Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

Fresh baked goods are one of the greatest things ever, in my humble opinion. So, whenever I have a moment to whip up a fresh batch of anything, I go for it.

These Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits are totally amazing. The recipe is a Barefoot Contessa from her cookbook called "Back to Basics."

Now, buttermilk is not an ingredient I have on the ready like ever. But, you can make up your own buttermilk substitute on the fly with regular old milk and a lemon. Simply measure out a scant 1 cup of milk and add 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice. Stir and let it hang out for 5 minutes. Voila. Buttermilk. For this recipe, you just need a half cup of buttermilk.

I made these biscuits the last time I made a buffalo chicken salad. Here's a pic:

 Link to that awesome recipe is here: Buffalo Chicken Salad

These biscuits would obviously rock with a brunch situation. I also feel like they would be amazing with a chowder or a stew or if you're whipping up a baked ham din.

You can totally use pre-shredded cheese. That's what I did (sorry, Ina.). Totally top each biscuit with a pinch of flaky sea salt. It's the ultimate finishing touch. They are so super amaze. You will definitely eat a whole bunch. I love this recipe because each biscuit looks unique. I love the whole misshapen quadrangle situation that is going on. Yay!

Here's a pro tip with the butter. Cut it into cubes and just leave it on the butter wrapper to easily dump it into the mixing bowl. I like to chop the butter first and put it back in the refrigerator to keep it super cold for biscuits and pie crusts. Then I measure out all my other ingredients. When it's time to make the dough, just pop out your cubed butter from the fridge. Gotta be prepared! And you totally do not want soft butter for flaky perfect biscuits.

Here's the recipe for the biscuits:

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
Makes 8 biscuits
From "Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics"
By Ina Garten

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a handful
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra large egg
1 cup grated extra sharp Cheddar
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water or milk
A sprinkle of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place 2 cups flour, the baking powder and kosher salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small glass measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the cheddar cheese with a small handful of flour and, with the mixer on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about six times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 5 by 10 inches.

With a sharp, floured knife cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

Can I Get a Biscuit?

Why yes, you can.

Biscuits from scratch sound daunting, but trust me, peeps. They are a snap to make. Probably because biscuits don’t require a lot of ingredients: Flour, cold cold cold butter, salt, baking powder, a lil’ sugar, half-and-half, and some parsley or chives for color.

I always have all the above on hand, so when I was craving a biscuit straight from the oven recently, I got to work.

Perhaps, the trickiest thing may be the light kneading you need to do right before you cut out the biscuits. If you are a scaredy pants baker, this may be the one step that pushes you away from making biscuits. But, please don’t run for the hills. You can’t do it wrong. Once your dough forms a nice, smooth rectangle, you successfully kneaded it into submission.

The biscuit recipe I use is from the Barefoot Contessa aka Ina Garten. I love her. I’m providing the link for the recipe and it is listed below. It also appears in her cookbook, “Barefoot Contessa Family Style.” I highly recommend the book. It is fabulous, as she would say.

Hot biscuits straight from the Jersey Girl's oven. Yummy.

Chive Biscuits
By Ina Garten
From "Barefoot Contessa Family Style"

Makes about 8 biscuits.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives or fresh parsley leaves
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. With the mixer on low, add the half-and-half and beat until just mixed. Add the chives and mix until just combined.

Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and knead lightly into a rectangle 3/4-inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with the egg wash.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are firm. Serve warm.