A biscuit in the United States and parts of Canada, and widely used in popular American English, is a small bread with a firm browned crust and a soft interior. They are made with baking powder or baking soda as a chemical leavening agent rather than yeast. They are similar to British scones or the bannock from the Shetland Isles.Biscuits, soda breads, and cornbread, among others, are often referred to collectively as "quick breads," to indicate that they do not need time to rise before baking.