Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits

NY Times recipe from Erin Jeanne Mcdowell who states, “These biscuits are golden and crisp outside, light and fluffy inside, and wonderfully cheesy inside and out. They come together in minutes, and triple basting them in butter (before baking, halfway through baking and once more when they come out of the oven) really takes them over the top. 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. Inspired by Red Lobster’s buttery biscuits, these are drop-style, which means you just scoop up the batter and gently plop it onto baking sheets. Try to handle the dough gently to avoid compressing it, which can result in a less-than-fluffy biscuit.”

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Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits

  • Total time: 1 Hour
  • Servings: 12 Servings

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups (385 g) All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 3/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Sweet or Hot Paprika
  • 1/2 Cup (115 g) Cold Unsalted Butter (1 Stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 6 Tbsp (85 g) Melted Unsalted Butter
  • 8 oz (225 g) Sharp or Extra-Sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 packed cups)
  • 1 Cup (240 ml) Buttermilk
  • 1 Large Egg

Directions

  • 1)

    Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  • 2)

    In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.

  • 3)

    Stir in 1 1/2 cups (170g) of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it’s uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn’t get too soft or compressed.)

  • 4)

    Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup, 80g each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)

  • 5)

    Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won’t use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).

  • 6)

    Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.

  • 7)

    Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).

Notes

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020539-fluffy-cheddar-biscuits