Week 11: Biscuit Head

Most people could agree that Asheville is a really hard town not to love. Not only is it surrounded by the most beautiful mountains in the southeast (yes, we're a little bit biased), but it's overflowing with particularly unique music, bars, and (most importantly) restaurants. This well-known mountain city has been widely raved about for its innovative and humble claim to Southern food fame, and it just so happens that past International Biscuit Festival alumns Jason and Carolyn have dedicated their careers to providing our favorite Southern food – biscuits, of course!

About to turn the ripe age of three, Biscuit Head has two locations; both of which are consistently crowded and overcome with breakfast-loving locals and tourists alike. Lovers (and magicians, we'd stretch) of anything breakfast related, Jason and Carolyn have cultivated some of the most impressive biscuit sandwiches we've ever seen, offering flights of homemade gravy as well as an exotic jam bar.

Being largely focused on the importance of strong community, they source all their beef locally and “strive to have a restaurant with as light of a carbon footprint as possible,” meaning they make everything either recyclable or compostable.

According to Jason, “A Biscuit Head biscuit is special because they're made fresh and served hot and still crispy right from the oven. They're being made to order throughout the day and are always at their prime. We serve 'cathead' biscuits, which are large drop style biscuits, but we also use our own blend of flours to create the perfect texture.

He continues, “I believe biscuits to be all about balance. Balance in flavor, a balance in textures – even a cultural balance.”

Outside of any typical cathead biscuit recipe, Jason offers a quick butter tip: Using chilled and cubed butter, “cut” it in just before the buttermilk. “Why do we blend in butter this way? Well, as the biscuit dough cooks and the butter is melted inside the dough, steam is released from the fat itself. This steam and the fat’s ability to produce it help the biscuit dough rise and also give the biscuit its signature flakiness, lightness, and moisture.” Thanks, Jason!

Because Jason and Carolyn know any delicious biscuit can be complemented with any kind of gravy, they've kindly offered us the recipe to Biscuit Head's homemade Red Eye Gravy!

Jason offers a quick history lesson in the popular sauce, “Red Eye Gravy has its roots in the Great Depression when the recipe was created with resourcefulness in mind. It was quick and easy to make and used leftover coffee and the cured ham that was able to last without refrigeration. If you’re not already familiar with it, Red Eye is thin, almost the consistency of Au Jus, because it's not thickened with flour like many other gravies. The traditional base is country ham and coffee, but we like to add molasses, onion, and garlic to create a brighter, more balanced flavor. This is the easiest of all gravies to make and in our opinion, still one of the best. We love the intense salty flavor, the way it soaks into a biscuit, and many swear by its ability to cure a hangover!”

Red Eye Gravy

Serves four—or one very hungry man

4 cups of your favorite coffee old coffee is fine 

¼ cup water 

3 ounces chopped country ham

1/2 cup onion diced 

1 teaspoon garlic minced 

2 tablespoons molasses 

In a medium sized cast iron skillet, combine the country ham and water. Turn on the heat to medium and let the mixture start to warm. Continue to cook the ham over medium heat until all the water has evaporated from the pan--in effect rendering the fat. Once the water is cooked out, let the ham crisp a little in its own fat.

Add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté until it starts smelling amazing, but not long enough to brown. Add the molasses, stirring until it reaches a slight bubble. Add the coffee, bring back up to a simmer, and it's ready to serve! 

Jason adds, “country ham has a very distinct flavor that is not easily substituted with any other product. Check with your local butcher or online for this product, but if you absolutely can't get it and need a substitution you can use prosciutto. Just don't tell your Southern friends!”

When visiting Asheville, we urge you to visit this biscuit haven to satisfy your southern needs. Biscuit Head not only thrives in popularity, but also provides what this world needs more of – love (with honest ingredients), of course.

Biscuit Head

733 Haywood Rd

West Asheville, NC 28806

828. 333. 5145

&

417 Biltmore Ave, Ste 4F

Asheville, NC 28801

828. 505. 3449

Week 10: Big Mama's Kitchen & Catering

We’ve been all over the states, and we’ve seen our fair share of biscuit specialty shops. And while we love the biscuit fanatics and their dedication to the staple of all southern cuisine, something fantastic is to be said about the restaurants that serve all types of food, and yet, the biscuit stands out. Standing out is actually an understatement for Omaha’s own Big Mama’s Kitchen & Catering. With several run ins with popular food-loving shows, like the Food Network's “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” to name one, and even a show all about Big Mama herself, this kitchen of tasty southern tradition serves up biscuits to battle with the best.

With its mother shop built in a former school building, Patricia Barron, or Big Mama herself, has a lot to teach about old-school comfort food, and our grumbling stomachs have a lot to learn. Considering the three generations in the kitchen, from grandmother to granddaughter, one this is certain, comfort food is about happy bellies and happy family.

Pulling out our notebooks and our ears close, we asked what made Big Mama’s biscuits different from the rest, and with the age old question of shortening versus lard and whole milk versus buttermilk, we were given an answer.

Contesting that “lard, self rising flour, and a painting of real butter after baking makes a truly amazing biscuit” and that you should always use “whole milk instead of buttermilk and using lard instead shortening”, Gladys Harrison, daughter and general manager of Big Mama, was quick to answer. But don’t think your lesson is over, because we also have their biscuit baking process ready for your biscuit education:

Big Mama’s Kitchen & Catering Drop Biscuits

1 cup self-rising flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/4 cup Lard

3/4 – 1 cup milk

4 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 475 °. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well with a fork or for best results use a pastry blender. Cut in the lard. Add ¾ of milk and mix until a thick past is formed add more milk if neccessry. Grease muffin pan or cast iron biscuit skillet. Scoop about ¼ cup of mixture into muffin pans. Paint top of biscuit with butter. Place in oven and bake for 16 minutes or until biscuits are double in size and golden brown. Paint again with butter after removing from oven and let cool (yields 6 biscuits).

But wait, there's more! Once you've mastered the art of Big Mama's original biscuit, you can move on to and even better fan favorite, the Glazed Peach Cobbler Biscuits:

1 cup Self-Rising Flour

1/2 cup of lard

3/4-1 cup whole milk

1 cup chopped peaches, drained

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp baking powder

Mix flour, baking powder, and lard together in a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add milk a little at a time until dough is formed. Add 3/4 cup of peaches, and mix with a spoon. Then, add cinnamon, streaking it through the dough. DO NOT mix well. Scoop 1/4 cup of dough into a biscuit pan, and bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes. Brush each biscuit with melted butter when finished. For the glaze, mix 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of peaches and spoon the mixture onto each biscuit. Serve!

So, if you're ever in the market to get schooled in the art of biscuits and comfort food then visit Big Mama and her whole family right in Omaha, Nebraska. From what we hear, she’s always present and ready to share her food and well-seasoned stories. And as long as she shares biscuits, you know we will be there.

Big Mama's Kitchen & Catering

3223 N 45th St.

Omaha, NE 68104

402. 455. 6262

Week 9: Sweet Cheeks Q

In a surprising twist in the world of biscuits, a place known as Sweet Cheeks in Boston, Massachusetts, has us all wondering, is the South moving North? Heralded as amazing bites of flaky and buttery goodness, these biscuits are enough to get you through the door of Sweet Cheeks and asking for more. And once you’re there, you may notice a hyperbole your little biscuit heart has truly wanted but never seen, buckets o’ biscuits on each table, waiting for you. That’s right, buckets of them.

So how does a restaurant dedicated to barbeque wind up making so much buzz in the biscuit eating world? It’s with this interesting question, and many others in our arsenal, that we turned to Emma Caffrey, manager of Sweet Cheeks, for some answers.

“We make our biscuits fresh every day, we pop them in the oven as soon as they are ordered, and they are only ever served the day that they are made. We also always serve biscuits with our freshly whipped honey butter. Honey butter is a really simple addition, but the two ingredient spread makes the biscuit phenomenal, and a wonderful way to start a meal with us.” Start your meal, end it with, or make the entire meal biscuits - it makes no difference.

Their biscuits are a real showstopper in our book, domineering their own category on the menu. You can have them as a sandwich, a side, and in trays (at this moment we ask you to remember the glory of biscuits by the bucket as we have aforementioned.)

Sweet Cheeks’ biscuits have become so popularly demanded that they have necessitated their own oven dedicated to just biscuit making so that their biscuits can really be on demand.

But what secret can the north harbor about biscuits that can contest with the south? When asked what these well-seasoned biscuit-lovers think makes a truly amazing biscuit, Caffrey gave biscuits the spotlight they truly deserve, “Our biscuits stand out because they lend themselves to both sweetness, with our honey butter, but can also be used to make an impromptu savory sandwich with any of our delectable smoked meats. But for biscuits in general? Just taking the time to make sure that they are being made with care and attention provides a great biscuit”.

Of course, with thoughts of honey butter biscuits dancing in our heads, kneading the recipe to their success is in high demand, and of course very secret. The integrity of the recipe and the biscuit are held closely by the hands that make them daily. However, we do have some insight on how Sweet Cheeks make biscuits to stuff our sweet cheeks. According to Caffrey, “every single step that is involved is done by hand. The mixing, rolling and shaping are all done by our wonderful bakers every day, so we can keep the integrity of the fresh ingredients intact. The only tools we use are the rolling pin and the biscuit cutter. It is a long and difficult process, but ask anyone that has ever had a Sweet Cheeks biscuit: IT IS WORTH IT!”

And worth it, it is. The simple idea of these amazing biscuits are "baking" us crazy. So, if your ever in Boston, put your taste buds first and visit this soon to be national treasure. The south may not be moving to the north but it can definitely be found there in none other than Boston, Massachusetts.

Sweet Cheeks Q

1381 Boylston St

Boston, MA 00215

617. 266. 1300

Week 8: Spoons Cafe

Good morning Baltimore! As many of us know, Maryland is notoriously known for its one-of-a-kind fresh crab cakes. However, to no one’s surprise, their buttermilk biscuit talents prove to be equally as impressive! Through careful research and consideration, we’ve decided to delve into South Baltimore’s Spoons Cafe, known for their uniquely simple biscuit creations as well as being featured in SouthBMore’s Best Of issue as Best Breakfast/Brunch.

Located in Federal Hill, Spoons is a genuine neighborhood café that serves breakfast and brunch all day. 

When we reached out to Spoons co-owner and self-proclaimed biscuit enthusiast Deborah Cogan, she was more than happy to share what gives their biscuits a little extra “umph.”

“Basically, southern biscuits share the same recipe - flour, salt, baking powder, milk and/or buttermilk and some kind of fat. Little tweaks in technique, a particular brand of ingredient, oven temperature, etc, provide the differences and nuances from baker to baker,” she explains. “Our biscuits are special because they’re made from scratch, by hand. No machines are used, except an oven of course.”

Cogan stresses the importance of good ol’ fashioned butter and buttermilk.

“For us, nothing beats butter. We use only unsalted 83% milk fat European style butter. European-style butter contains less water than average table butter which helps create biscuits that rise higher, crisp more evenly and have a flavorful, buttery taste.”

“We don’t skimp on the buttermilk. We use local, fresh buttermilk. Making your own from milk and lemon juice or vinegar just doesn’t cut it.”

Clearly this northern eastern café doesn’t disappoint when it comes to classic southern recipes. Luckily, for those of you who can’t make it to the area any time soon, Deborah has included a detailed, two-day process of the Spoons biscuit technique:

Day 1 - In a very large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. We cut in the cold butter by hand. Then we chill overnight so all of the ingredients are very cold.

Day 2 - Preheat an oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the bowl from the fridge and make a deep well in the center of the bowl. Pour the buttermilk in the well. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet. Once the ingredient have just started to come together, knead the dough 10-15 times.

At this point, let the dough rest for 15 minutes. This allows the flour to properly absorb the moisture.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and dust the dough with flour. Gently pat the dough out until it’s a 1-inch in thickness. Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to push straight down through the dough to cut out circles, try not to twist the cutter. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet, spacing 2-inches apart. Reform the scrap dough into 1-inch thickness, being sure to work with it as little as possible, before cutting out more circles.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with egg wash. Bake the biscuits until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Once you’ve properly made your own Spoons biscuit, don’t forget to add their specialty Smoky Bacon Tomato Jam to complete your ascent to biscuit heaven…

Smoky Bacon Tomato Jam

8 slices bacon, chopped into 1” pieces

1 1/2 cups yellow onions, chopped into small pieces

2 lbs ripe plum or roma tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. Sriracha

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1. Cook bacon in a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onions, stirring, until translucent and softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess bacon grease from pan.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened to a jam-like consistency, about 1 hours.

3.Transfer to a blender and pulse to combine, leaving some chunks. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.

Whether you like your biscuit plain or smothered in a jam that is sure to cause a mild addiction, Spoons has exactly what you want (and need). According to Deborah, “a great biscuit should be buttery, flaky, fluffy and tender but crispy in the right places. But, a truly amazing biscuit is a great biscuit made with heart and a love of the process.”

Spoons Cafe

24 E Cross St.

Baltimore, MD 21230

410. 539. 8395

Week 7: Dottie's Biscuit Barn

The new and exciting trend in the foodservice industry is food trucks. What used to be common sight among construction workers of large box-shaped vehicles selling three different kinds of sandwiches has transformed into gourmet food on demand and just around the corner. However, there being so many corners and so many truck options, the challenge of owning a food truck is assortment of competition, so, what sets one apart from another?

The secret is in the menu! You need novelty and you need a food mission, and with 50 States of Biscuits the niche we found is pretty predictable.

So, greetings from Utah, the state of industry where one specific food truck is in the business of making unbelievable biscuits. Dottie’s Biscuit Barn, found traveling around Utah farmer’s markets, is widely popular among the locals of Salt Lake City and is always rolling out the dough. With offerings such as fresh biscuits and gravy, homemade jams and jellies, and pies the menu is both simple and seasoned.

Andrew (Andy) Walter of Dottie’s Biscuit Barn, no stranger to the restaurant industry, had a simple dream that definitely came to fruition.

“I had been playing around with the idea of creating a unique food cart for several years, always gaining inspiration from visits to cities with thriving food truck scenes like Portland, OR or Boston, MA. Having worked in nearly every capacity within the restaurant industry, from dish washer to GM, I felt confident in running the operations of small cart. We settled on a biscuit focused menu because they are so simple, but when done right, so delicious. We set out to build a something that created a unique aesthetic to match the comfort food we intended to deliver.”

Dottie’s Biscuit Barn has gotten the simple southern treat down to a science by switching the menus weekly and keeping the hungry biscuit eaters happy.

Another secret to Dottie’s Biscuit Barn’s success is the only thing more southern than biscuits: happy family and friends. The very foundation of the Biscuit Barn could not be possible without the support of the community even before Dottie’s opening.

“Using materials found throughout Utah, including friend's old fences and sheds, dairy barns, and windows stored in attics,” explains Andy,  “we built a gambrel style barn on wheels. I was able to get much needed help with architectural renderings, building plans, and man-hours from my wonderful community of friends and family. After a solid spring of hard work and problem solving, Dottie's Biscuit Barn opened in June of 2013 at Salt Lake City's Downtown Farmer's Market.”

This community is arguably what makes them special; what sets them apart. That, matched with the better overall biscuit flavor of butter rather than shortening. It’s what Andy deems as an essential biscuit basic.

“I think there are two things every biscuit should have: butter and buttermilk. There are many biscuit recipes which use shortening, but they tend to deliver a more cake like texture. Shortening is also cheaper and easier to work with. Butter has such a better flavor and when shredded into a flour mixture, creates great texture and pockets of air for the biscuit to rise when baking. We also use real, cultured buttermilk rich in probiotics that we get from another vendor at the markets. They make butter, we get the buttermilk from the process. It's rich in flavor and supports our neighbors! We also use flour from local millers here in Utah.”

These perfect biscuits created by their "better butter" process are key to the biscuit mission Dottie’s Biscuit Barn allocates which is something they never cease to take seriously.

 “Butter.” Said Andy Walter when asked what makes truly amazing biscuits, “just like with pie dough, a 100% butter recipe creates texture and flavor you cannot get from other fats. It allows you to build a tall, layered, golden brown biscuit.”

With a food truck (even when it’s an impressive biscuit theme), the menu can't and shouldn't read like a novel, so everything on it has a unique, memorable name paired with knock-out flavors. Dottie’s Biscuit Barn is no stranger to this concept with fan favorites like their jams and gravies and popular southern sandwich, The Cuddle Pig.

Andy Walter gave a mouth watering description of what goes inside, “It's an open faced biscuit sandwich consisting of a spread of pimento cheese, a fried chicken cutlet, their choice of gravy, a fried egg, and topping of chow chow. It's got sweet and savory flavor balance and very filling.”

And, if you’re the customer that would choose to top it off with gravy, you’re in luck! Dottie’s Biscuit Barn has been gracious enough to supply Fifty States of Biscuits with their amazing Sausage Gravy recipe.

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Sausage Gravy Recipe:

1# fresh ground, 80/20 mix pork (unseasoned)

2 grams fresh sage, finely chopped

1.25 grams rosemary, freshly chopped

2.5 grams dry thyme

2.5 grams fine, ground black pepper

1 gram ground cayenne

2.5 grams red pepper flakes

15 grams kosher salt

1.5 cups lard roux

3 qts whole milk

Begin by making lard roux, use rendered bacon fat and combine with flour. Slowly cook for 3-5 minutes until "nutty" aromas develop. Make a bunch and freeze.

Brown pork in sauce pan, break up large clumps and add all herbs and seasonings just as pork is fully cooked. Add lard roux to sauce pan and quickly pour in milk. Reduce heat to not burn or scald milk. Heat until roux reacts with milk and begins to thicken, whisk mixture to break up any clumps of roux. If too thick, cut with milk and adjust salt and pepper.

Adjust salt and pepper to taste, serve over fresh biscuits!

Makes a gallon, can always freeze leftovers.

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So, if you’re interested in visiting the tasty truck and happen to be in the Salt Lake City area just visit their Facebook page for exact locations!

We are confident this southwestern treat will keep your biscuits buttered (or covered in gravy) until our next stop!

You can find them at the Downtown SLC Farmer’s Market

Salt Lake City, Utah

Look for the barn on wheels!

Week 6: Callie's Hot Little Biscuit

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

Fifty States of Biscuits has been drawing you a map of great biscuits across the US. So, when it came to drawing the food belt that stretched across the South, stretched from both great food and happy bellies, the buckle landed right in Charleston, a hotbed of culinary creations. That being said, of course the official South Carolina biscuit is in the shiny buckle of Charleston, specifically King Street.

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit is exactly what it sounds like, a restaurant devoted to the masterpiece that is the biscuit. Being in the town of Charleston for a short while you are bound to hear whisperings of biscuit talk about this small storefront in the middle of the revitalization of Upper King. What started as a frozen product line available online transformed into the lovely brick-and-mortar space it occupies today.

Callie’s Biscuits realizes the wonder that is Charleston. Carrie Morey, owner of the shop, shows her appreciation and pride of the city by using local ingredients from farms and restaurants. The relationships that result from the food love shared among the inhabitants of Charleston becomes obvious in the biscuit offerings of Hot Little Biscuit.

If you eat at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits, you are essentially tasting Charleston in every bite of that cheese and chive or black pepper bacon or ham biscuit.

That is to say, there is no wrong choice when it comes to Callie’s, and there can never be a wrong choice with specialty biscuits when the basic biscuit itself is amazing. That’s why when asked what makes their biscuits especially special, Alex Rowe, marketing director of Callie’s, emphasized the importance of basics, “At Callie’s Biscuits, we use only the finest ingredients and our favorite tools are our hands. White Lily flour, whole buttermilk, cream cheese and butter combine perfectly to make mouth-watering, fluffy biscuits.”

One of the best biscuit things Callie’s commits to is the personal principle of getting to know the biscuit with your actual hands. That’s homemade. That’s real southern cooking. You can be sure that this is how it’s done every time at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit because the exposed kitchen allows you to watch the staff as they make the hot little biscuits.

If you would like to make your biscuits the way they do at Callie’s behind that marble counter, well you’re in luck because we asked Alex just how it’s done. “We start with our White Lily flour in a large mixing bowl, with our hands we then incorporate the butter and then cream cheese. Then we like to create a well for the buttermilk in the center of our mixture. We love a wet and messy dough! Sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough and all over the workspace and you’re ready to roll out the dough. Using a biscuit cutter, we start from the edges and stamp out the biscuits. We always make sure the biscuits are touching when we place them on the baking sheet—biscuits love each other and this makes them rise perfectly! Finally, we brush the tops with butter, and it’s time to bake. To make sure the biscuits are baked evenly we advise rotating the pan once during the 15-20 minutes in the oven.”

Now that you are aware of the inner workings of the shop and by following that little diagram and are currently considering a career change to biscuit baker at the Hot Little Biscuit, it’s time to switch gears and be the customer. Callie’s biscuits offer seven biscuit choices a day, six consistent classics and one specialty biscuit. According to Alex Rowe, “One can never go wrong with a pair of buttermilk biscuits with savory thyme butter!”, but you may even venture to the store exclusive blackberry biscuit. If you can’t decide, get them all! Or even a bag of freezable biscuits to take home and share with your friends. And if you are very concerned that you may never make it down to Charleston to partake in this glorious opportunity that is Hot Little Biscuit, you can purchase their cookbook, Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions.

However, we strongly suggest getting there in person. If you want lend some love to these happy faces and your future very happy biscuit belly then get down to Charleston and order a biscuit, or twenty.

Callie's Hot Little Biscuit

476 King St, Charleston, SC 29403

843.737.5159

Week 5: Bang Bang Pie & Biscuist

Ever like to repeat yourself? Well at Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits you should repeat repeat yourself everyday with their amazing biscuits! You may have heard of Bang Bang Pies & Biscuits because of their impressively celebrated and awarded pie. But worry not (or really worry if you are pie) because biscuits are stealing the spotlight in a big way.

At Bang Bang, which triples as a small restaurant, bakery, and café, you can enjoy an assortment of biscuits that have you experiencing onamonapia beyond bang bang and put you somewhere in the yummmm and mmmmm region. With offerings such as black pepper honey butter and lavender jam, these ain’t yo’ grandma’s southern biscuits. Hailing in Chicago, Illinois, these Midwestern treats take a different take with their sour cream-based biscuits and, well, how about having Alicia Hauge, Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits Director of Events and Catering, explain,

“Our biscuits are crispy on the outside but delightfully moist and dense on the inside. Also, our biscuits are the size of a tennis ball, rather than a hockey puck, which makes it a perfect base for our biscuit sandwiches!”

Furthermore, in the words of Alicia, “a great biscuit doesn't need anything added, and should always warm the soul.” Which is very true in the minds here at the Biscuit Festival, but you don’t even have to stop there because there are always wonderful things to add to your biscuit, especially at Bang Bang. Get a biscuit sandwich or enjoy the farm goodness of their condiments such as blueberry-red wine compote with citrus zest, Meyer lemon house-churned butter, or vegetarian sawmill gravy. Also, you can add an egg to anything for just $1!

And if you think that sounds good just search the tag BangBangPie on Instagram and feast your eyes and stomachs on the lovely and extremely photogenic biscuits atop their homey checkered plates. Adding to this sweet and savory vibe, you can enjoy your savory biscuits among friends and the vibrant staff.

But don’t be mislead, you won’t find the sweetness anywhere in Bang Bang beyond their pies. Imagine the usual pastel and obviously icing-covered pastry inspired walls of your run-of-the-mill bakery and then forget about it because Bang Bang is obviously not your average bakery. They have captured a perfectly industrial look with exposed brick walls and their cute, catchy signs. Once you order your food, the biscuit, you won’t see a bakery display case, and once you get a food you don’t bring it back to just any table but red picnic tables, in their backyard, fenced in by recycled front doors. Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits has graduated from your average, hometown bakery to the bakery that feels like your hometown-Chicago.

But what are the steps to making Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits your hometown biscuit supplier? Well, it’s a simple three step process that of course starts with the biscuit.

First they, “make a dry mix of flour, sugar, baking powder & salt and incorporate it with dairy fat. You want to mix until it forms a slick exterior but firm interior. Once fully mixed, we use 4oz ice cream scoops to form the biscuits and pop the in the oven for one hour.”

Next they make delectable and savory sandwiches like the Bacon Biscuit packed with candied bacon, smoky tomato braised collard greens, a farm poached egg, and hot sauce.

The third and final step is on you. ORDER A BISCUIT! And sit back and enjoy. You really can’t go wrong because everything on their menu is bangin’. 

Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits

2051 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

773.276.8888

Week 4: Denver Biscuit Company

When considering the Midwest, huge, southern-style biscuits aren't immediately what come to mind. That's why Denver Biscuit Co. founder Drew Shader decided Colorado was the place to make his biscuits known.

Beginning as Denver's first gourmet food truck in late 2009, the Biscuit Bus (which would eventually become known as The Denver Biscuit Co.) was born. Throughout the process of building the bus, Shader, along with his wife Ashleigh and Executive Chef Jonathan Larsen kept the biscuit breakfast concept alive from his existing bar, The Atomic Cowboy.

Because serving biscuits out of their well-established bar wasn't exactly ideal, The Denver Biscuit Co was essentially a leap of faith for Shader and his team. To their surprise, however, after only a few short months, the weekend lines for biscuits were beyond the front door. What began as a temporary home for Drew's biscuits had become known as Denver's hotspot for breakfast and would later be featured on several networks from The Cooking Channel to CNN!

Obviously with a such a unique reputation, we NEEDED to find out what all the hype was about...and now we're ready to move to Colorado.

Photo courtesy of Denver Biscuit Company Facebook Page

Even though that picture pretty much speaks for itself, we did still get a chance to find out what makes these biscuits stand out. “Our biscuits are a perfect combination of delicate, flaky and rich. They are melt in your mouth, full of flavor and delicious from start to finish,” says Shader of the bigger-than-your-head masterpieces. “They're made with lots and lots of love and butter.”

Luckily, these guys were more than willing to share the process in which their beautiful biscuits are made so the rest of us poor souls who don't live in Denver can actually have something close at home!

• Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, buttermilk powder, kosher salt and cream of tartar into a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter into the dry mix and gently combine with hands.

• Create a well in the middle and add eggs, buttermilk and yogurt, mix with a dough hook on a slow-med setting for 45 seconds. Add 1 cup of flour slowly until the dough is combined and starts to pull away from the bowl.

• Place the dough on a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together and creates the gluten "shell" (slightly firm and bounces back when pressed). Cut in half

• Roll into a rectangle about 1/2" thick, fold each end into the middle, rotate and repeat the process 4 times.

• Cut the biscuits and bake for ~20 minutes at 325 degrees.

Now, in our opinion, the smartest move to make after implementing this recipe for your own personal enjoyment is to apply it to creating one of Denver Biscuit Co.'s most popular menu items, The Dahlia.

Is that French Toast? Or is it a biscuit? That's right, it's Biscuit French Toast, the dreamiest combination we've ever heard. This recipe calls for a house-made sausage patty, apple butter, fried egg, and smothered in maple syrup. It's okay, we're drooling too.

The next time you're visiting Denver, please don't hesitate to add this to the top of your list of places to eat! If The Food Network, The Cooking Channel, CNN, and The Denver Post can all agree this is the place you need to be!

Denver Biscuit Co.

303 – 377 – 7900

E. Colfax

3237 E. Colfax

Denver, CO 80206

S. Broadway

141 S. Broadway

Denver, CO 80209

Tennyson St.

Coming soon!

4275 Tennyson St.

Denver, CO 80212

Week 3: Biscuit Love

Tennessee is blessed with an abundance of different cities with a variety of amazing biscuits to choose from. Being Knoxville, TN based, we of course understand that the multitude of biscuit choices is never ending. We're surrounded in every direction (but we're not complaining)! As anyone could imagine, this makes our job incredibly difficult.

Though we find it nearly impossible to choose just one perfect Tennessee biscuit, we think the folks at Biscuit Love in Nashville, TN have the art locked down.

Photo courtesy of www.instagram.com

Karl Worley, a Southern Appalachian Mountains native, and wife Sarah Worley, a Northern born Pennsylvanian, launched Biscuit Love in 2012 originally as food truck featuring locally sourced and farm raised menu items. After one year in a borrowed truck and another in a customized Airstream trailer, they quickly became known and expected regulars at local farmers' markets in the Nashville area.

In 2015, Karl and Sarah decided it was time to elevate the Biscuit Love Truck to the next level and they opened a beautifully styled Biscuit Love restaurant in The Gulch, one of Nashville's most popular (and trendy) scenes!

Photo courtesy of www.nashvilleguru.com

With features in renowned magazines such as The Local Palate and Southern Living, it was essential to have Biscuit Love at the International Biscuit Festival.

For the 6th annual festival (Biscuit Love's second year participating), Karl and Sarah brought us “The Gertie,” which deliciously consisted of peanut butter, chocolate, and salty pretzels. Let's just say their line never seemed to get shorter...

When we discussed what gives Biscuit Love biscuits their niche, Karl had a particularly specific answer. “They are special in the sense that it connects me with my childhood,” he explained, “and different because I make 'angel biscuits' for the restaurant, which are leavened with a combination of yeast and baking powder.”

If any of our readers are unfamiliar with “angel biscuits,” there's no need to worry. Karl and Sarah have offered the recipe to one of Biscuit Love's most popular menu items, “The East Nasty,” (voted 2015's Best Sandwich via Bon Appetit Magazine), even making the biscuits from scratch!

The result should closely resemble this masterpiece (but we won't judge you if you need to test the recipe multiple times to get the “right” look):

Photo courtesy of www.nashvillescene.com

If that isn't drool inducing, we don't want to know what is.

When asked his personal opinion on what makes the “perfect” biscuit, Karl's explanation revolved primarily around the importance of the ingredients used. “A biscuit, like many of the good breads from around the world, has to be eaten fresh out of the oven. A truly amazing biscuit comes from using the absolute best ingredients you can find. Buttermilk must be full-fat and without added ingredients, the fat should be pure, and the flour should be winter wheat. I am also of the school that believes a cast iron skillet is the only way to cook biscuits at home.”

Photo courtesy of www.thenashvillefoodproject.org

There's no doubt that Biscuit Love should be the first stop on anyone's list upon visiting Nashville, and while you're there, be sure to give Karl and Sarah a big ol' biscuit hug from us!

Biscuit Love

316 11th Avenue South

Nashville, Tennessee 37203

615.490.9584

Week 2: The Biscuit Shop

Photo courtesy of www.thebiscuitlady.com

"The Biscuit Shop is all about the biscuit."

The Biscuit Shop, located in Starkville Mississippi, offers authentic southern comfort food made from the hands and memory of Michelle Tehan, who channels her grandmother's made-from-scratch technique. She balances 7 year old triplets AND a 5 year old, along with finding time to maintain household chores, baking at 3am, and - oh - actually running The Biscuit Shop.

Photo courtesy of www.thebiscuitlady.com

"I'm a sole baker," says Michelle. "I do have great employees helping in our shop and kitchen. They keep me prepped and read to bake. But the baking, that's 100% me and my two hands. I have a small, gourmet biscuit shop and I love keeping things simple." She currently chooses not to teach others her grandmother's technique that took many years for Michelle herself to perfect. She admits there may come a day she decides to share the special recipe with others, but for now, the magic touch is all hers.

The Biscuit Shop's menu focuses on daily biscuit specials along with a few staple options available every day. In fact, one of those every day options is "Sprinkles," a sweet cake-like biscuit Michelle decided to feature at the International Biscuit Festival 2015!

The Biscuit Shop starts the day bright and early every Tuesday-Saturday (doors open at 6:30am and biscuits are sold 'til 2pm). For Starkville biscuit regulars, the motto "early bird gets the worm" is certainly not lost. "I'm baking each day as much as I can until approximately 11:30am-noon. We tend to slow down after noon each day, so this timing is currently our happy medium." Michelle stresses, "So, the number one tip for visiting The Biscuit Shop is COME EARLY for best options! Sometimes that means even before 8am."

Because Michelle's shop is so small, it is necessary for The Biscuit Shop customers to realize how it operates. "When you visit our shop, it's important to know we're come and go. It's strictly takeout," she explains. "We're not fancy! We're small, quaint, and I sure do love it!"

Photo courtesy of www.whatshappenin.today

When we asked Michelle was makes her Mississippi biscuits any more special that any other states, her answer was as simple as her biscuits. "I put everything IN my biscuits. No biscuit sandwiches...it's all in the biscuits."

Photo courtesy of www.mudandmagnolias.com

Michelle, her family, and her staff contribute so much of their time to being a part of The Biscuit Shop. It's hard to argue with biscuits that come packed full of so much heart. We don't have a feature recipe from these hard working bakers, only because the technique is so personal to Michelle and what she has accomplished. But don't fret just yet!

To get your own "Sprinkles" special, Michelle suggests mixing up your traditional biscuit batter and tossing the sprinkles into it before baking. Then, top with a light but sweet glaze to round out the flavors. The technique may be all hers, but you can add your own twist at home!

www.thebiscuitlady.com

The Biscuit Shop

104 South Washington Street

STE 3, Starkville, MS 39759

662 . 324 . 3118

www.thebiscuitlady.com

Week 1: Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.

Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. is a Washington D.C. based restaurant that offers a traditional southern menu that directs its focus on - you guessed it - biscuits. Together, Executive Chef Jason Gehring, Managing Chef Mo Cherry, and CEO Ayeshah Abuelhiga form a tightly bonded team motivated by the pure satisfaction that comes from serving what they love to their community.

Photo courtesy of MasonDixieBiscuits.com

"We at Mason Dixie started this business with the hopes of achieving our dream: owning and operating a successful restaurant that serves the food we know and love to a community we know and love - that's you D.C. All three of us were born and raised in Maryland and brought up in the Southern tradition, so Mason Dixie is a symbol of our past, present and future. We each remember growing up eating comforting Southern meals with our families and loving every minute: from cooking, to setting the table, to eating, to watching the day turn into night without feeling a minute pass, preoccupied with friends, family, and full bellies. We miss that slow pace of life that accompanied biscuits and fried chicken on the dinner table. Today, we look to recreate that moment in time for our customers using the skills and knowledge we have gained throughout our professional careers. We hope to be that iconic place to which people who frequent our restaurant today will take their children tomorrow, and one day even their grandchildren."

With a menu that offers such items as Adobo lamb with jalapeno, & egg sandwich and biscuits accompanied with your choice of buttermilk, ham and jalapeno or sweet corn - there's no way we could resist digging a little deeper.

When we asked CEO Ayeshah Abuelhiga what made Mason Dixie's biscuits more special or different from any other biscuit company, she divulged a little. "Love. And thinking about the application - we sell biscuit sandwiches, biscuits with gravies and spreads. We know that a typical biscuit can be crumbly - so more for a dinner roll. What we did is tweak the recipe a bit to provide a bit more air and cakiness to the flakiness so that it stands up to saucy braised meat fillings, thick gravies, and creamy spreads. Now that's just the biscuit. I think what also makes us different are the fillings. We try to get away from traditional and get adventurous. For example, we partnered up with a local Deli meat purveyor (Singer's Significant Meats) in DC last week to make the most AMAZING pastrami on a biscuit sandwich ever. Really makes you reconsider why you would ever get a Reuben on rye! The butteriness of the biscuit with the salt from the meat and the sweet cream from the dressing was an unbelievable combination. We really try to create those complex flavor combinations that take a biscuit to another level."

We were lucky enough to get a taste of these delicious creations this past year at the International Biscuit Festival, where they won the Critic's Choice Award for Best Biscuit. The "Nina Lee Biscuit" had collard greens and a roasted tomato accompanied by a sweet sauce and the line to get one never got shorter!

Clearly the day was a smashing success among festival attendees and workers alike!

Knowing first hand that these biscuits absolutely match up to their reputation, we asked this executive team to walk us through a step-by-step process of his individual technique.

"Now we can't give away all our secrets! I don't think we do anything different from a typical biscuit recipe. The biggest thing is using cold butter, cold buttermilk, and reducing the time you contact the dough. The more you work the dough, the less flaky the biscuit will be. It really is a food of love - so working the dough with a loving touch also helps - no slapping it on the work surface, no punching, just smooth kneading and rolling."

Photo courtesy of www.masondixiebiscuits.com

Convinced you're missing out if you're not in the D.C. area? Don't fret! We also managed to grab an actual recipe for a true Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. biscuit, so you can have it right in your own home - just make sure you practice the technique!

"Who doesn't love slow roasted or braised meat?" Abuelhiga asks. "One of our favorite fusions meat fillings for our Low Country Osso Bucco Sandwich is our Tomato Braised Pork. Super easy to do and delicious with a biscuit. Your guests will think you slaved for hours!"

1 pork butt 1 qt. chicken stock 1 14 oz. can of tomatoes
2 heads of garlic plus 2 cloves
1 bunch of Rosemary
1 bunch of parsley
1 tin of anchovies
1 lemon Olive oil Salt and Pepper 1 jar of your favorite pickled jalapenos (we use Gordy's Thai Basil Jalapenos) 1 dozen buttermilk biscuits (preferably from Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.)

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Trim excess thick fat off of the pork butt. Chop the pork butt into large chunks - about 3-4 inches a piece. Salt and pepper the chunks and set aside.

3. Heat a large, deep pan (preferably a dutch oven) over high heat. Add enough olive oil to cover the pan up to an 1/8 of an inch. Heat the oil until it glistens.

4. Add the pork butt chunks to the hot pan and reduce heat to medium high. Allow chunks to sear, then flip chunks so each side is seared.

5. Remove pork and place aside. Add chicken stock and the can of tomatoes to the hot pan, stirring to mix the juices.

6. Chop a head of garlic in half across the wide part of the head. Add to the pan along with the rosemary.

7. Return the meat to the pan. The meat should not be submerged–you're braising, not boiling those pork chunks! Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover and slide into the 325-degree oven. Rotate the meat every so often to ensure coverage in the liquid. Braise for about 45 min to an hour.

8. While the pork is braising, start your gremolata by chopping your parsley by hand or place in a food processor to a fine chop. Also zest the lemon and mince the zest and cloves of garlic. Add to the parsley.

9. Finely chop about 2-3 anchovy filets and add to the parsley mixture. Juice half of the lemon and add it to the mixture along with enough olive oil until evenly distributed and smooth.

10. Test the doneness of the pork by pulling apart with two forks. When the pork pulls apart in juicy shreds, remove from the oven and set aside to rest for about 10-15 minutes.

11. Meanwhile, slide your biscuits in half and spread a teaspoon of gremolata onto the biscuit. Place some pork chunks and tomatoes onto the bottom of the biscuit and top off with the pickled jalapenos and the biscuit top. Enjoy an AMAZING biscuit sandwich a la Mason Dixie.

Ayeshah's personal opinion about what makes any biscuit the "perfect" biscuit is centered around locality.

"Quality ingredients. Anything worth putting in your body should originate somewhere wholesome and good. We use local buttermilk and butter whenever we can - you can really taste, feel and smell the difference in the biscuits when you do use better dairy from happy cows and good farmers. We used Cruze Farm's buttermilk while at the International Biscuit Festival and man did it make our biscuits smell amazing and have that light fluffy texture Knoxville loved! Food is really a labor of love - when you put good into it, you get good out."

So, next time you travel to our nation's capitol, be sure to stop by to keep your biscuit cravings at bay - until next May!

Photo courtesy of www.masondixiebiscuits.com

Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.

1309 5th Street Northeast

Washington, DC 20002

www.masondixiebiscuits.com