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Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
updated Jan 31, 2020
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How to make easy, flaky buttermilk biscuits, studded with sharp cheddar, smoky bacon and fragrant green onion.
Makes10 biscuitsPrep30 minutesCook25 minutes to 30 minutesreviews
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I’m a huge fan of classic buttermilk biscuits (and strongly believe every home baker should master them), but this bacon cheddar biscuit might be my new favorite. The flaky buttermilk layers are studded with sharp cheddar, smoky bacon, and fragrant green onion — making them a starring side dish for your brunch table (or even just an accompaniment to a simple tomato soup). Here’s how to make your new favorite biscuit.
Easy, Flaky Cheddar Biscuits
Years of biscuit making have taught me that the fastest way to flakier biscuits is to grate cold butter on a box grater before adding it to your dry ingredients. Because the butter pieces are so small, you don’t have to work them into the dough as much, meaning you can get the biscuits into the oven more quickly. Those small bits of butter are still cold when the biscuits hit the hot oven, and as the butter steams and melts, it helps lift up the dough to form those flaky layers we all love.
It’s also important to fold the dough onto itself several times. Typically eight to 10 folds are perfect for most conditions, but if your dough feels sticky, don’t hesitate to add a little more flour and keep folding. You’re looking for dough that is slightly springy when pressed before you cut the biscuits.
While the bacon and green onions are entirely optional, be sure to leave the cheddar in place — it accounts for some of the fat that helps create these tender, flaky biscuits.
Cheddar Biscuits
How to make easy, flaky buttermilk biscuits, studded with sharp cheddar, smoky bacon and fragrant green onion.
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes to 30 minutes
Makes 10 biscuits
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 2 cups
all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
- 2 teaspoons
baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons
(1 stick) cold unsalted butter
- 1 cup
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 slices
bacon, cooked and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4
medium scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped
- 1 cup
buttermilk
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 450°F.
Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Place a box grater over a small piece of parchment paper or the butter’s wrapper. Grate the cold butter on the large holes of the grater. When you get down to a small nub of butter, chop that nub into 5 to 6 small pieces. Use the piece of paper as a sling to transfer the butter from the grater to the flour mixture.
Add the cheese, bacon, and scallions. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until well combined. Quickly pour in the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick rough rectangle about the size of a sheet of paper with a short side facing you. Sprinkle the dough with a little more flour if needed. Fold the dough onto itself vertically and pat it down (this makes the flaky layers of the biscuits). Fold the dough in half horizontally. Pat it back down to the same size rectangle. Repeat the folding and patting for a total of 8 to 10 folds. The dough should be a little springy.
Pat the dough into a 1-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut as many biscuits as you can (about 6). Gather the scraps into a rectangle, refold, and pat down before cutting the remaining dough (you'll likely get about 4 more, for a total of 10 biscuits).
Transfer the biscuits to a rimmed baking sheet, they should touch each other but not the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Immediately transfer the biscuits to a clean kitchen towel to keep warm for serving.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The biscuits can be made through cutting and frozen for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen as directed.
Vegetarian cheddar biscuits: These biscuits can be made without bacon and are just as tasty.
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baked goods
Baking
Bread
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Cheese
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