Starch Madness: Only One Baked Good Can Win

In this episode of All Of It, host David Furst welcomes Daniel Gritzer, editorial director of Serious Eats, to discuss the 2026 edition of Starch Madness—a playful, Instagram-driven competition that pits 64 baked goods against each other in a single-elimination bracket. This year’s theme marks a departure from savory starches like pasta and potatoes, focusing instead on sweet treats such as cookies, cakes, pies, and pastries. Gritzer explains how the bracket was curated using Google search data, recipe availability, and editorial intuition, with four thematic regions: cookies, cakes, pies, and 'sticky fingers' (pastry case items). Despite initial skepticism about the sweetness of the competition, Gritzer reveals that engagement was high, driven by the visual appeal of the baked goods. The chocolate chip cookie, seeded as the top contender in the cookie region, emerged as the ultimate winner—no surprise to many, given its widespread popularity and the stellar recipe by Stella Parks, which features hand-chopped chocolate and a resting period for optimal texture. The episode also features listener calls sharing personal baking triumphs, including a dramatic cookie-banging technique, a Passover-friendly matzo icebox cake, and a Neiman Marcus-inspired cookie with Rice Krispies and toffee chips. The conversation celebrates the chocolate chip cookie’s versatility and cultural resonance, while hinting at future Starch Madness themes like beans and corn-based foods.