Quick and easy Cheddar cheese biscuits are light and flaky. They are perfect for sliders and breakfast sandwiches or just eating slathered with good butter! So easy you definitely don't need a mix.
Add the flour and sugar to a large bowl and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes if you have time. If not go on to the next step.
Grate the butter into the flour, mixing often to keep it covered with flour and so it doesn't stick together
Add the shredded Cheddar cheese and gently blend.
Stir in the buttermilk, a little at a time, just until the dough holds together and leaves the sides of the bowl.
If the dough breaks apart and crumbles add a tablespoon or two more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball.
Pat out biscuit dough on a lightly floured surface. You should see streaks of cheese and streaks of butter in the dough.
Gently pat it to ¾ inch thick.
Cut straight down with a biscuit cutter.
Gather remaining dough together and cut more biscuits.
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet with sides touching for soft sides or 1 inch apart for crusty sides.
Sprinkle ½ tablespoon of cheese on the top of each biscuit.
Place in the freezer for 15 minutes if you have time.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and done all the way through.
Serve hot.
Notes
Out of Self Rising Flour?If you don't wish to use self-rising flour you can add 1-½ teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt per cup of all purpose flour.Here are some tips -
Keep everything cold from start to finish. I like to measure out the flour and put it in the freezer for awhile to get it good and cold.
Freeze the butter for 30 minutes, too.
Grate the butter into the flour mixture. It makes long strings which I think come out fluffier than cutting it in.
Use a good, soft wheat flour. I like White Lily Self Rising flour which is pretty much the Southern standard.
Lightly mix the grated butter and cheese into the cold flour mixture. Don't worry about making it look like pebbles or coarse crumbs. You want to see shreds of cheese and shreds of butter in the flour.
Mix the buttermilk in a little at a time with a cold fork - when the dough holds together stop adding buttermilk.
Pat the dough out or roll it lightly - keep it about ¾-inch thick.
If you want a lot of layers cut your dough in half, stack it and roll it out again.
Cut straight down - don't twist the cutter!
Some people don't re-roll the dough. I do because I don't like wasting food. If you DO re-roll dough scraps you should be aware that those biscuits will be less flaky and tender and more dense than the original batch.
Bake in a hot oven - at least 425F to 450F. Sometimes I'll bake biscuits in a 500F oven - just watch carefully.
For soft sides put the biscuits on the baking sheet close with the sides touching. For a little crust on the sides keep them about an inch apart.
Once the biscuits are on the baking sheet pop the whole thing in the freezer for 15 minutes if you have time.
Brush with melted butter just before baking and when they come out of the oven if you wish.