Savory Parmesan Cheese Biscuits

Instructions

Place the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cheese, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and baking soda.

Add the cold butter and toss to coat the pieces with flour. Using a pastry blender or briefly squeezing the pieces of butter between your thumb and forefinger, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are between the size of peas and almonds.

Stir in the chives.

Add the buttermilk and fold the mixture together with a silicone spatula until the dough is mostly combined but still crumbly. Turn out the dough on a clean work surface and pat it into a 1-inch-thick (25 mm) square.

Using a bench scraper or large knife, fold the dough in half like a book. (It may still be very crumbly, and that's okay.) Cut the dough in half and stack the two halves on top of each other. Pat the dough back into a 1-inch-thick (25 mm) square. Repeat this process three more times, folding, stacking, and patting back down.

Use a 3 1/2-inch (10 cm) round cookie cutter dipped in flour to cut out the biscuits. Reroll and cut any scraps as needed. TESTER TIP: Using a 3 1/2-inch cutter makes very large biscuits. If you prefer smaller biscuits, use a smaller cutter or an upside-down glass.

Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet 1 inch (25 mm) apart and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220°C).

Brush the chilled biscuits with the melted butter and sprinkle with the flaky salt, if desired. Bake until the tops are golden brown and the sides are very flaky, 18 to 23 minutes.

Serve warm with butter.

Sides