long and 1 3/16-inches wide. Since we’re not working in a factory and these biscuits aren’t being packed up for troops in very specifically sized boxes, it’s okay if your biscuits aren’t perfectly to specification.
- Transfer the biscuits to an unlined baking sheet and poke holes in them so they don’t puff up too much. I did a grid of about 21 to 24 holes.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Let them cool, then serve them forth.