Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast

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. For our Ask the Bakers section, we dive into everything from cocoa powder to nailing the bake, before Jessica jumps in with a Jess-opinion all about a very specific type of brownie. And as usual, she and David close the show with the recipes they’re baking this week.  
Recipes and other links from this episode: 
For a real hit of nostalgia, make our Easy Frosted Brownies 
Learn more about David Lebovitz and subscribe to his Substack at davidlebovitz.substack.com 
Find the recipe David mentions for Helene’s brownies  
Pick up the updated release of David’s The Great Book of Chocolate  
Get a box of our fan-favorite Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies Mix 
Find your perfect cocoa powder in our online Shop 
If you do like brownie brittle, we have a great recipe  
What David’s baking this week:  Sun Buns (Solskinnsboller)  
What Jessica’s baking this week: Mint and Cheese Ka’ak  
Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here! 
Thanks to Curio Spice Co., a woman-owned mission-driven spice company, for sponsoring this episode. 
This episode is sponsored by Supernatural. Supernatural makes imaginative baking ingredients that are colored by plants, fully traceable, and totally free from anything artificial or synthetic. Learn more at supernaturalkitchen.com

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 difference between vanilla extract and vanilla paste. Jessica has an opinion on the surprising way to put your biggest vanilla bottle to use, and she and David close the show with the recipes they’re baking this week. 
Recipes and other links from this episode: 
Learn more about Claire and her work at dessertperson.com 
Choose your vanilla: vanilla paste or vanilla extract (or both!)  
Follow Claire’s advice to use vanilla in custard and make Vanilla Bean Flan 
Find our Recipe of the Year: Flaky Puff Crust Pizza 
Get your own big bottle of vanilla for gifting  
What David’s baking this week: Ultra-Vanilla Cupcakes with Easy Vanilla Frosting  
What Jessica’s baking this week: Simple Stovetop Vanilla Pudding 
Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here! 
This episode is sponsored by Brød & Taylor. Your best bread is within reach. Brød & Taylor builds tools that help you get there. See what's possible at brodandtaylor.com. 
Thanks to Curio Spice Co., a woman-owned mission-driven spice company, for sponsoring this episode.

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. Wylie dishes on the secrets behind his incredible pizza, then Jessica and David are joined by The Book of Pizza co-author Martin Philip to dig into your listener questions and help you make this style of pizza at home. To close out the show, Jessica shares a Jess-opinion on a popular pizza side, and they finish up with the recipes they’re baking this week.  
Recipes and other links from this episode: 
Grab a copy of our new cookbook, The Book of Pizza 
Find our New York-Style Pizza recipe  
Try Wylie’s pizza at Stretch in New York City  
Learn more about our Grains for Good program  
For the crispiest pizza crust, bake with a pizza steel 
Watch Martin teach you how to make New American pizza  
To really nail your pies, take our New York Pizza On Demand Class, hosted by Martin   
What David’s baking this week: Rossa Pizza from The Book of Pizza  
What Jessica’s baking this week: Everyday Olive Oil Cake 
Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here! 
This episode is sponsored by Brød & Taylor. Your best bread is within reach. Brød & Taylor builds tools that help you get there. See what's possible at brodandtaylor.com. 
Thanks to Curio Spice Co., a woman-owned mission-driven spice company, for sponsoring this episode.

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 Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and dish on her latest focaccia recipe, found in her newest cookbook Good Things. As always, Jessica and David answer your biggest bread baking questions in Ask the Bakers, then Jessica shares a Jess-opinion about sweet focaccia before closing the show with the recipes they’re making this week.  
Find our 2025 Recipe of the Year: Big and Bubbly Focaccia 
Pick up our Big Book of Bread for even more focaccia  
Order Samin’s latest cookbook, Good Things  
Find Samin’s salt-brined Ligurian Focaccia  
Get some bread flour to make Samin’s latest focaccia recipe  
Check out our Small-Batch Cheesy Focaccia recipe  
Read more about how to make an inside-out focaccia sandwich  
Make our Big and Bubbly Cinnamon Roll Focaccia recipe to hop on the sweet focaccia trend  
What David’s baking this week: Strawberry Lemonade Bars  
What Jessica’s baking this week: Karpatka Cake 
Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here!

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 (hint: It’s not from the US!) before they close the show with the recipes they’re baking this week.   
Recipes and other links from this episode: 
Subscribe to our new Substack: Things Bakers Know!  
Find some of our favorite cheesecake recipes: NY Cheesecake, Cannoli Cheesecake, Irish Whiskey Cheesecake  
Pre-order Carla Hall’s upcoming cookbook, Carla Bakes 
Find our Basque Cheesecake recipe and Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake recipe  
Need a springform pan? Get one here!    
Find our recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bars 
Get our recipe for light, fluffy Japanese-Style Soufflé Cheesecake 
What David’s baking this week: Super Protein Pancakes  
What Jessica’s baking this week: Favorite Fudge Birthday Cake  
Record your question for our Ask the Bakers segment here!