Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast

It’s bagel week on the show, and this time, David is bringing all the opinions.  

Together, he and Jessica discuss bagels in New York and beyond, including the burgeoning world of California-style bagels and the different styles that abound. Then, Southern California bagel maker Carlos Perez joins the show to share his perspective on West Coast bagels. Next, Jessica and David dive into your bagel-baking questions, including queries ...

Today, we’re dedicating a whole episode to a single loaf of bread. But not just any bread: the loaf from San Francisco’s Tartine bakery, which kicked off a sourdough revolution in the States.  

David and Jessica start the show by unpacking just what made Tartine and its bread so influential; together, they dig into the ways this loaf's impact continues to resonate today, plus their own personal relationships to it. Then, Jessic...

Heat up your fry oil — today, we’re talking doughnuts! 

 After sharing a slightly traumatic, mostly doughnut-filled childhood story with David, Jessica talks to Fany Gerson of Fan Fan Doughnuts in New York. They discuss Fany’s relationship to doughnuts, her biggest sources of inspiration, and the enduring power of this timeless treat. Then, Jessica and David jump into your listener questions, including tips to fry without fear. Fina...

With their shattering layers and honeycomb interior, croissants are perhaps the ultimate pastry achievement. And they’ve never been hotter than right now.  

In this episode, David and Jessica unpack what makes croissants so special, including the intricacies of the lamination process, the irresistible appeal of a perfect pastry, and the “croissant theory” that powers many patisseries. They are then joined by Elisabeth Berthasavage, ...

What can’t tortillas do? Whether they’re made with corn or wheat, masa or masa harina, homemade tortillas are a thing of beauty.  

No one knows that better than today’s guest, Pati Jinich. One of the foremost experts on Mexican cuisine, Pati has traveled all over Mexico and the US to eat tortillas. She shares her vast knowledge of these special flatbreads, as well as her top tips for making them at home. Then, Jessica and David answ...

Young or old, everyone loves a brownie. But we all have our own preferences: fudgy or chewy, edge piece or center. The options are endless!  

Today, we’re discussing all the ways you can make your brownies, from the ingredients you choose to the method you make them with. We also invite one of our favorite bakers, David Lebovitz, to share his thoughts on brownies, including his experience as an American brownie lover living in Paris...

We think vanilla has gotten a bad reputation, so we’re here to correct the record: Vanilla is anything but boring.  

To prove our point, we invited one of the country’s biggest vanilla fans (and all-around star baker) Claire Saffitz to come on the pod and argue why we should all be giving vanilla its due. Then we answer your baking questions in Ask the Bakers, covering everything from how to substitute different extracts to the real...

While we love all styles of pizza, there’s a special place in our hearts for New York pizza — and not just because David lives in its home city!  

New York pizza is one of the most iconic dishes in America, and this episode shines a spotlight on the unique history and culture behind each slice. And as a special treat, we have one of the most notable people making New York pizza today on the show: the legendary chef Wylie Dufresne. W...

With its fluffy crumb, dimply dough, and endless spins, focaccia has stolen the heart of countless bakers — including us. So we decided to dedicate a whole episode to it.  

Jessica and David dissect the current focaccia moment and how this simple bread has evolved from its Italian origins to something truly showstopping. Then Samin Nosrat stops by the show to share the story behind the viral salt-brined focaccia from her TV show Sal...

We’re back, and we’re talking cheesecake! Jessica and David dive into a bit of the history behind this iconic dessert before Jessica sits down with TV host and cookbook author Carla Hall to chat all things cheesecake, including Carla’s best tips and tricks. Then, they answer your biggest cheesecake questions, covering everything from water baths to springform pans. Jessica delivers her Jess-opinion on the best style of cheesecake (...

Things Bakers Know, the official podcast from King Arthur Baking Company, is back with a ten episode second season — starting March 23rd! Join King Arthur’s Jessica Battilana and David Tamarkin as they explore every corner of the baking world. Each episode dives deep into a different baked good — its history and lore, tips and tricks, trends and takes — and they'll always leave time to answer baking questions from listeners. A...

We’ve officially unveiled our 2026 Recipe of the Year, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you. Announcing: Flaky Puff Crust Pizza! 

In this episode, David and Jessica are joined by two of our Test Kitchen stars and the creators of this exceptional recipe, Sarah Jampel and Molly Marzalek-Kelly. They discuss how and why they landed on pizza as this year’s Recipe of the Year, the biggest challenges of recipe development, ...

Celebrating Holiday Cookies with Dan Pelosi 

‘Tis the season to bake as many cookies as you can!  

We kick off the show by unveiling King Arthur’s 2025 holiday cookie lineup before being joined by Dan Pelosi, a baker known for his annual holiday cookie party. He chats with Jessica about the keys to successfully throwing a cookie party, including his holiday cookie philosophy, then David and Jessica answer your burning baking question...

We have a very special episode today. Ahead of the busiest baking season of the year, we’ve got an entire show dedicated to answering your biggest holiday baking questions! And we’ve invited some friends to help us. We’ve assembled an all-star collection of our King Arthur colleagues, including Molly Marzalek-Kelly and Sarah Jampel from our Test Kitchen, Amber Eisler from our Baking School, Martin Philip from our YouTube channel, a...

It’s high time for pie, and we couldn’t be more excited!  

David and Jessica kick off the show by sharing some of their best pie tips and tricks, before bringing in a real pie expert — Stacey Mei Yan Fong, author of the award-winning cookbook 50 Pies, 50 States — to offer her advice. We’ve got some great Thanksgiving pie questions to answer, from the best way to prebake your crust to advice for preventing a runny apple pie filling, ...

Today, we’re talking about one of the world’s perfect foods: chocolate.  

And who better to join us than Amy Guittard of Guittard Chocolate? For her, chocolate literally runs in the family. She explains everything from how chocolate is made to what the percentages on the bag really mean. Then David and Jessica answer this week’s listener questions, sharing their tips for better brownies and choosing cocoas. To close out the show, Je...

We’re going gluten-free this week and talking about how to make the best gluten-free bread — because we believe everyone deserves great bread.  

Aran Goyoaga, author of the stunning new book The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, joins us to talk about her approach to gluten-free bread baking, including some of her favorite flours and tips and tricks. We break down the dizzying world of gluten-free flours, our tips for making gluten-free sou...

Give kids a baked good, and you’ve fed them for a day. Teach kids to bake, and well ... you know.  

We’ve been thinking a lot about baking with kids, because we’ve been hard at work writing a brand-new kids baking cookbook! And despite the mess and the chaos, we think it’s all worth it. So does cookbook author Samantha Seneviratne, who joins the show to chat with Jessica about baking with her adorable son Artie and the advice she ha...

It’s the best baking season of the year! So we’re celebrating all things fall baking on today’s episode.  

First up, producer Rossi Anastopoulo and King Arthur editor Tatiana Bautista join David and Jessica to discuss our new list of the 49 Best Fall Recipes, Ranked. To no one’s surprise, there are a lot of opinions all around! Then cookbook author Rick Martínez stops by to dive deep into Pan de Muerto, the fragrant, buttery bread m...