Week 26: Devil's Teeth Baking Co

50 States of Biscuits California-

Devil’s Teeth Baking Co.

by Keia Mastrianni

The first time I stumbled upon Devil’s Teeth Baking Co., I was visiting my best friend who had just made the cross-country move to San Francisco. She settled in the Outer Sunset, a neighbor-hood just blocks from Ocean Beach on the west side of the city. Known for a relaxed vibe that pulses just a tad slower than the rest of the city, the Outer Sunset is home to families, a large concentration of the city’s vibrant Chinese community, and surfers looking to catch a few waves. 

One morning we strolled down Noriega street to a buzzing storefront. By 8 am, Devil’s Teeth Baking Co. had a line out the door and a handful of locals– parents with strollers, folks dressed for a full workday, and the hip, young set–claimed their space in the parklet out front to sip steaming cups of coffee, and dig into one of the bakery’s handmade pastries. What caught my eye were the brave, hungry souls tackling one of the most massive breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever seen. Devil’s Teeth offers one breakfast sandwich, which is more than enough. Comprised of the bakery’s famous buttery biscuit (which is the size of a boxer’s fist), two scrambled eggs, melted cheddar cheese and thick slices of bacon, it is a sight to behold. Once you devise your strategy for eating this colossal sandwich, it’s over. You will be compelled, as if by an unseen hand, to eat the entire thing. Don’t fight it. 

Devil’s Teeth Baking Co. opened in February 2011 by Hilary Passman, a former lawyer turned baking goddess. She began baking from home, selling pastries wholesale, but soon outgrew her home kitchen and needed a brick and mortar. She settled on Noriega Street, between 45th and 46th Avenue, where she opened Devil’s Teeth. Named after the craggy Farallon Islands just off the coast of San Francisco (nineteenth century sailors nicknamed the islands “the Devil’s Teeth”), she opened the bakery with no sign or telephone number. But people found her, and the neighborhood welcomed a place to grab a quick meal. At the bakery, you’ll find incredible cinnamon rolls, an assortment of muffins, and giant cookies, in addition to simple breakfast and lunch items. But it’s Passman’s giant flaky biscuit, crisp and buttery on the outside, with a tender interior, that has won the hearts of locals and tourists alike. Though I call the East Coast home, this biscuit is worth a cross-country trip.