Equipment Needed
- Box grater
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or two forks
- Rubber spatula
- Rolling pin
- 2-inch round biscuit cutter (a floured glass works in a pinch!)
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
- Pastry brush (for the optional butter wash)
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, I preheat my oven to 425°F (220°C) and line my baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, I grab my trusty box grater and grate the entire stick of frozen butter right into a small bowl. I pop that bowl back into the freezer while I work on the dry ingredients. In my large mixing bowl, I whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. This is a crucial step—you want those leaveners evenly distributed so every biscuit rises perfectly. I once just dumped and stirred, and I ended up with biscuits that had a bitter baking powder spot. Never again!
Now for the fun, hands-in part. I take the frozen butter shreds and sprinkle them over the flour mixture. Using my pastry cutter, I quickly work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some larger, pea-sized butter pieces remaining. This takes maybe a minute. Then, I create a well in the center and pour in the cold milk. With my rubber spatula, I gently fold everything together until a shaggy dough just begins to form. It will look dry and messy—that’s exactly right! I dump the ham, cheese, and chives on top and fold them in with my hands until just incorporated. The key is to work the dough as little as humanly possible.
I turn the ragged dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a rough rectangle about 1-inch thick. Here’s my favorite trick for layers: I fold the dough in half like a letter, then gently press it down again. I repeat this fold one more time. This creates those beautiful, flaky strata. Finally, I pat the dough out to a consistent ¾-inch thickness. Dipping my biscuit cutter in flour, I press straight down without twisting to cut out my biscuits. Twisting seals the edges and hinders the rise—a painful lesson from my first batch that yielded dense biscuits!
I place the cut biscuits close together on the prepared baking sheet—they should be touching. This helps them rise up tall and straight instead of spreading out. Any scraps get gently pressed together for one or two final biscuits; they’ll be a little tougher but still delicious. I bake them for 15-18 minutes, until they are puffed and gloriously golden on top. If I’m feeling extra, I brush the tops with melted butter right when they come out of the oven. The sizzle and the sheen are so worth it. Then, the hardest part: I let them cool on the sheet for just 5 minutes before devouring.(See the next page below to continue…)