Who doesn’t love a great flaky and buttery biscuit? This one is a savory buttery recipe that rises beautifully. A great addition to any brunch or meal.
Sift all the dry ingredients together and add the grated frozen butter. Whisk well to coat the butter with the flour, you don’t want globs or clumps of butter, but an even distribution of all ingredients throughout. Add the buttermilk and gently incorporate all the ingredients until a dough forms.
When the dough comes together in the bowl, dump it on a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Make a ball and roll it out with a rolling pin to 1 1/4 inch thick. See all the butter specs throughout? That will make for a flaky and buttery biscuits.
Once rolled out, use a 2 1/2 inch round biscuit cutter if you’re serving them as a side dish. If the biscuits are part of a breakfast sandwich, I would use a 3 1/2 inch cutter to make them sizable and hearty. Just add an additional baking minute or two due to size. When cutting the biscuits, press down firmly and pull up. Do not twist and pinch the dough. Also keep a little flour on the side to coat the cutter so each biscuit releases with ease.
Note: Don’t throw out the scraps! Combine them and try to cut out a few extra biscuits or cut them up in tiny square and freeze them. You can always add them to a chicken casserole dish like Chicken and Biscuits.
Coat the top with a little egg wash or whipping cream to get that golden top coat. Sprinkle with a little sea salt for extra flavor. I love Maldon Sea Flakes. Think of all the savory varieties you can make with different cheeses and herbs. Add bacon bits for a bolder flavor and extra salty bite!
This recipe was adapted from Bacon Chive & Cheddar Biscuits from Damn Delicious.
Savory Cheddar and Herb Biscuits
Flaky and buttery biscuits loaded with cheddar cheese and herbs. Freezes perfectly.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt (prefer Diamond brand)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 Tablespoons parsley, chives or your favorite fresh herb finely chopped
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, frozen and grated on box cutter
- 1 ¾ cups buttermilk (prefer whole milk and not reduced fat)
- Optional: egg wash or whipping cream
- Optional: Maldon sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
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Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Whisk together and add cheddar cheese and herb.
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Stir in the grated butter into the flour mixture and ensure the butter pieces are evenly distributed and coated with flour, not clumped together. Make a well in the center of the bowl.
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Add buttermilk and gently stir with a rubber spatula until the flour and buttermilk form a soft dough.
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Dump dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together.
Tip: If your hands are warm, run them under cold water or hold an ice cube in each hand. This will help keep the frozen butter cold.
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Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 1 ½ inch thick circle or rectangle. Use a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter or cookie cutter cut 10-12 rounds. Place cut biscuits on prepared cookie sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
Tip: When cutting, press down and pull up for flaky biscuits. Don't twist the cutter as that will pinch the dough and hold it back from its best rise. Flour the cutter in between cuts to ensure easy cut and release.
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Remove biscuits from freezer. For that golden top crust, whisk 1 egg with a Tablespoon of water and brush the top of the biscuit with a pastry brush. You can also brush with a little whipping cream. Sprinkle Maldon sea salt.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and serve warm with butter.
Freezing Instructions
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If freezing, allow the biscuits to freeze and harden on the cookie sheet separately. Once frozen, add them all to a freezer safe storage bag. These go straight from freezer to oven and need extra cooking time 20-25 minutes depending on your personal oven's heating.
