Recipe Notes
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You can substitute any style of cheddar you prefer. For the best texture, use freshly shredded cheese from a block, grated on the large holes of a box grater.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) reclamation gluten-free pastry flour
- 2 tsp (10g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (1.4g) baking soda
- ¾ tsp (4.7g) table salt
- 5 tbsp (71g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 cup (113g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (from block preferred, coarsely shredded on the large holes of a box grater)
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¾ cup (180g) buttermilk (full-fat preferred), cold
- melted butter, for brushing (salted or unsalted, as preferred)
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°F, with the oven rack in the middle position. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
Add the cubed butter and toss with the flour to coat. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until most of the butter is incorporated and it resembles a coarse meal, with only some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This step can also be done with a pastry blender or a food processor.
Add the shredded cheddar and toss the mixture to distribute evenly.
Step 3
Slowly drizzle the buttermilk into the flour mixture, while tossing and mixing with a silicone spatula. Doing this slowly and constantly tossing to expose dry areas will help to evenly moisten the flour mixture and result in a dough that is less wet and sticky.
Continue to gently mix with the spatula, using a cutting and folding motion, until all of the buttermilk is incorporated, and a shaggy dough forms with no dry pockets of flour remaining. Press the dough against the side of the bowl to bring it together.
Refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes. This rest allows the pastry flour to hydrate and makes the dough less sticky and easier to handle.
Step 4
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured silicone pastry mat or other work surface, and dust the top of the dough with additional flour. Use the heel of your hand or a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rough rectangle shape that is between ¼ inch and ½ inch thick. Fold the dough in half to create two layers, then repeat the flattening and folding process for a total of 5 folds. After the last fold, pat or roll the dough until it is ½ inch thick.
Baking Tip —
Dust with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking, but make sure to brush away any excess flour from the surface of the dough with a pastry brush before each fold to avoid incorporating too much additional flour. Use a bench scraper to loosen the dough from the work surface as needed, and scrape away any bits of dough that may stick to the surface.
Use a floured 2¼ inch biscuit cutter to cut out rounds, wiping the cutter clean and re-flouring as needed. Transfer the cut biscuits to the parchment lined sheet pan, brushing away any excess flour.
For the flakiest biscuits, freeze the cut biscuits for 10 minutes before baking.
Step 5
Bake the biscuits for 14 - 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown, and the internal temperature is about 206°F.
Remove from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter while still warm. Let the biscuits cool for at least 10 minutes before serving–this gives the starches time to set and will improve their texture.
