What is a bisque (biscuit) firing?
Virtually all pottery is kiln fired at least twice. In fact the word ‘biscuit’ comes from the French meaning ‘twice cooked’ and the first firing is referred to as the bisque or biscuit firing. The purpose of the bisque firing is to fuse the clay into a hard durable form by raising it to a temperature that melts some of its ingredients whilst sufficient remains unmelted to retain the form of the piece. The melted constituents fuse the remainder together into a hard mass. Some chemical alteration may also take place, particularly at higher temperature firings. Second or subsequent firings are always to a lower temperature and serve to fix the decoration (glazes).
