Bisquick
Also known as: baking mix
A shelf-stable, pre-mixed blend of flour, leavening (baking powder), salt, and shortening, sold under the Bisquick brand and several store-brand equivalents. Meant to shortcut biscuits, pancakes, and similar baked goods to just adding liquid (and sometimes an egg), and also shows up as a binder in savory baked mixtures, where it supplies both structure and a little rise.
Buying guidance
Original Bisquick is what a recipe means unless it says otherwise -- the brand also sells reduced-fat and gluten-free versions that behave somewhat differently. Any store-brand "baking mix" or "biscuit mix" with a similar ingredient list works as a 1:1 substitute; the exact blend varies slightly by brand but not enough to matter in most recipes.
Substitutions
- Homemade mix: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon cold shortening or butter cut in, for each cup of Bisquick called for -- close in behavior, though slightly less fine and uniform than the commercial mix.
- A different brand's baking mix -- freely interchangeable 1:1.
Tips & common mistakes
It already contains leavening and salt, so a recipe built around it doesn't need extra baking powder or salt stirred in separately unless a recipe specifically calls for it -- adding more on top of what's already in the mix can throw off both rise and seasoning.
Storage
An unopened box keeps for many months at room temperature past its printed date. Once opened, keep it tightly sealed -- the leavening in the mix gradually loses potency once exposed to air, and a bag left open for a long time can rise less than a fresh one.