Week 13: August First

Vermont is an irrefutably beautiful state. The sunrises, the sunsets, the flowers, the snow, the foliage, the landscapes alone show off thousands of colors at any season of the year. Now, we are not about to show you 27 photos that are going to make you want to move to Vermont stat, but we are going to ask, have you ever wanted to live in Vermont?

Well, a bakery in Burlington is so warm and welcoming with its home away from home atmosphere, you may want to take residency. As soon as you step into the renovated garage that the bakery took root in, with its open layout so you can see their bakers in their natural habitat, baking, you will want to move in right away.

Sounds great doesn’t it? And we haven’t even gotten started on their biscuits, the best biscuits of the entire state.

There’s something you should know about these Vermont biscuits. They are so sweet and plentiful they basically grow on trees. That’s because, though biscuits are always the star of the show, their leading lady is the sweet magic that is Vermont Maple Syrup. So, when you go to August First to try the best biscuits they have to offer, you aren’t just getting a plain ole biscuit, you’re being brushed with greatness.

Manager, Charlotte Doggett, divulges this greatness, “what truly takes the maple biscuit above and beyond the rest, is the touch of Vermont Maple Syrup that goes into every biscuit, as well as the golden maple glaze that is brushed onto every biscuit, while they're still piping hot out of the oven.” It’s okay, we are imagining and drooling over the idea too.

If that didn’t do it for you, then maybe the most popular biscuit at this popular bakery will get you going. Meet the meat,

a sausage egg and cheese on the maple biscuit. According to Charlotte the meat is “local VT Smoke and Cure Sweet Italian Sausage, that we patty ourselves, topped with Cabot Cheddar and a fresh scrambled egg. When combined with a butter-toasted Maple Biscuit, this breakfast sandwich is irresistible!” And irresistible they are.

So, what we have learned about Vermont so far: it’s beautiful, it’s sweet, and it’s home to the biscuits that take on those first two characteristics. This Vermont bakery understands something about biscuits. Just as their name suggests, named after the Vermont poet, Hayden Carruth’s poem, “August First”, their biscuit making abilities are poetic. And just like the great Vermont poet, Charlotte describes the amazing scene of how August First biscuits get made,

 “After much trial and error, our bakers have perfected the technique and recipe that creates an outstandingly flaky and golden brown biscuit every time. The key to the perfect biscuit is all about the butter. Our bakers create a dry mix first. They then grate COLD butter into the dry mix. The cold butter, is a very important step--as the biscuits bake in the oven, the layers of cold butter slowly melt, creating those flaky layers that biscuit lovers crave. The next step is to fold in buttermilk and maple syrup, kneading the dough until the perfect texture is created, while being careful not to over-mix (nobody likes a flat biscuit!). Once the biscuits are cut into their lovely biscuit shapes, a quick egg wash is applied to the top, ensuring that golden brown crust that makes our biscuits so beautiful. When they're baked to perfection, the final touch is a quick brushing of maple syrup, while they're still hot out of the oven. This is what gives our biscuits that great sweet and savory flavor!”

Our mouths are watering and I minds are wandering all the way to Vermont and how fast we can get there. August First, where traditionally good baking is in a traditional setting. Something else that sets August First apart from the rest. A couple years ago this bakery implemented a new rule, no laptops. In today’s world this may sound crazy, but it’s actually a relief. Come to August First for a mini vacation from your screen and some good ol’ bread company, until the day you die.

Just chew on that when you are thinking about moving to Vermont, and make sure you go to August First where they will treat you right because they always treat their biscuits right. "The perfect biscuit should taste like it was shaped by hand with love and care, only to be devoured in just a few mouth-watering bites."