An oven is one of the most important things you need to do baking, preparing desserts, snacks, biscuits, etc. There might also come a time when your oven might stop working, or you’re facing technical issues with it.
In a time like this, baking something might seem like a challenging task. Especially when it is about biscuits. Without an oven, you might think that biscuits are impossible to make.
But that is not the case. If you’re skeptical about how to make biscuits without an oven, we’re here to take care of the issue. With some easy options, you can easily make biscuits without an oven, and they’ll taste the same!
Making Biscuits without Oven
There are different alternatives to making biscuits without an oven. Some other options might not work for specific categories of biscuits, while some will not deliver the best results. Either way, you will need methods that will yield precisely similar products like an oven.
Here are some methods which will work for most biscuit categories and give a finish precisely like the one you get freshly made from the oven.
Method 1: Baking in a Cast Iron Pan
If you have a cast-iron pan at home, you can try this method out and make your butter biscuits ready in 20-30 minutes easily. It is one of the easiest ways to make biscuits without using an oven. Here are some easy steps on making biscuits using an iron pan-
Step 1: Start by Preparing the Cast Iron
Brush some oil or butter to the pan. It will prevent the biscuits from sticking hard to the bottom or burning completely.
And it would be best if you also brushed the sides of the pan in case the biscuits come in contact with side surfaces during inflation. Brushing the bottom and sides of the pan will also ensure easy removal of the biscuits while maintaining their form.
Step 2: Pre-Heat Your Pan
Next, pre-heat your pan for 10 minutes at a medium flame or 15 minutes on a low flame. Check whether the pan is heated moderately before putting your biscuits in.
Pre-heating will ensure that the biscuits cook at the correct temperature. Use mitten gloves before putting the biscuits in, and while taking them out as the sides of the pan are going to be very hot by this time.
Step 3: Spread the Biscuits
Spread the biscuits a little far from each other as they might swell up and get adhered to the biscuits alongside each other. Place the biscuit tray at the bottom of the pan, carefully avoiding contact with the sides as much as possible.
Step 4: Cover the Pan
Use a large lid, something more extensive than the pan itself, or a big aluminum foil sheet to cover the pan entirely. If any space remains without covering, it might allow air inside the pan and alter the baking of the biscuits. So, make sure that you’ve sealed the pan entirely.
Step 5: Waiting Period
Wait for approximately 20 minutes for the biscuits to cook thoroughly. Avoid opening the lid now and then or even doing a little peak. It will resist proper color to appear on the biscuit surfaces and release heat from the sealing.
For adequate browning of the biscuits and adequate cooking, leave the pan in a sealed way for 20 minutes approximately.
Take the lid out after 20 minutes, and you can see how the biscuits smell and look precisely how freshly baked ones from the oven look.
This is one of the most useful methods to make biscuits at home, and the result is appealing to the eyes. You can try this method for making butter biscuits, cookies, scone biscuits, and even shortbread biscuits at home. It will work effectively for any biscuit recipe.
Method 2: Frying the Biscuits in a Pan
Of course, cast iron pan baking is an excellent method, but you achieve similar consistency in another way. This method is pan-frying the biscuits. It is a similar method to the previous one, but the results are a tad bit different. You can try this method out if you’re looking for crunchier and crispier biscuit making methods.
And you can make biscuits using this method in the following way-
Step 1: Use Butter or Oil
Start by using an adequate amount of butter or oil, depending on the number and size of your biscuits.
Using butter is a better alternative to oil because it forms a unique flavor to the biscuits and adds a similar texture to those made in ovens. Choose a frying pan or a skillet, whatever suits you best, and add butter or oil to start frying your biscuits.
Step 2: Heat up the Oil or Butter
Turn the heat of the stove to a medium-low flame and let the oil or butter heat up for a minute or two. Try keeping the temperature as low as possible to avoid burning the crust of the biscuits.
Step 3: Make the Biscuits of Proper Sizes
Make appropriate sizes of biscuits to fit in the pan or skillet and keep them at distances from each other to avoid adherence. Avoid flattening them a lot; otherwise, you won’t be able to fry them properly.
Step 4: Fry the Biscuits
Fry the biscuits for 7-10 minutes on each side. Observe the biscuits during frying to avoid too much of a hard crust. When they look crispy, turn the sides. Also, make sure that the outer crusts retain a golden-brown color. Frying for 10 minutes at most results in a beautiful golden color.
When they look crispy and ready enough, you can place them on a plate with tissues to soak the excess oil. This will ensure that the biscuits are crunchy but not too oily due to the frying. It is an excellent method to enjoy biscuits with a crisp exterior but a soft interior.
Method 3: Using a Pressure Cooker
Another way to make biscuits without an oven is to use a pressure cooker. This also results in creating soft and crunchy biscuits, similar to previous methods. You can make biscuits in a pressure cooker in the following way-
Step 1: Spread Salt inside the Cooker
Take a pressure cooker and spread a thick one-inch layer of sand or salt inside. Use a stand of any kind to raise the height inside the range.
Step 2: Pre-Heat the Cooker
Pre-heat the cooker with the sand or salt inside for 5-10 minutes on a medium-high flame.
Step 3: Prepare the Pan
Take a medium-sized biscuit pan that will fit the pan and brush with melted butter or oil. Place the biscuits on the pan and keep it inside the pressure cooker and avoid contact with the bottom since it will be scorching. You can use tongs for this purpose.
Step 4: Bake the Biscuits
Close the pressure cooker without any weight or gasket. Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes and take them out once they turn light brown.
Once the bottom starts obtaining color, switch off the cooker. Keep the biscuits inside for a few minutes to get the heat inside and take them out once they turn deeper in color.
In this way, you can enjoy biscuits by making them in a pressure cooker as well.
Conclusion
On the whole, making biscuits can be pretty challenging, mainly if you’re accustomed to oven baking only. But the discussed methods can result in a great experience as an alternative to oven baking. So, if you’re looking for ideas on how to make biscuits without an oven, our methods can be pretty useful for you.