Recipes

Cheddar Biscuits

Mark Hosack

Hudson’s Bar and Grill at The Heathman Lodge, Vancouver, WA

Mark Hosack’s dinner at the Beard House was dedicated to intrepid explorers Lewis and Clark. As an accompaniment to his meal he served biscuits, an American favorite that has been part of our culinary vocabulary since the early 1800s.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the work surface
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Method

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter to the bowl, and—using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips—cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir the cheese into the bowl.

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg and 1 cup buttermilk. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined, being careful not to overmix.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. With floured hands, pat out to a uniform 1 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out rounds with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter. You can form the scraps of dough into another biscuit.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the biscuits with remaining buttermilk. Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Yield

12 biscuits