082 / 100 · Breads, Spreads, and Little Bites
Cheddar and Chive Drop Biscuits
12 drop biscuits Active 15 min Total 40 min
Drop biscuits skip the rolling pin and give you rough, golden peaks that catch little pockets of melted cheddar. Cold butter and a light hand keep their centers tender. Chives add a quiet onion note without competing with the cheese. The dough should look shaggy and feel sticky enough to scoop, not smooth enough to knead. These are especially good still warm, split beside soup or served with a soft egg, but they are sturdy enough to carry to the table in a linen-lined basket.
Keep the butter in small pieces
Rub the butter into the flour until most pieces are about the size of small peas. Those little fragments melt in the oven and help separate the crumb. If the kitchen is warm or the butter starts to smear, place the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes before adding the milk. Grating cold butter on the large holes of a box grater is another practical option; toss the shreds into the flour as you work.
Scoop instead of shaping
The uneven surface is useful: the ridges brown while the thicker middle stays soft. Portion the dough into twelve similar mounds so they finish at the same time. Resist smoothing each one into a ball. The biscuits should be golden underneath as well as on top; gently lift one with a spatula to check. Cool them briefly on a rack rather than leaving them on the hot tray, then serve while the cheese aroma is still at its fullest.
Fit the timing around supper
Mix the dry ingredients and grate the cheese earlier in the day if convenient, keeping the butter and milk cold until you are ready to bake. Once the milk meets the baking powder, finish the dough and get it into the hot oven without a long delay. The biscuits can then bake while a soup simmers or a salad is assembled, arriving at the table warm rather than reheated.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (12 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed (85 g)
- 1 cup shredded medium cheddar (100 g)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
- 3/4 cup cold whole milk (180 ml), plus 1 tablespoon only if needed
Set out
Large rimmed baking sheet, Mixing bowl, Pastry blender or fingertips, Large spoon or scoop, Wire rack
Allergens
Wheat, milk. Check ingredient labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Rub or cut in the cold butter until the mixture contains small pea-size pieces.
- Toss in the cheddar and chives. Pour in the 3/4 cup milk and fold just until the flour is moistened. If dry flour remains at the bottom, add the extra tablespoon of milk.
- Scoop into 12 rough mounds on the sheet, about 2 rounded tablespoons each, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between them. Do not press them flat.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the tops and bases are golden and the centers no longer look wet when one is split.
- Transfer to a rack and cool for 5–7 minutes before serving.
A useful detail
Use plain medium cheddar rather than a cheese blend containing peppers or hot seasoning.
Make it your own
- Replace cheddar with an equal weight of shredded Swiss cheese and chives with 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley.
- For smaller soup biscuits, make 18 mounds and start checking them after 12 minutes.
Keep it well
Keep cooled biscuits airtight at room temperature for up to 1 day or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months. Warm in a 350°F/175°C oven until heated through; a light foil cover prevents over-browning.