August 23, 2019
CHEDDAR BACON BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
Biscuits have been at the center of just about all my Sunday suppers for as far back as I can remember. I’ve created dozens of biscuit variations from sweet to savory…but these Cheddar Bacon Buttermilk Biscuits are always a hit – and they are really easy to make as well. The first rule in making biscuits is that you must always be gentle in the final mixing stage – for treating the dough too roughly after adding the wet ingredients will activate the gluten in the flour and make them like hockey pucks…way too tough. Treat the dough like a baby’s bottom and you’ll create of light and airy biscuit every time.
You can make these biscuits in miniature – cut in half and serve with country ham and cayenne peach preserves for a wonderful bar bite at your next cocktail party. Or fry up some buttermilk fried chicken and put it between one of these sliced large biscuits with some honey butter and you’ve got the perfect weekend picnic lunch everyone with dive for.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks cold butter (cut into small cubes)
- 8 slices crispy crumbled bacon (I prefer applewood smoked bacon)
- 1 1/4 cups shredded yellow Cracker Barrel (or Tillamook) cheddar cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Marburger Full Fat Gourmet Buttermilk (can be purchased at Publix)
- Melted butter for tops of biscuits before and after baking
PREHEAT OVEN: 425 degrees
STEP ONE
Place bacon on foil lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until crispy – place on paper towel. When cooled, crumble in to small pieces
STEP TWO
Cut butter and keep cold. Crack egg into buttermilk and beat with a fork until well combined
STEP THREE
Place all dry ingredients in food processor and pulse until combined. Add cold butter and pulse until butter is pea size. Pour into large mixing bowl and add the bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. Combine the cheese and bacon completely into the dry ingredients.
STEP FOUR
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in buttermilk and egg mixture. Using a dinner fork, “gently” mix together until it forms a ball. Be very sure to not over mix this dough. Just bring it together. Turn out onto a lightly floured board or surface. Gently pat out using your hands or a rolling pin – to about a ½” thickness.
Using a sharp edge biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and place on a parchment lined baking sheet about an inch apart from each other. Brush with melted butter. Bake in the middle of the oven, for 16 to 20 minutes until golden brown, rotating sheet pan about half way through the baking process. When they come out of the oven – brush again with melted butter.