Black Pepper Chive Buttermilk Biscuits
Tender, flaky biscuits studded with fresh chives and cracked black pepper, finished with a cream wash and extra pepper. The tangy buttermilk and cold butter technique create a light, layered crumb perfect for breakfast, lunch, or alongside soups and stews. This savory take on a classic works year-round and impresses with minimal fuss.
Ingredients
- 2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 3 tablespoon fresh chives, snipped
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper, plus more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 707°F.
- 2
Combine flour, chives, baking powder, salt, black pepper, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk dry ingredients together.
- 3
Add cold butter pieces and use a pastry blender to cut butter into flour until small crumbles form.
- 4
Make a well in center, pour in cold buttermilk, and slowly stir dry ingredients into wet until dough forms.
- 5
Transfer to lightly floured surface and gently knead until dough comes together.
- 6
Pat dough into a rectangle about 8 by 11 inches and 1/2 inch thick.
- 7
Dust a 2-inch biscuit cutter with flour and stamp out 8 rounds. Gather scraps, reform into rectangle, and stamp out 4 more rounds.
- 8
Place rounds on parchment-lined baking sheet. Press indentation in center of each with two fingers.
- 9
Brush tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with black pepper.
- 10
Bake 18-20 minutes until lightly golden.
Tips
Keep all ingredients and equipment cold: chill your mixing bowl and use a chilled pastry blender to ensure flaky layers.
Do not overwork the dough; handle gently and mix just until combined to avoid tough, dense biscuits.
Stamp biscuits straight down without twisting to seal edges and promote even rise.
Good to Know
Keep baked biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Reheat wrapped in foil at 300°F for 10 minutes.
Prepare dough through patting out stage, cover, and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Stamp and bake directly from cold without thawing.
Warm from the oven with butter and jam, or split and fill for sandwiches. Pair with soups, stews, or breakfast plates.
Common Mistakes
Warm ingredients create tough biscuits; do this to avoid dense crumb: keep butter, buttermilk, and cream very cold.
Overworking dough develops gluten; do this to avoid dense texture: mix only until dough comes together, knead gently.
Twisting the cutter seals edges and prevents rise; do this to avoid short biscuits: stamp straight down.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
FAQ
Can I make these ahead and freeze them?
Yes. Freeze unbaked biscuits on a sheet for 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to bake time.
What if I don't have a pastry blender?
Use two knives or a fork to cut butter into flour, or pinch small pieces between your fingertips. The goal is pea-sized crumbles throughout.
How long do baked biscuits keep?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. Reheat wrapped in foil at 300°F for 10 minutes to restore flakiness.