Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits Recipe (2024)

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B

These turned out really great as is, however, I agree with the other comment on the sweetness. I would cut the sugar to only 1 tablespoon. As an experienced home cook and baker, even as I added the sugar, I was thinking it'll be too much for my taste so I should have known better. The sweetness took away from the sharp cheddar taste, unfortunately. Still delicious, but less sugar needed for sure.

RLS

In the UK we call these cheese scones and as they are meant to be savoury would never add sugar. I swapped out the garlic for chopped chives (or small amounts of finely chopped green onions) for a much nicer flavour. Really good if you add a teaspoon of dried english mustard powder - Colmans of course - to the flour.

Jo

Shred frozen butter on a box grater instead of cubed pieces. Butter remains cold and quickly mixes, resulting in a foolproof tender biscuit.

Gretchen

These biscuits were a bit sweet for my taste. If I make them again, I'll cut down on the sugar.

LH

Yes. I pulsed the dry ingredients to mix, added the cubed butter and pulsed again until the dough had a pebbly texture, added the cheese and pulsed until dispersed, then added the buttermilk/egg mix, and pulsed just until the dough came together in a ball. The biscuits turned out fluffy, cheesy, and delicious. I think the key is to be careful not to overmix after you add the wet to the dry ingredients.

Deborah

I took cues from the notes, used 1 tbsp sugar and fresh garlic, also strong paprika, lots. They were excellent, and I'm going to make them again for Thanksgiving.

Lulu

Made these twice. Second time with pepper jack instead of cheddar. Great side with chili. I also found that they were fluffier when I mixed with my hands rather than a spoon. I patted the combined dough into a loose rectangle and used my bench scraper to cut into 12 squares. Less handling than stirring and scooping.

MaryRita

After reading the comments, I used 1.5 Tbsp of sugar, 1 tsp of Colman’s dried mustard, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 2 finely minced scallions. I did have to add a little more buttermilk to bring the dough together. And I omitted the last brushing of melted butter on the the finished biscuits. They came out great!

B

For anyone who wants ideas on how to up the flavor, we did this and it was such a treat: Trader Joe's had a bacon cheddar, used 1/2 that and 1/2 sharp. Fresh garlic run through a microplane to taste (I used about a tsp), 1/4 t smoked paprika, 1/4 t chipotle powder, 1/4 t ancho powder. Dash of oregano and a bit of finely chopped scallion (green part). Like others, only 1 T sugar.Did half as suggested on a baking sheet, other half in a mini muffin tin leaving room to rise. The minis were best.

Fluufy Cheddar Biscuits

Leave out some of the sugar and use chopped garlic instead of garlic powder

Heather

I whipped up the dough before I read the comments (silly me!) and was worried about the sugar content as I’m not a fan of sweet in a savory biscuit — but to my surprise, they weren’t too sweet at all. We used really good, really old cheddar, which was the predominant flavor, and a very high quality smoked paprika. Maybe that helped?These also freeze and reheat nicely — pop ‘em in the oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

d4v1d

This recipe surprised me by how well it turned out. Two notes: 1) Quarter teaspoon of hot paprika did not register; I'll try cayenne next time. And more of it. 3) To get twelve out of this, I put 1/3 cup (not 1/2) on the sheet pans.

David

I read the comments about omitting or reducing the amount of sugar. Despite the experienced bakers' advice, I questioned the chemical-reaction need for sugar. Jeanne McDowell wrote " You may be tempted to skip the 3 tablespoons of sugar in this otherwise savory biscuit, but don’t: It’s the secret to the biscuit’s tender interior." I would heed McDowell's guidance or make a different biscuit.

Barbara

Regarding sugar: here is an article from the Seattle Times about the various functions of sugar in baking, among them moisture and air retention: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/sugar-adds-more-than-sweetness-to-baked-goods-heres-what-to-know-before-you-cut-it/

Bobbi Loewy

Agree with Gretchen, way too sweet for me! Next time I'll go with 1 Tbsp.

teacherhansen

this was a great "reuse" strategy for the high quality nubs of cheese that were drying out in my fridge. I made the recipe as directed except halved everything (to make 6 biscuits). didn't melt butter--just dabbed extra on top (doesn't it melt in the oven?). fluffy inside, crispy outside. Flavorwise, the jury is out--I found the garlic powder/paprika combo to taste like a processed food boxed product--but my husband loved it. He'll have the remainder for breakfast with eggs (and bacon?)

Jim P

These were delicious. I wasn’t sure about all the butter basting, especially during the middle of baking when there was butter from the biscuits all over the pan. But I followed the recipe and the end result was beautiful.

BLS

Easy to make and delicious. A win in our house! I didn't bother with the second or third brushing of melted butter - they were absolutely delicious without.

BLS

Per my first comment: these were fabulous! I forgot to note that I adjusted two things based on previous comments and would do the same again:- Reduced the sugar and added only a scant tablespoon. These definitely don't need more sugar than that.- Added a heaped tablespoon Dijon mustard to the egg and buttermilk. English mustard powder would have been better, but I didn't have this on hand. I agree with previous posts that this is an excellent complimentary flavor to the sharp cheddar.

EP

Added chives to make these cheddar chive biscuits, and delicious!

Lilit

Add less sugar and may be a bit hot pepper

Lulu

These turned out bland and sweet, which surprised me because of how much cheese went into them. I blame myself for not tasting along the way. It also confirms my suspicion that unsalted butter it a waste - salted butter would have really helped the flavor.

Linda

didn't add any sugar, halved the recipe and yielded 7 biscuits, didn't shy on paprika, mixed everything in food processor, put them on sheet and stuck in fridge until ready to bake. delish

Tim G.

You can greatly simplify this recipe by skipping the buttering and “cheesing” the tops of the biscuits before and during baking. I skipped the buttering—the recipe has plenty of fat and flavor already—and just added all the cheese to the dough. The biscuits still turned out great. To add a little depth of flavor, I used smoked paprika. But to each his/her own on that, I suspect.

Jaimie

I am wondering if you can make the batter the day before and then cook them right before you serve them? That would certainly make it easier with all my other Thanksgiving cooking!

Joseph

I enjoyed these but I think they needed a little more salt. I used 1 tablespoon of sugar and thought that they turned out pretty fluffy. I agree with the other commenters -- extra paprika or cayenne would be a nice touch,

Crisp and fluffy

I'll add more garlic powder next time and maybe more salt. The flavor came out kind of muted.

Cathy

Oh my. I had to tie my hands behind my back to eat only one per sitting. I can't wait to make these for the family when they visit! Definitely too rich for a regular habit, but sure want to. I used just one Tbsp. sugar, but after reading about chemical reactions and all, I'll try the full amt. next time.

Mamajill

Made as directed by the genius EJM. Delicious , tender biscuits. Accompanied by sliced apples they made a perfect lunch.

Anne

I haven’t had Red Lobster biscuits, but assume from the recipe they are pretty bland. I read the notes and followed the recipe exactly. The biscuits were beautiful but sitting in butter even before the last dowsing. Since I didn’t pick up cheesiness, sweetness, saltiness, garlic or heat, I assume what’s really needed is more salt and black pepper.

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Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to an excellent biscuit? ›

Use Cold Butter for Biscuits

For flaky layers, use cold butter. When you cut in the butter, you have coarse crumbs of butter coated with flour. When the biscuit bakes, the butter will melt, releasing steam and creating pockets of air. This makes the biscuits airy and flaky on the inside.

How can I get my biscuits to rise higher? ›

Keep the oven hot.

When baking buttery treats like biscuits, the key is to bake them at a temperature where the water in the butter turns quickly to steam. This steam is a big part of how the biscuits achieve their height, as it evaporates up and out.

Why did my biscuits not get fluffy? ›

Cold butter is key to making your biscuits fluffy. Warm butter will be absorbed into the flour and prevent them becoming all fluffy. Its similar to making pie crust. Cold butter will not be fully absorbed by the flour which means you will have small chunks visible in the dough.

What happens when you add more butter to biscuits? ›

Increasing the amount of butter definitely makes the biscuit "taste" softer, more crumbly, and more flaky.

What kind of flour makes the best biscuits? ›

As far as brands of flour, White Lily “all-purpose” flour has been my go-to for biscuit making. It's a soft red winter wheat, and the low protein and low gluten content keep biscuits from becoming too dense.

Should you chill biscuit dough before baking? ›

But if you chill your pan of biscuits in the fridge before baking, not only will the gluten relax (yielding more tender biscuits), the butter will harden up. And the longer it takes the butter to melt as the biscuits bake, the more chance they have to rise high and maintain their shape. So, chill... and chill.

Is buttermilk or heavy cream better for biscuits? ›

Heavy Cream.

The heavy cream adds flavor to the biscuit by adding a little more fat and helps hydrate the dough. The extra fat in the heavy cream is helpful because buttermilk in stores is often “low-fat” buttermilk.

What ingredient most caused the biscuits to rise? ›

While biscuits receive some leavening power from chemical sources — baking powder and baking soda — the difference between serviceable and greatness comes from the extra rise that steam provides. In order to generate steam, the oven must be set at a minimum of 425 degrees for at least 10 minutes prior to baking.

How long do you let biscuits rise before baking? ›

Biscuits are a type of quick bread (because they require no rising time before baking) with their moon in pastry.

How do you keep biscuits Fluffy? ›

Low-protein flours keep biscuits fluffy and light, never tough. Yogurt provides both hydration and structure, for biscuits that bake up straight and tall but moist. Baking soda neutralizes some of the yogurt's acidity, helping the biscuits to brown.

What is the best temperature to bake biscuits? ›

If you have time, prepare the biscuits up to the point they're on the pan before preheating your oven. Place the pan of biscuits in the refrigerator while you preheat your oven to 425°F, or for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Why are my homemade biscuits so dense? ›

The reason: The butter has not been incorporated evenly, leaving pockets of your cooked biscuits that are dry, dense, and filled with flour.

Are biscuits better made with butter or crisco? ›

Crisco may be beneficial for other baking applications, but for biscuit making, butter is the ultimate champion!

Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›

Just as important as the fat is the liquid used to make your biscuits. Our Buttermilk Biscuit recipe offers the choice of using milk or buttermilk. Buttermilk is known for making biscuits tender and adding a zippy tang, so we used that for this test.

Is it better to make biscuits with cold or room temperature butter? ›

The cold chunks of butter are important because as they melt into the biscuit while baking they create tiny pockets of steam that puffs and lifts the dough. These pockets turn into that beautiful light and flaky texture we crave with biscuits.

What makes a high quality biscuit? ›

Use flour with low protein content

To make extra tender biscuits, you don't want to develop a lot of gluten. Flours with a higher protein content develop gluten more readily. To get the soft biscuits you're after, Catherine recommends using for an all-purpose flour with a small amount of protein.

What are the two most important steps in biscuit making? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid. When the biscuits hit the oven, the cold liquid will start to evaporate creating steam which will help our biscuits get very tall.

What makes southern biscuits so good? ›

Here's the Reason Biscuits in the South Really Are Better

The not-so-secret ingredient they rely upon is soft wheat flour. Soft wheat thrives in temperate, moist climates like that of the mid-Atlantic, so cooks in those areas have had access to its special flour for a long time.

What does cream of tartar do in biscuits? ›

As the biscuits rise, the carbon dioxide gas expands, creating pressure on the dough. This pressure can cause the dough to collapse without proper support. Cream of Tartar helps stabilize the dough structure, ensuring the biscuits maintain their shape and rise uniformly.

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