Founded by Jill Nguyễn, Capitol Jill Baking is a neighborhood sourdough microbakery and workshop in the heart of Washington DC.
Makes 8 biscuits, about 145 grams each
Xôi Xéo (Mung Bean Sticky Rice) is the quintessential fall treat from Hà Nội, and is something I crave whenever the leaves change color. These Xôi Xéo biscuits are almost as good as the real things - it’s fragrant, tender, savory, and with the perfect crispy edges. And the best part, you can make them in an hour, and it’s much more forgiving than making the perfect Xôi Xéo.
MUNG BEANS
60 grams peeled mung beans, rinsed Pinch of salt
WET INGREDIENTS
200 grams buttermilk, cold from the fridge 40 grams sourdough starter, discard or active 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) soy sauce or Maggi sauce 1 egg for egg wash
DRY INGREDIENTS
332 grams (2 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour 12 grams (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar 8 grams (2 teaspoons) salt 10 grams (2 teaspoons) baking powder 2 grams (a full ¼ tsp) baking soda ½ tsp turmeric 160 grams butter, cold, grated
AROMATICS
8 grams (about 3 tablespoons) Coastal Purple Shallot 8 grams (about 2 tablespoons) Northern Mountain Garlic, minced 40 grams sweet corn (from the can) A handful (about 5 grams) chopped scallions All of the cooked and cooled mung bean mixture
PREPARE THE MUNG BEANS
Rinse the mung beans and put in a pot with about half a cup of water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, covered, and stir occasionally until the mung bean is tender.
Add a pinch of salt, and use a mortar and pestle to mash the bean into powder-like texture. Feel free to pour out any extra water if the mixture seems wet (it shouldn't be). You can also use a food processor, but don’t worry about completely puree the mixture. A bit of clumps is better in the final product. Let cool.
PREPARE THE DRY AND WET INGREDIENTS
Mix the wet ingredients together until combined. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, feel free to substitute 1:1 with more buttermilk (240g total).
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Add wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Dump the mixture to a work surface and pat into a rectangular. To achieve the flakiest biscuits, do a few envelope folds by folding the top and bottom ⅓ of the dough into the middle and pat down.
Repeat that 2 more times, wrap with cling wrap, then put in the freezer while the oven preheats.
FINISHING
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Take the dough out of the freezer and cut into 8 pieces. Egg wash, top with a pinch of sea salt flakes, and bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes, rotate half way, until the edges are brown. Enjoy warm.
