May14 is Buttermilk Biscuit Day. Biscuits appeared in the USA prior to Civil War. Alexander P. Ashbourne patented the first biscuit cutter in 1875. In 1931, Ballard and Ballard patented these refrigerator biscuits.
Biscuits became popular when people realized, that their hardness, compared to sliced bread, worked better to wipe up gravy on the plate. This evolved into a well-known meal, biscuits and gravy.
Biscuits are made using baking powder or baking soda as a leavening agent rather than yeast. A typical buttermilk biscuit recipe contains flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, and buttermilk. They are often referred to as a “quick bread”, indicating they do not need time to rise before baking. While being made, the dough is beaten and folded to incorporate air, which expands while baking, causing the biscuit to rise.
