History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
We’re closing out our first season with a complex, fascinating, and all-around delicious baked good: biscuits! Historian and food anthropologist Deb Freeman is here to teach us about biscuits’ riveting history, discussing their early role in American baking and the way Black bakers’ skill and knowledge have contributed to where biscuits are today. Then, Jessica and David answer your biscuit baking questions in Ask the Bakers, covering everything from the best flour to use for biscuits (with a cameo from our Reasearch & Development kitchen!) and how to pick the right butter. Our producer Rossi Anastopoulo joins the show to share the surprising link between biscuits and basketball in North Carolina, and David and Jessica close out the episode with a Jess-opinion all about biscuits at breakfast and the best recipes they’re baking this week. Follow Deb on Instagram and watch her PBS series, Finding Edna Lewis Read Deb’s piece The rise: a history of American biscuits Read Vonnie Williams’ piece Erika Council’s tips for better biscuits Find our new Buttermilk Biscuit Flour Blend Buttermilk Biscuits recipe What David’s baking this week: Braided Challah recipe What Jessica’s baking the week: Old-Fashioned Cake Doughnuts recipe Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here!
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37:06
It's Time to Talk Sourdough, featuring Amber Eisler
It’s finally time. Today, we’re discussing a topic that produces a lot of confusion, passion, and toast: sourdough. King Arthur’s very own Director of Baking Education Amber Eisler is here to share her considerable expertise. Amber baked in our bakery for five years and has taught at the Baking School for over 15 years, so needless to say, she knows her stuff. First, she and David chat about some of the biggest unexpected pain points bakers run into while making sourdough and how to solve them. Then, Amber sticks around to join Jessica and David for Ask the Bakers, answering your burning sourdough questions. We also have a special treat, a dispatch from our audience sharing the names of their sourdough starters. And, as always, Jessica and David finish up with a spicy (or in this case, sour) Jess-opinion and the recipes they’re baking this week. More on Amber’s Sourdough for Beginners On-Demand Class and the Baking School Visit our Sourdough Savvy shop page for our favorite tools and ingredients Learn more about the Big Book of Bread Amber’s Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe Super Fudgy Sourdough Brownies recipe What David’s baking this week: English Digestive Biscuits recipe Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here!
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34:25
All About Birthday Cake, featuring Cheryl Day and Bronwen Wyatt
Today it’s everybody’s birthday, because we’re talking about birthday cakes with two Southern baking superstars. We’re thrilled to have both Cheryl Day, award-winning cookbook author and former owner of Savannah’s famed Back in the Day Bakery, and Bronwen Wyatt, of Bayou Saint Cakes in New Orleans, join to share their top cake secrets and best tips for beginner birthday cake bakers. In Ask the Bakers, Jessica and David dig into your urgent cake questions, from demystifying the reverse-creaming method to what to do if your cakes keep sinking in the oven. And as always, they close out the episode with a big birthday cake hot take (featuring Jessica’s opiniated protege, our producer Rossi) and the best recipes they’re baking this week. Find Cheryl’s most recent book here: Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking Follow Cheryl on Instagram Follow Bronwen on Instagram and Substack Visit our Cake Made Easy shop page for our favorite tools and ingredients King Arthur’s 2019 Recipe of the Year: Classic Birthday Cake Try the reverse-creaming method with Vanilla Birthday Cake and Tender White Cake Bake Cheryl Day’s Southern Caramel Cake and Old-Fashioned Coconut Cake Find Rossi’s pie book, Sweet Land of Liberty: A History of America in 11 Pies What David’s baking this week: Big and Bubbly Cinnamon Roll Focaccia recipe What Jessica’s baking this week: Mini Pizzas (aka Snacking Pizzas) recipe Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here!
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37:47
A Deep Dive Into Pizza, featuring Dan Richer
Today is all about one of our favorite foods: pizza! Best-selling cookbook author and one of America’s foremost pizza experts Dan Richer stops by the show to share his tips on baking your best pizza at home. Learn about his ideal home oven set up and his tips for nailing your bake. Then listen to David and Jessica answer your biggest pizza questions, from the best way to get a crispy crust to Jessica’s preferred method for reheating pizza. (Spoiler alert: It leaves David shocked.) Finally, they finish up with dueling Jess-opinions about pizza sauces and the recipes they’re baking this week. Recipes and other links from this episode: Find Dan’s book here: The Joy of Pizza Follow Dan on Instagram and visit his James Beard-nominated restaurant Razza in New Jersey Visit our Pizza Perfection shop page for our favorite tools and ingredients Our favorite baking steel: Brod & Taylor Bread Steel King Arthur’s 2020 Recipe of the Year: Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza What David’s baking this week: Giant Hostess Cupcake Cake recipe What Jessica’s baking this week: Peanut Butter Brownies recipe Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here!
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35:31
Perfecting Chocolate Chip Cookies, featuring Zoë François
We’re kicking off our first season by talking about one of the most quintessential American bakes: chocolate chip cookies! Hosts Jessica and David are joined by best-selling cookbook author Zoë François, who talks about the extensive chocolate chip cookie testing she did for her latest book, Zoë Bakes Cookies, as well as the surprising role cookies played in her family history. Then, Jessica and David answer your burning cookie questions in Ask the Bakers, including tips on the best chocolate to use and the necessary tool you need for consistent cookie baking. They close out the episode with a detour into space, Jessica’s soapbox on why warm chocolate chip cookies are actually bad (!), and the recipes they’re baking this week. Recipes and other links from this episode: Find Zoë’s book here: Zoë Bakes Cookies Follow Zoë on Instagram and Substack Zoë’s Smash Cookies recipe (the cover star of her book!) Oatmeal-Date Smash Cookies recipe King Arthur’s 2024 Recipe of the Year: Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies What David’s baking this week: Sesame Wheat recipe What Jessica’s baking this week: Roti Canai recipe Our favorite baking scale: Essential Digital Scale Shop all our chocolate, from chunks to chips Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here!
About Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
Join King Arthur’s Jessica Battilana and David Tamarkin as they explore every corner of the world of baking. Each episode dives deep into a different baked good — its history and lore, tips and tricks, trends and takes — and they'll always leave time to answer baking questions from listeners. Along the way they chat with the best bakers in America to get their expert advice.
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