Cheddar Chive Biscuits | A Classic Recipe

Frenns! I love biscuits. Can you tell? I just feel as if they are such a diverse pastry. You can make them for breakfast, have them as a side, eat a biscuit for a snack, or eat with your dinner (and even dessert). This cheddar chive biscuit recipe fits the bill. 

To tell y’all the truth, southern biscuits and my ability to make them almost felt like I was failing at this cooking thing. Like no matter what I did I could never get this to taste “like home.” My unofficial taste test guide for most things I make. But then one day, I realized that every cook (good, ok, and learning cook) has their style. Many things can change a recipe – your location (geographically), the brand of ingredients, your oven, and the overall environment. Plus, cooking to me is a lot like art. It’s to interpretation. 

Cheddar Chive Biscuits

Print Recipe

An easy breakfast or dinner biscuit recipe.

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:15 minutes mins

Equipment

• Plastic spatula
• biscuit cutter
• pastry cutter (or fork)
• flour sifter
• cast iron skillet; or baking dish 
• Rolling Pin
• Large bowl 
• Pastry mat 

Ingredients

• 2 cups sifted self-rising flour plus 1/2 cup or more extra for dusting
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted cold butter
• 2 cups cold buttermilk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1/3 cup chopped chives
• spray butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425
• In a large bowl: Add the sifted flour. Then add the salt. Whisk to combine. 
• Using a pastry cutter- Cut 6 tablespoons of cold butter into flour mixture. The flour should be crumbly once the butter is completely cut in. 
• Create hole in the middle of the crumbly dough and pour cold milk slowly into the mix.
• Stir the flour with a spatula to incorporate the milk from the outside in each time adding more and more of the ingredients. Note: Do not stir quickly; the idea is to make sure the ingredients are fully incorporated. 
• Once the biscuit dough is completely mixed, add in sour cream. Stir. Then add the cheddar. Continue to stir outside in the cheese until incorporated. Be sure not to over mix. 
• Lastly, add the chives. Stir once or twice to ensure completely incorporated. The biscuits should feel sticky like glue. 
• Now prepare the pastry mat. Pour a shallow 1/2 cup of flour on the pastry mat and rolling pin.
• With your spatula, take the full amount of biscuits and add to dry flour on the pastry mat. Roll around in shallow flour to create a larger dough or a small ball. It should be dry on the outside, wet on the inside.  
• Flatten the dough into a square (can use a floured rolling pin or your hands but make sure your hands are floured). 
• Fold the dough. Gather it, then fold it again. The object is to create multiple layers. Once you have flattened and folded it 4-5 times its time to form biscuits. 
• Create a biscuit by cutting with the top of a cup or a biscuit cutter. You should be able to make at least two biscuits. Place the cut biscuits in the baking dish.
• Set the biscuits aside into the greased baking dish. 
• Make another fold to close the holes. Then cut some 2 more biscuits (or more if you have a smaller biscuit cutter). 
• Continue to repeat the above process to use all of the dough.The biscuits should be close to each other in the baking dish. 
• Once all the biscuits are formed and in the baking dish, place them in the oven for 8-12 min. When the biscuits are done, they will appear brown on the bottom and lightly brown on the top.

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: biscuits, buttermilk biscuits, cheddar biscuits

Servings: 6

There are a few things I believe, though, that can help you make successful biscuits every time. I list them below: 

• Sifted flour: I spent a lot of time-wasting flour making biscuits because they always seemed too heavy. They looked like biscuits, they tasted like biscuits, but they didn’t FEEL like biscuits. Once I started sifting my flour, it gave me the lightness I needed. I am partial to White Lilly (it’s probably the southern girl in me).
• Improper ratios of ingredients: I could never quite figure out the baking soda, baking powder, salt ratios. I even have a recipe with them but truth is…I add a little here or there to get it just right. That’s why I actually prefer self-rising flour. It takes out the guesswork. 
• Cold Ingredients: Cold Milk and butter is key. We often don’t realize that just taking them out of the fride and placing on the counter changes the temperature. We can also change the temperature due to our body heat (which is why I do not like to use my hands). You can counter this by placing your milk and butter in the freezer just before cooking. 
• Butter vs. Crisco: the great debate. I’ve found that I like and appreciate the crispness of biscuits with butter. Crisco gives you a softer biscuit. 
• My bowl: I like to use a metal bowl for biscuits. It helps to maintain temperature. 
• Stirring: The way you add the milk slowly and slowly (not quickly) stir. Making biscuits in this manner is NOT dump and go it’s more take your time and add ingredients slowly. 

If you feel like you’re biscuit deficient- do NOT give up. You can do it. 

Hopefully, this cheddar chive biscuit recipe is your best and most successful attempt.