Down HOme

There’s something about biscuits that are so comforting, whether you grew up with them or not. These biscuits are buttery, flakey, and bonus- easy to make. Treat yourself this weekend with golden nuggets of delight.

Equipment:

Scale (if using- you should! )
Bench scraper or knife for cutting dough
Large bowl
Cookie or biscuit cutter (2-3 inches works best- I made smaller biscuits here, but prefer a bit bigger)
Baking sheet
Cooling rack

Makes- 6-8 biscuits

Jump to Recipe

Comfort 101

Maybe it’s just my Southern roots, but biscuits are one of the most comforting foods out there.

Products used:

Links provided below-

King Arthur All Purpose Flour- Any bread flour will do, King Arthur is just my preference. If you only have all purpose, go ahead and use it instead
Salted Flora or Miyoko’s Butter - These are my fave, but use whatever brand you prefer. Typically, I use unsalted butter for my baked goods to get a more reliable result (different butters have different levels of saltiness), but there are some cases (this being one of them) that I prefer to use salted.
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt- the chef’s salt for various reasons I won’t get into here, but…it contains 53% less sodium than standard salt, so that’s why I say to use half if you’re using Morton or table salt.
Follow Your Heart Cheddar- I wouldn’t say this is my definite favorite vegan cheese ( I quite like Violife ) but FYH is typically an easy one to find.

Biscuits with a twist

I would consider myself more of a biscuit purist, but sometimes, it’s fun to mix it up a bit- adding cheddar and chives does just that.

Notes:

Salt- Diamond Crystal Kosher is my preference, but if you use Morton or table salt, reduce the amount by half as Diamond is less salty than the two.

Measuring- Listen… just go ahead and get a scale! They’re cheap and the most accurate for baking. I use them to develop my recipes and do the best I can to convert to the cup measurements out of courtesy to those who don’t have one, but trust me, if you like to bake- it will be the best $20 dollars you spend to improve your recipes. If you still refuse, make sure that you use the scoop and level method to measure out your flour to avoid using more than the recipe calls for.

Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

480 g (4 C ) all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt ( half if using pink Himalayan, Morton or table salt- use 2 tsp. if using unsalted butter)
170 g salted vegan butter, cold
300 ml (1 1/4 C) plant milk, cold
1 T vinegar
3/4 C vegan cheddar cheese
3 T chives, finely chopped

Prep:

Add vinegar to milk and chill
Cube butter and set in the fridge until ready to use
Shred cheese if using a block
Finely chop rinsed and dried chives

size matters

Getting the butter to small walnut or almond-sized pieces goes a long way in helping get flakey, buttery biscuits.

Directions:

Add vinegar to milk, then set in the fridge to keep cold- mixing vinegar with milk makes a sort of vegan buttermilk situation that adds tang and depth of flavor.
In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk.
Add cold cubed butter and toss in flour, then smoosh cubes in the flour with your hands until you have walnut-sized butter pieces that are all coated in flour (don’t over mix- if butter starts to get warm, place the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up and then continue mixing together).
Add in cheese and chives and lightly toss with your hands.
Make a little well at the bottom of the bowl and pour in cold milk (start with 1 cup and add more if needed) gently toss to coat the flour, taking care not to mix again- the dough should be moist, but not too moist that it can’t be handled.
Turn the dough out onto a flat surface covered in flour, then gently press together to form a log of dough- about 2-3 inches thick.
Fold the dough in half, then pat it down. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough log in half and stack one half on the other. Pat down again- repeat 3 or 4 more times.
On the last fold and cut, make sure the dough is 3/4 to 1 inch thick.
Flour a round dough or cookie cutter and press straight down through the dough (don’t twist and turn or that seals up the edges) * you can also make square biscuits if you don’t have a cutter *
Press together dough scraps back into a log for cutting. Repeat until dough is gone.
Place dough rounds on a lined or buttered cookie sheet, right next to each other or “shoulder to shoulder” (this helps the biscuits to have a better rise) and place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm up the butter in the dough again- this also helps with flakiness. ** TOP TIP- store biscuits overnight in a covered container in the freezer or refrigerator and bake off in the morning! **
Remove from freezer and place cookie sheet on the middle rack (alternatively, you can bake in a cast iron pan) and bake 20-22 minutes or until tops and bottoms of biscuits are golden brown.
Brush with melted butter when biscuits come out of the oven, then let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack or a bowl lined with a towel to serve.
Serve warm with butter- pairs well with grits, tofu scramble, vegan fried chicken or make a breakfast sandwich.
Enjoy!

Dough Boy

Biscuit dough is made up of simple ingredients, but it can take some practice to get it right.

Tips on how to get flakey biscuits

Biscuits are easy to make, but can go wrong if you’re not careful. Here are some helpful tips for the most delicious biscuits.

Keep your butter cold! I find it more difficult to keep vegan butter from going melty, so I like to cube it, then stick it in the fridge before use.
Here’s a nice one… forget about the equipment. Your hands are your best tools with biscuits and help to ensure that you don’t over-mix your dough.
While I’m smooshing the butter and flour together (if it is getting too soft or warm), I’ll just pop it into the fridge to firm up again (about 5 minutes), then continue to get the butter to the proper size.
Speaking of size… it does matter. Getting your cold, flour covered butter to the size of walnuts or almonds will ensure a more flakey dough as opposed to pea-sized butter pieces, which will result in a more crumbly dough. However, if your butter doesn’t stay cold enough, you will end up with a gummy biscuit.
Folding and cutting create flakey layers. Its kinda the same idea as folding the dough for croissants or puff pastry- the folding, cutting, and layering helps to create delicious, flakey layers.