Bath Oliver Dry English Biscuits

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cookies bars Medium

A thin, pale, crisp unsweetened biscuit with a lightly yeasted dough and pricked surface. It is best known today with cheese. Makes 24 biscuits in about 1 hr 55 min.

Prep 30 min

Cook 25 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 1 hr 55 min

Yield 24 biscuits

Ingredients

Adjust yield

biscuits

2 cups (250 g)all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (30 g)unsalted butter, cold, cubed
¼ oz (3 g)instant yeast
½ tsp (3 g)salt
½ cup (125 ml)whole milk, lukewarm

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Rub the butter into the flour, yeast and salt with your fingertips until it looks like fine crumbs.
Add the warm milk and mix to a stiff dough. Knead 5 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest 1 hour in a warm place.
Heat the oven to 325 F (160 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
Roll the dough out very thin, about 1/16 inch (2 mm). Cut 3-inch (7.5 cm) rounds and re-roll scraps.
Place on the sheets and prick each biscuit all over with a fork.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, turning the biscuits over halfway, until crisp and only pale ivory to light gold. Cool on a rack.

Tips

Roll as thin as you can for a cracker snap.
Prick well so they bake flat.
Do not let them brown deeply; they should stay pale.
Good with mature cheddar or blue cheese.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make bath oliver dry english biscuits?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to chill. The recipe makes 24 biscuits.

How should I store bath oliver dry english biscuits?

Store airtight up to 2 weeks; recrisp in a 300 F (150 C) oven for 5 minutes.

Can I make bath oliver dry english biscuits ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

The Bath Oliver is a plain, dry biscuit credited to Dr. William Oliver of Bath in the 18th century. Serve it with mature cheddar or blue cheese.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.

51 Calories / serving

1.3g Fat

8.2g Carbs

1.3g Protein

0.3g Sugar

Whole recipe (24 servings): ~1224 cal · 31g fat · 197g carbs · 31g protein · 7g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.