Jessica Badalana

You know, and they do rise in the oven, but like, they're not, you know, miracle workers.

You know, and they do rise in the oven, but like, they're not, you know, miracle workers.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I'm Jessica Badalana, Staff Editor at King Arthur Baking.

And I'm Jessica Badalana, Staff Editor at King Arthur Baking.

Man, I had a biscuit for breakfast this morning just to get ready for this episode.

Man, I had a biscuit for breakfast this morning just to get ready for this episode.

I was training. I'm always in training.

I was training. I'm always in training.

I'm glad that we're talking about biscuits because I think they're a baked good that seems quite simple. You know, they have a short ingredient list. You see them all over the place. They're sold in canisters in the grocery store, at fast food chains, at higher-end bakeries. But sort of underneath the craggy, flaky, golden crust and between all those layers, biscuits are actually –

I'm glad that we're talking about biscuits because I think they're a baked good that seems quite simple. You know, they have a short ingredient list. You see them all over the place. They're sold in canisters in the grocery store, at fast food chains, at higher-end bakeries. But sort of underneath the craggy, flaky, golden crust and between all those layers, biscuits are actually –

a pretty complicated and fascinating bake. And I don't mean complicated in technique, although that too, and we'll talk about that later in the episode. But also, they're one of the most foundational baked goods in America. I mean, really, you could argue they're one of America's first baked goods.

a pretty complicated and fascinating bake. And I don't mean complicated in technique, although that too, and we'll talk about that later in the episode. But also, they're one of the most foundational baked goods in America. I mean, really, you could argue they're one of America's first baked goods.

And the history of biscuits is particularly intertwined with the skill, knowledge, and contributions of Black bakers in American history. And that's something we're going to be talking about later in the episode. You know, biscuits inspire, as we have discovered in talking about this, a lot of passion. There's so many different styles of biscuits. They're deeply rooted in regional preferences.

And the history of biscuits is particularly intertwined with the skill, knowledge, and contributions of Black bakers in American history. And that's something we're going to be talking about later in the episode. You know, biscuits inspire, as we have discovered in talking about this, a lot of passion. There's so many different styles of biscuits. They're deeply rooted in regional preferences.

I mean, I feel like maybe we're sort of being posers because here we are, two New Englanders talking about biscuits.

I mean, I feel like maybe we're sort of being posers because here we are, two New Englanders talking about biscuits.

I mean, and there are examples of biscuits, you know, here in my home state of Maine, they're the Bakewell biscuits. But then elsewhere you find like the giant cat head biscuits of the South. I just love the name of those, like so named because they're as large as a cat's head, which is such an amazing visual. And, you know, in every style between from fluffy to flaky to craggy to soft and tender.

I mean, and there are examples of biscuits, you know, here in my home state of Maine, they're the Bakewell biscuits. But then elsewhere you find like the giant cat head biscuits of the South. I just love the name of those, like so named because they're as large as a cat's head, which is such an amazing visual. And, you know, in every style between from fluffy to flaky to craggy to soft and tender.