The Big Bottom Biscuit

The Market’s big break came on November 3, 2016, when our newly launched biscuit mix and honey was named one of “Oprah’s Favorite Things.” We quickly went from selling fifty bags of mix and jars of honey a month to more than six thousand of each in only six weeks. Collectively, our team ramped up production and pulled it off with the help of some locals and a relationship with Amazon.

It was around this time that my business partner and I decided that it was time to refocus our efforts and expand nationally. This decision led to a partnership with Zoe’s Meats, a wholesale food company with warehouses and distribution relationships across the United States. In addition to now selling our mix and honey at several stores, we are also in the process of developing new products and further expanding our line into the food-service side of the business so that other bakeries and restaurants can also proudly serve Big Bottom Market products.

As if that weren’t enough, we were also compelled to share our biscuit recipe with the world and give people a glimpse into our kitchen. Our goal was simple: let our guests and fans get a closer look at how our team works together to create our biscuits and the delicious recipes that complement and accompany them. What you hold in your hands right now is a dream come true and a labor of love for our entire team.

When people want to know what makes our biscuit just so special, I tell them it’s that our easy-to-prepare biscuits take on a contemporary approach to the southern classic with a decidedly Northern California twist—and I don’t know many people who can’t resist a piping-hot biscuit. In this cookbook we’ve tried to elevate the biscuit with personal stories and unique recipes that have transformed our market and the way people eat our amazing biscuits. Within these pages you’ll find more than fifty recipes for the biscuits, butters, jams, and spreads that we prepare and serve at the Market. There are numerous recipes for specialty biscuits—always a customer favorite—that have everything from chocolate, bacon, and apples to all kinds of artisanal meats and locally sourced cheeses. You’ll learn how to prepare some market favorites including The Sneaky (here), the Egg in a Biscuit (here), and the aptly named Sea Biscuit (here), with smoked salmon, crème fraîche, pickled onions, and capers. Rush to the Savory Embellishments section (here) for tasty dishes you may have never thought would pair well with the biscuit. We’ve even included dishes that actually incorporate leftover biscuits, such as the creative quiche recipes—the crust is made from day-old biscuits (here). What’s the point here? The whole team worked and cooked our butts off to make sure there are a variety of recipes here to delight all tastes. And that is exactly what we’ve done in the pages ahead.

We do hope you will enjoy reading and preparing these recipes as much as we have loved the process of creating this beautiful cookbook.

A LITTLE BISCUIT HISTORY

The world’s first biscuits were baked in Persia during the seventh century. What we think of as a biscuit today was a French invention. The French version is a twice-baked flat cookie or cake with a name derived from two Latin words—bis (twice) and cuit (cooked). Through the years, many nations have adapted the name and created their own version of the biscuit. In Italy, a biscotti is a hard “cookie” often served with espresso. The biscuit also has a strong identity in British culture as the traditional accompaniment to a cup of tea. The Brits are known for dunking biscuits—what we in the United States call a cookie—in tea so that they soften a little from the warmth of the liquid before being eaten.

For Americans, the biscuit is a quick bread, somewhat similar to a scone, and usually unsweetened (although we add sugar, and in many cases, as you will find in this book, other sweet indulgences). Self-rising flour—or flour with baking powder—is used to make the dough rise when baking in the oven. The North American version of the biscuit has its origins in the southern states, where generations have passed down family recipes.

We like to think that we are a new part of the biscuit’s historical journey and evolution. Our version is a little wet, which makes it melt in your mouth and requires a preparation that is different from the southern style. To make it more “California,” as we like to say, our team adds all sorts of sweet and savory ingredients. Of course, we always encourage our team to come up with their own versions; we hope you will take the base recipe and do the same. If you discover something you love, please share it with us on the Big Bottom Market Facebook page. Your creations just may make it onto our menu, and of course we will give you the credit you deserve.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

You’ll need a few simple ingredients and a handful of kitchen tools and equipment to concoct the perfect biscuit.

THE ORIGINAL BIG BOTTOM BISCUIT

What Is a Wet Biscuit, Anyway?

At Big Bottom Market we make a wet biscuit, or what is traditionally known as a drop biscuit—the “dough” has a muffin or soft cookie batter look to it. First, we use an ice cream scoop to form the balls before tossing them with a little bit of flour. Then we nest them in a baking pan, one right next to the other, and as the biscuits bake in the oven they rise together. Dusting the batter with flour is key, because once the biscuits are done, the flour allows them to separate from each other easily. The resulting morsels have a rich, light-brown coloring on the outside and a melt-in-your-mouth warmth on the inside. You’ll find over and over and over again throughout this book that this version of the biscuit goes well at any time of the day and with any meal. Is the biscuit the next donut or dinner roll with slightly more versatility? I’d argue yes, but I’ll let you decide.

What It Means to “Nest” the Dough

Nesting is an important part of ensuring that the biscuits bake up properly. After you coat the biscuit in a little bit of flour, place the first biscuit in the corner of the pan. Place the following scoop of dough next to and slightly touching the first biscuit. Repeat until the pan is full. Note that every once in a while you might use a little too much batter for each of the biscuits and find yourself one or two biscuits short in your pan. If this happens take a piece of foil, roll it into a ball, spray with a little cooking spray, and use it as a placeholder in the pan. Doing this will ensure that the biscuits rise up and not down into an empty space.

Everyone asks for our classic wet biscuit recipe, and for years we kept it hidden away. Before we opened the Market, our team tested and retested a number of recipes until we came up with our signature biscuit. Sue Steiner, the woman we call the momma of the Market and whom this book is dedicated to, deserves so much credit for her tenacity and creativity around everything biscuit. She taught us how to make the perfect biscuit and challenged us to further refine and evolve the recipe.

I recommend that you practice this base recipe a few times to ensure that you properly mix the shortening with the flour, sugar, and salt mixture, and also get the feel for the wetness of the dough. After you’ve perfected this recipe, move on to the others or use it as a base to come up with your own specialty creations.

VARIATION: