Cheddar & Garlic Buttermilk Bicuits

If you love those tasty cheddar bay biscuits from that famous seafood restaurant, I think you will love these. These cheddar & garlic biscuits work so well for a few different reasons. Garlic powder evenly distributes garlic flavor throughout each bite. If you were to use fresh garlic there is a chance you wouldn’t get a garlic taste in every bite. Shredding your own block of cheddar cheese allows for the cheese to melt more into the biscuit. Cold butter gives the biscuit a tender flakey crumb that is outstanding. The folding method I will teach you helps to build those delicious layers. Let’s get started.

If you are using a pastry cutter/blender, cut the butter into cubes and add to your whisked garlic & flour mixture. If you don’t have a pastry blender, simply grate the butter against a cheese grated instead of cutting into cubes.

You’ll cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse crumb, like the above photo. A few chunks are okay.

When you add your shredded cheese, mix it together well so that each shred seems to be coated in flour. A couple clumps are okay, but we want it to be as even as we can make it so each bite is equally cheesy.

Then add the buttermilk, egg and honey. I like to do this by whisking the egg into the buttermilk. I find that doing it this way is much easier to incorporate the egg evenly. You’ll mix it with a sturdy spoon until it is mixed about halfway, and then dump it onto the counter top to work it the rest of the way with your hands.

Work the dough with your hands until it comes together and is no longer crumbly. If it is too sticky, add a little flour. I usually always have to add a bit of flour to mine.

This step is important, so don’t skip it. Flatten the dough out with your hands to about 1/2 inch thick. Then fold it in half. Repeat this for a total of 3 folds. Don’t unfold the dough each time, instead, just flatten it back down by pressing on the dough with your hands. This is where the flakey layers are created.

Then you’ll flatten it down again, to the thickness you want your biscuits. I like mine to be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Cut your biscuits with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass. When you cut the biscuits, do not twist while you are cutting them out. This may cause the edges to seal and they won’t rise as tall as they should. Instead, just press down and release.

Bake the biscuits touching together.. they will help each other rise instead of spreading out. Team work!

And there you have it, deliciously flakey cheddar & garlic biscuits!

Cheddar & Garlic Buttermilk Biscuits (makes about 20)

Ingredients:

• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold butter (2 sticks)
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups buttermilk / DIY Sourmilk*
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 heaping tablespoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Cut the cold butter into small chunks and work them into the flour mixture with a pastry blender/cutter (you could also shred the cold butter with a cheese grater and mix it in with a wooden spoon) until it resembles a coarse crumb. See above photos for an example.
4. Add the shredded cheese and mix well so the cheese shreds are coated in the flour/butter mixture. Add the buttermilk, egg and honey. I find the easiest way to incorporate the egg is to whisk it into the buttermilk before adding it.
5. Combine the dough a little more than halfway and then dump it out onto a floured countertop. Work the dough the rest of the way with your hands. If it is too sticky add more flour little by little. Once the dough has come together, flatten it with your hands and fold it in half. Flatten it back out (don’t unfold it) with your hands and fold again. Repeat this process one more time, for a total of three folds. Flatten it back out to about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch and cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter or mason jar.
6. Place biscuits in a baking dish or cast iron pan, so that the biscuits are touching each other on all sides. You can brush the tops with buttermilk, or leave them plain. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and biscuits have risen.
7. Let the biscuits cool in the baking dish and brush the tops with melted butter while still warm. Enjoy!

** DIY Sourmilk: In your measuring cup or bowl, add two tablespoons of vinegar. Then add your milk/half&half to the vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until it starts to curdle. Stir it and then use as you would buttermilk.