021 / 75 · Small bites, big entrance

Olive-Orange Biscuit Buttons

16 small round savory biscuits, about 34 g dough each before baking · Active 30 min · Cook 25 min · Total 1 hr 35 min (warm service)

Cold-travel planning: 3 hr 5 min; follow the stated cooling endpoint and finishing route.

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Orange zest belongs in savory baking too. It lifts finely chopped olives and a little feta in these small round biscuits, which need no separate spread at the gathering.

Jump to ingredients

Small savory biscuits with olive, orange zest and feta.

Chop olives rather than adding slices

Small pieces distribute salt and flavor through all sixteen biscuits. Large olive slices can split the edges when the dough is shaped. Drain and blot them first so the dough is not streaked with brine.

Divide before shaping

Portioning the entire dough into sixteen equal pieces uses everything without repeated rolling of scraps. Keep the rounds similarly thick and bake on two trays so their edges have space to color.

Ingredients

  • 200 g all-purpose flour (about 1⅔ cups)
  • 8 g baking powder (2 teaspoons)
  • 1 g fine salt (about ⅙ teaspoon)
  • 60 g cold butter (about 4 tablespoons), diced
  • 1 large egg, 50 g without shell
  • 100 ml milk (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
  • 60 g/2 oz drained pitted olives, very finely chopped
  • 60 g/2 oz feta, crumbled
  • 4 g finely grated washed orange zest (about 2 teaspoons), no bitter white pith

Set out

Oven, Two baking trays with usable 30 × 25 cm/12 × 10 in bases, Parchment, Two bowls, Scale, Fine grater, Knife and board, Whisk and fork, Cooling rack, Refrigerator and covered carrier, Foil for optional reheating

Allergens

Wheat, Milk, Egg. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in butter until coarse crumbs remain. Beat egg and milk in the second bowl, then stir into the flour just until it comes together. Fold in all the olives, feta and orange zest. Do not taste raw dough.
  2. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes while heating the oven to 400°F/200°C. Divide all the dough into 16 equal portions, about 34 g each. Shape gently into rounds 5 cm/2 in wide and 1.5–2 cm/⅝–¾ in thick.
  3. Place 8 rounds on each lined tray, at least 3 cm/1¼ in apart. Bake 18–23 minutes, swapping rack positions halfway if both trays are in the oven. Biscuits must be golden underneath and fully set at the center, with no wet floury seam when a center biscuit is split. Extend baking if needed.
  4. For immediate warm service, move the biscuits to the rack briefly, then serve. If taking them hot, transfer directly to a suitable carrier that maintains 140°F/60°C or above rather than letting them cool on the counter. For cold transport, cool on the rack about 20 minutes, then refrigerate in a shallow layer for about 60–90 minutes, or longer until 40°F/4°C or below before packing. The biscuits contain their own cheese; add no unlisted butter filling or topping.

Bring it

Carry the fully cooled biscuits in a covered box inside an iced cooler at 40°F/4°C or below. For a hot journey, maintain 140°F/60°C or above. Count travel and display outside control together within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C.

Finish at the gathering

The chilled biscuits are ready to serve from a temperature-controlled platter. For warm service, arrange a 325°F/165°C oven for 12–20 minutes under loose foil, and verify 165°F/74°C in a thick center.

Make it yours

Sixteen unfilled biscuits suit a winter drinks table without requiring butter knives or condiment bowls. Split them at the table only if guests want smaller portions; the base yield remains sixteen.

Ingredient labels

Flour, butter, milk, egg and feta are included. Check olives and baking powder for additional ingredients. This is not a dairy-free bread.

A useful detail

The 95-minute warm-service plan allows mixing, 15 minutes dough chilling, up to 23 minutes baking and initial handling. For cold transport, plan about 185 minutes overall: cool on the rack about 20 minutes, then allow about 60–90 minutes refrigeration and longer until 40°F/4°C or below. If the oven holds only one tray, add a full second baking interval to either route. Hot transport requires verified 140°F/60°C holding.

Another way

  • Use 60 g grated mature cheddar instead of feta for a firmer cheese note.
  • Use 4 g washed lemon zest instead of orange zest for a sharper version.

Keep it well

Refrigerate promptly at 40°F/4°C or below and use within 3 days or the feta’s earlier deadline. Follow the Bring it handling limits; reheat portions to 165°F/74°C if serving warm. Freeze promptly chilled biscuits for up to 1 month for quality and thaw in the refrigerator.