Gruyere and Herb Buttermilk Biscuits
By Stephanie PixleyPublished on January 27, 2022
Time
1¼ hours, plus 45 minutes chilling and cooling
Yield
Makes 9 biscuits
Ingredients
Before You Begin
In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture, grater, and bowl before use. The dough will start out very crumbly and dry in pockets but will be smooth by the end of the folding process, so don't be tempted to add extra buttermilk. Flour the counter and the top of the dough as needed to prevent sticking, but be careful not to incorporate large pockets of flour into the dough when folding. You can use cheddar cheese in place of the Gruyère, if you prefer. For even more decadence, serve the biscuits with Herb Butter.
Instructions
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, parsley, chives, baking powder, baking soda, minced sage, and table salt together in large bowl. Coat sticks of butter in flour mixture, then grate 7 tablespoons from each stick on large holes of box grater directly into flour mixture. Toss gently to combine. Set aside remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
- Using rubber spatula, gently fold buttermilk into flour mixture until just combined (dough will look dry). Transfer dough to liberally floured counter. Dust surface of dough with flour; using your floured hands, press dough into rough 7-inch square.
- Roll dough into 12 by 9-inch rectangle with short side parallel to counter edge. Starting at bottom of dough and using bench scraper or metal spatula, fold into thirds like business letter. Press top of dough firmly to seal folds. Using bench scraper, turn dough 90 degrees clockwise. Repeat rolling into 12 by 9-inch rectangle, folding into thirds, and turning clockwise 3 more times, for a total of 4 sets of folds, sprinkling with extra flour as needed.
- Roll out dough into 12 by 9-inch rectangle, then sprinkle with Gruyère, leaving bottom 4 inches and ½-inch border around top and sides clear of cheese. Using bench scraper, fold cheese-free bottom third of dough up over center, then fold center up over top, tucking any cheese that may have escaped back underneath top fold. Press to seal, then roll dough into 8½-inch square, about 1 inch thick. Transfer dough to prepared sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Transfer dough to lightly floured cutting board. Using sharp, floured chef's knife, trim ¼ inch of dough from each side of square; discard. Cut remaining dough into 9 squares, flouring knife after each cut. Arrange biscuits at least 1 inch apart on now-empty sheet and place 1 sage leaf on top of each biscuit. Melt reserved 2 tablespoons butter, then brush sage leaves and tops of biscuits with melted butter.
- Bake until tops are golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer biscuits to wire rack, sprinkle with sea salt, and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Time
1¼ hours, plus 45 minutes chilling and coolingYield
Makes 9 biscuitsIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Crisp and crunchy on the outside, tender and as light as air on the inside, with hundreds of flaky layers flavored with cheese and fresh herbs, these are the most indulgent biscuits you'll ever eat. They rise up tall and true with strata that peel apart like sheets of buttery paper, thanks to our simplified lamination process. Rather than create a challenging butter “block” in the classic French style, coat frozen butter sticks in the flour mixture and then grate them directly into the flour. After adding buttermilk, take the dough through a sequence of rolling and folding to create the multitude of flaky layers. Using butter only (rather than incorporating shortening) ensures the right amount of hydration in the dough (butter contains water, whereas shortening does not). More hydration means a better gluten structure—the better to support all those layers. We prefer King Arthur brand all-purpose flour in this recipe, but other brands will work. Use sticks of butter.
Before You Begin
In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture, grater, and bowl before use. The dough will start out very crumbly and dry in pockets but will be smooth by the end of the folding process, so don't be tempted to add extra buttermilk. Flour the counter and the top of the dough as needed to prevent sticking, but be careful not to incorporate large pockets of flour into the dough when folding. You can use cheddar cheese in place of the Gruyère, if you prefer. For even more decadence, serve the biscuits with Herb Butter.
Instructions
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, parsley, chives, baking powder, baking soda, minced sage, and table salt together in large bowl. Coat sticks of butter in flour mixture, then grate 7 tablespoons from each stick on large holes of box grater directly into flour mixture. Toss gently to combine. Set aside remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
- Using rubber spatula, gently fold buttermilk into flour mixture until just combined (dough will look dry). Transfer dough to liberally floured counter. Dust surface of dough with flour; using your floured hands, press dough into rough 7-inch square.
- Roll dough into 12 by 9-inch rectangle with short side parallel to counter edge. Starting at bottom of dough and using bench scraper or metal spatula, fold into thirds like business letter. Press top of dough firmly to seal folds. Using bench scraper, turn dough 90 degrees clockwise. Repeat rolling into 12 by 9-inch rectangle, folding into thirds, and turning clockwise 3 more times, for a total of 4 sets of folds, sprinkling with extra flour as needed.
- Roll out dough into 12 by 9-inch rectangle, then sprinkle with Gruyère, leaving bottom 4 inches and ½-inch border around top and sides clear of cheese. Using bench scraper, fold cheese-free bottom third of dough up over center, then fold center up over top, tucking any cheese that may have escaped back underneath top fold. Press to seal, then roll dough into 8½-inch square, about 1 inch thick. Transfer dough to prepared sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Transfer dough to lightly floured cutting board. Using sharp, floured chef's knife, trim ¼ inch of dough from each side of square; discard. Cut remaining dough into 9 squares, flouring knife after each cut. Arrange biscuits at least 1 inch apart on now-empty sheet and place 1 sage leaf on top of each biscuit. Melt reserved 2 tablespoons butter, then brush sage leaves and tops of biscuits with melted butter.
- Bake until tops are golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer biscuits to wire rack, sprinkle with sea salt, and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
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