Homemade Cheddar Biscuits (SUPER FLAKY!)

Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Biscuits on a baking tray.

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Cheddar Biscuits (SUPER FLAKY!)

My pillowy soft, super flaky Homemade Cheddar Biscuits are so delicious and addictive, I promise you won't be able to just have one! They're a crowd favorite and once you make them, these Cheddar Biscuits will become your new favorite, too! Makes about 12 biscuits

Prep Time40

Cook Time20

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Equipment

Ingredients

3 Cup All-purpose flour 400g
3/4 Cup Unsalted butter cut to 1” cubes and frozen
8 Oz Sharp Cheddar ice cold and shredded
1 TBSP + ¼ TSP Baking powder 10g
2 TSP Kosher salt 8g
1 1/2 TBSP Sugar 22g
1 TSP Baking soda 4g
½ Cup Fresh chives finely chopped
1 Cup Buttermilk ice cold
4 TBSP Clarified unsalted butter microwave butter for 45 seconds until melted, then spoon off the foam to create clarified butter

Instructions

Place flour, cubed butter, and sharp cheddar block in the freezer for 15 minutes to get the ingredients ice cold. Coarsely shred the sharp cheddar cheese with a cheese grater.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, kosher salt, sugar, and baking soda. Whisk to combine then add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients and mix in with a cold pastry cutter or a knife until the butter becomes pebble sized. Add the shredded cheese and chives and mix to incorporate.
Add the buttermilk and incorporate with a cold spoon until a rough, shaggy dough comes together.
Lay the dough out on a lightly floured surface and form into an 8” x 12” rectangle. Fold one third up toward the center, then fold the opposite side and flatten to about 1” thickness. Form into a uniform rectangle to cut biscuits in a 2x2 pattern.
Cut the dough into 3” circles with a jar or biscuit cutter. Take the leftover dough trimmings and create another rectangle to match the thickness of the original biscuits and cut the remaining dough.
Preheat oven to 425F. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper and brush the top with clarified butter.
Bake at 425F for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and flakey, or until a toothpick runs through the center of the biscuit cleanly.

Video

Notes

baking powder - use an aluminum free baking powder to avoid any aftertaste
baking soda - baking soda and (the acidity in) buttermilk creates carbon dioxide gas, which helps the biscuits rise tall and fluffy.
buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to whole milk. You can also substitute with whole milk - the biscuits will be more tender than tall and fluffy. I don't recommend using a lower fat or non-dairy milk, as the biscuits won't have the same richness in flavor.

Use a digital kitchen scale to measure out the dry ingredients by the gram. Measuring spoons/cups are inconsistent - you want to use the exact grams for each ingredient for best results.

Freeze everything for 15 minutes, even the dry ones, as well as your tools! The dough needs to be as cold as possible for the the butter remain cold until baking - when the butter melts during baking, they'll release steam and create pockets of air - this is how the layers of dough get flaky on the inside!

Storage (including freezing) and reheating:

Store any baked Cheddar Biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 days - either room temperature or in the refrigerator.
You can freeze both unbaked or baked biscuits in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. For unbaked biscuits, you can bake them straight from the freezer. For baked biscuits, reheat in a 300ºF oven until warmed through (usually 20 min in my oven).
You can also store dough in the rectangular shape, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or the in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator before cutting circles and baking.

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