Who doesn’t love a biscuit? Small or large, soft or crunchy, iced or covered with butter, it’s time to celebrate. September is National Biscuit Month.

The earliest foods which we might call biscuits were baked on hot stones. But let’s look at the history of the American biscuits.

The history of one of America’s earliest baked goods began in Europe. When the European settlers arrived in the New World, they brought with them ship’s dense, hard, flavorless biscuits. They were an established part of their diets. In colonial times, biscuits became a mainstay because they were easy to make, quickly baked and required few ingredients.

Moving along in time, biscuits began to be tastier, taking on a new look, especially in the South where fresh ingredients were readily available. Cooks began beating the dough to give it something of a rise. Baking soda and baking powder were not invented until 1846 and 1856, respectively. With the advent of these leaveners, biscuits became popular in ...