A southern favorite, the biscuit is a member of the quick bread family. The word biscuit can be traced to the Latin “panis biscoctus,” meaning “bread twice baked. The first biscuit recipe included two steps where the hard treats were first baked, and then dried out in a slow oven. Early incarnations of the biscuit were hard and unsweetened. Some of the first biscuits, labeled Hardtacks, were used for long sea and military campaigns.
The Hardtack was a simple biscuit made from flour, water, and salt. The bread was favored for its cheapness and dexterity and often replaced perishable foods. Unlike regular biscuits, Hardtack was baked four times and when left intact, it maintained the ability to stay hard for years. Also known as the "tooth duller,” Hardtack was often dunked into a liquid to remove some of its harshness.
Buttermilk Biscuits are typically made from flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter shortening and buttermilk.
Learn more about the biscuit and National Buttermilk Biscuit Day on Mahalo and Wikipedia.
