Bisquick is a pre-mixe baking product made by General Mills consisting of flour, shortening, salt, and baking powder (a leavening agent). According to General Mills, Bisquick was born when one of their sales executives met a train dining car chef in 1930 who mixed lard and the dry ingredients for biscuits ahead of time. The recipe was adapted, using hydrogenated oil, thus eliminating the need for refrigeration. Originally intended for making biscuits very quickly, Bisquick can be used to make a wide variety of baked goods from pizza dough to pancakes to dumplings to snickerdoodle cookies.