Biscuits are to home cooking as dogs are to human beings. They're comforting, could be considered your best friend, and are always eager to please.
They're an incredibly versatile food, which is why I suspect they've been such a staple for centuries. Drown them in sausage gravy or use them to sop up a sauce. Split them and make them into a sandwich vessel. Top them with anything sweet or savory under the sun, or you could even just shove the hearty ones in your pocket as a stowaway snack.
If you're just looking for a base recipe for buttermilk biscuits, simply remove the herbs and cheese from this one. It's a great go-to for experimentation or just something dependable and fast.
I avoided biscuits for a long time. I didn't understand how to work with the sticky dough. Chefs from across time have crowed in unison: "Don't knead the biscuits! They'll be tough!" or "Don't add ANY flour! You'll ruin the ratios!" After many years of tears and cuss words, I finally realized that it's really ok to knead the dough until it comes together. It's also perfectly fine to add a little flour to the counter or the top of the dough as I need it. There is even a tiny section in my grandma's cookbook that gives you permission to knead the dough for "half a minute." That's truly all it takes. I was relieved to find a professional opinion that matched my own instincts.
Notes
- Flour: You can certainly use regular old all-purpose flour for these biscuits. But I recommend at least doing a small mixture of either white and wheat, or white and an old grain like einkorn for an awesome boost in flavor and texture.
- Cheese: Any good sharp cheese will do. The flavor of milder cheeses can get lost, so I recommend something with a good punch like sharp cheddar or gruyere.
- Herbs and Spices: Go wild! I've done thyme, black pepper, cayenne, sage, and a ton of other variations on the flavors here. Oregano and cheddar just happened to be the most popular combo I made, so it's the one I recommend to most people.
- Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, put one tablespoon of lemon juice for each cup of milk in the bottom of your measuring cup. Then fill it up with regular milk the rest of the way, to the mark you need. I definitely cheat and throw the lemon juice in after the milk sometimes, but it will make the dough just that much more hydrated, and therefore unruly. Unfortunately you can't substitute only regular milk for this recipe. You'll need the acid in the lemon juice to react with the baking soda. Don't worry, there is no lemon flavor imparted by that amount of juice. Another option is to use powdered buttermilk, which is my personal favorite. You don't have to stress about using refrigerated buttermilk before it goes bad, and tastes just as great. Keep it in the pantry and just pull it out whenever you need it.
- Sticky Situations: I also apply some lessons from pastry making to my biscuits: I use a bench knife to move it and prevent it from sticking to my counter. I also often flip the dough a few times, adding a tiny bit of flour to the buttery spots as I roll it out. If you've also put biscuits in your "Never Again" pile of recipes due to unreasonable stickiness, get yourself a bench knife and some extra flour.
Storage
You can store these on the counter for 3-4 days. Just put them in an airtight container like a Ziplock bag. You can also freeze them for later and just pull them out whenever you need them. Leave them on the counter for a few hours or overnight to thaw.
FAQ
No, you don't have to do an egg wash. It won't affect the flavor or texture of the biscuits, just the cosmetics. Just keep in mind that if you don't use an egg wash, they will not brown or darken as much or as fast, so keep an eye on the time. It's easy to burn the bottom of the biscuits if you're waiting for them to turn golden brown on the top.
If you do an egg wash, ensure that you're only washing the tops of the biscuits, not the sides. Washing the sides can impede the rise.
You can use a thin-edged cup or wine glass in a pinch. Cookie cutters are also great substitutes, but don't expect them to come out like a cute rocking horse.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Grace Says:
Rather than cutting them into circles, you can also shape the biscuits like pinwheels. After the dough has been rolled out, spread your cheese across the whole dough slab. Then start at one edge and roll it up onto itself like a spiral cake. Then cut it into slices, lay the slices spiral-side up on your pan, and bake as usual.
For an extra fast option, just turn them into drop biscuits. Use a cookie scoop or spoon and plop the biscuits into little mounds onto the pan. No one ever said biscuits had to be flat or cut a certain way. They will bake up fine.
📖 Recipe
Cheddar and Herb Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup white wheat or einkorn flour (can substitute all purpose or any other wheat)
- ½ t salt
- 4 t baking powder
- ½ t baking soda
- 1 T oregano (can substitute thyme)
- 5 T cold butter, cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk, regular or powdered (can substitute for milk + 1T lemon juice)
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar (can substitute any other sharp cheese)
- 1 egg + splash of water (optional; for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Drop in butter cubes, and massage them into the flour until they are well broken up and the mixture looks crumbly or shaggy. Add in buttermilk and mix only until incorporated. Add your cheese last and mix it in until just combined. If you're making drop biscuits, you can go ahead and scoop/drop onto a parchment-lined pan now.
- If you're cutting your biscuits, dump out dough onto a well-floured surface, and sprinkle a little extra flour on top to keep it from sticking to your hands. Knead the dough briefly and add small amounts of flour until it is less sticky and comes together. It should only take a minute; kneading too long will result in chewy or "squeaky" biscuits. But it's ok to work it until it's easier to roll out.
- Add another sprinkle of flour to the counter and begin to roll out the dough. Roll until the dough is a uniform ½" thick.
- Cut out your biscuits, making sure not to "twist" the cutter as you go through the dough. If you want double-stacked biscuits, fold the entire slab of dough in half onto itself, and then cut through both layers. Place your cut biscuits onto a parchment-lined pan. You can re-knead and re-roll the scraps until you've used it all up, just try not to overwork it as best you can. You'll probably end up with one ugly duckling biscuit at the end; Legacy Kitchen rules dictate that the cook gets to eat that one first as "test" when they're out of the oven and cool.
- Mix the egg and water together until blended, and then brush it on the tops of the biscuits. Don't brush the sides, as this can impede the biscuits' rise. Bake on the middle rack for 12-15 mins. Then remove and transfer to a cooling rack.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!