Cheddar Scallion Buttermilk Biscuits – Your New Favorite Recipe
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When you google, cheddar scallion buttermilk biscuits, you will get over 45 thousand search results. But I still decided that the world needed another recipe to choose from. This is because I had a long list of requirements that I just could not find in any recipe that I tried. And when I say long list, I mean long.
The biscuits had to be:
- Cheesy
- Flavorful
- Crispy on top and bottom
- Layered with a tender interior
- Not dry (because I won’t use the M-word)
- Quick to assemble
- Made without a food processor
I absolutely hate using a food processor. I only use it if there is absolutely no other way around it. The biggest reason is because it just makes a huge mess. It flings food particles all around the kitchen and takes up like 3/4 of the dishwasher when you break all the pieces down. So I’ve come up with way to eliminate my kitchen arch nemesis.
Keys to making the best cheddar scallion buttermilk biscuits
The first big key is to not add more buttermilk, even though you may think it needs it. The dough starts off as a shaggy mess, but you’re going to have to trust me. The dough will come together as the flour hydrates during the lamination process.
Like I mentioned previously, I went through quite a few recipes and none really hit the spot. This recipe from Bon Appetit is close and I have adapted it for mine. One of the biggest issues with the recipe is that the directions aren’t clear about working the dough. If you read through the comments on the recipe you can see what I’m talking about.
The second big key is to not overwork the dough during the lamination process. Overworking the dough will form excess gluten. And gluten will lead to tough biscuits. And nobody likes tough biscuits.
The lamination process is what forms those oh-so wonderful flakey layers. This step is really where the magic happens and gives the biscuits their light and airy texture. So don’t overdo it!
Tools to get the job done
You don’t need a food processor for this recipe but you will need a box grater and a bench scraper. I personally own these items and they are relatively cheap, especially when compared to a food processor. They are also extremely useful and they belong in every kitchen. Especially, the box grater because you should always be shredding cheese from a block and never buying a pre-shredded bag of cheese.
Another item that I think is essential in the kitchen is a food scale. I use it all the time and not just for baking. Besides baking, I will weight out burger portions and coffee beans and all other random tasks in the kitchen. It is an extremely handy tools to have. I have provided the cup and tablespoons approximations in the recipe but ideally the weight measurement is best.
Final Thoughts
I know I should love all my recipes equally, but this one I just love a little bit more. It’s the perfect combination of taste and texture while not being overly difficult to make. Plus you can freeze them and just bake them whenever you want!
You can also cut them into circles with biscuit cutters but you will not get as many biscuits. Square biscuits are ideal in this case because you will maximize the amount of dough and not ruin any of those layers you worded so hard to develop. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Pro tip: enjoy them is warm with a drizzle of honey!
Cheddar Scallion Buttermilk Biscuits
Equipment
- dough scraper
- box grater
- food scale
Ingredients
- 475 grams all purpose flour about 3 cups (plus more for dusting)
- 10 grams sugar about 2 teaspoons
- 7 grams kosher salt about 1 teaspoon
- 12 grams baking powder about 2 teaspoons
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ pound salted butter frozen solid
- 1 cup buttermilk as cold as possible
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 scallions diced fine, greens only about 4 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
Prepare the biscuit dough
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk to combine
- Using the box grater, grate the frozen sticks of butter.
- Add the grated butter to the flour mixture. Use your fingertips to gently massage the grated butter and flour mixture together. Don't overwork it. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just break up as many of the large clumps as possible.
- Slowly add the buttermilk to the butter/flour mixture 1 ounce at at time. Use a fork to flick the mixture around to incorporate. Work in batches to evenly distribute the buttermilk into the butter/flour. The mixture will not look like dough but DO NOT ADD MORE BUTTERMILK. The flour needs time to hydrate and it will eventually come together. Trust me.
- Set the dough aside the grate the cheddar cheese and dice the scallions. Combine in a small bowl and set aside.
Laminate the biscuit dough
- Pour the dough mixture onto a large cutting board. I will be very crumbly but do not add any more buttermilk.
- Using the dough scraper, push the dough into a 6 inch X 8 inch rectangle. It should be approximately 1 inch high.
- Cut the rectangle into 3 sections.
- Stack the three sections on top of each other with ⅙th (approximately) of the cheese/scallion mixture stuffed in-between the sections. It will still be a crumbly mess but it will soon start to come together.
- Repeat this process two more times. If the dough starts to becoming sticky, dust with a little bit of flour.
- Form a rectangle
- Split into thirds.
- After laminating the dough for a total of three times, finally stack the sections and sandwich the cheese/scallions in-between. Then form into one last 6 inch x 8 inch rectangle.
Prepare for immediate baking
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut biscuit rectangle into 12 squares, approximately 2 inches x 2 inches a piece.
- Place the entire sheet pan in the freezer. Set your oven to 425°
- After the oven has pre-heated, remove the sheet pan biscuits from the freezer and brush the tops with a very light coating of melted butter (1 tablespoon of the melted butter, save the other tablespoon for when the biscuits are done)
- Place the biscuits in the oven and set a timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes reduce the temperature to 400. Keep baking for another 15 – 20 minutes or until the tops are starting to turn golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from oven the brush with another light coating of butter. Serve warm and enjoy!
Optional freezing for later use then baking
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut biscuit rectangle into 12 squares, approximately 2 inches x 2 inches a piece.
- Place the entire sheet pan in the freezer. Let the biscuits freeze until rock hard (about 1 hour) before bagging and storing.
- When ready to bake, set your oven to 425°.
- After the oven has pre-heated, remove the biscuits from the freezer and line up on a parchment line sheetpan. Brush the tops with a very light coating of melted butter (1 tablespoon of the melted butter, save the other tablespoon for when the biscuits are done)
- Place the biscuits in the oven and set a timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes reduce the temperature to 400. Keep baking for another 20 – 25 minutes or until the tops are starting to turn golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from oven the brush with another light coating of butter. Serve warm and enjoy!
