Is there anything better than pulling apart the buttery layers of buttermilk biscuits and eating them one by one? Today I’m sharing my twist on homemade buttermilk biscuits. These Herby Greek Yogurt Biscuits are ultra-flaky with unique and delicious laminated herbs on top!
Since moving to the Netherlands, I’ve been trying to learn to cook the great American classics. You know, the classics you can really only get in America (specifically, at Cracker Barrel), like mile-high apple pie, fluffy pancakes, and flaky buttermilk biscuits.
But because none of these great American classics tend to be overly healthful, today we’re making Greek yogurt biscuits! We’ll essentially just substitute half of the buttermilk for low-fat Greek yogurt for an added shot of protein.
The secret to flaky, layered biscuits is in keeping everything really cold. By keeping the butter as cold as possible while forming the dough, it will flatten into many thin layers as you flatten out the dough, fold it in half, then flatten it out again. These layers of butter will help the dough fluff up into buttery, golden layers while baking! Oh, and did I mention the gorgeous herb laminating that’s going on? This is totally optional (but you should definitely try it out). We’ll basically blanch some fresh herbs in boiling water for 3 seconds and throw them in an ice bath. Then we’ll lay them onto the top of each biscuit, brush with egg, and cook. Whoever said buttermilk biscuits can’t have wow factor?
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour 256 g
- 1 Tbsp baking powder 12 g
- 1 tsp salt 7 g
- ¼ tsp baking soda 1 g
- 6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed 85 g
- ½ cup buttermilk 118 mL
- ½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt 125 g
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, basil, and chives + more for topping 15 g
- 1 egg whisked
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- With a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture until butter is crumbly and mixed through, about the size of peas.
- Stir to combine buttermilk, yogurt, and chopped herbs, then add to the flour/butter mixture. Stir just until combined (do not overstir).
- Set dough onto a well-floured surface. Pat (don’t roll) dough out to about an inch thick, then fold in half or into thirds. Repeat this process, patting out and folding, 3 to 4 times, flouring as much as you need to keep dough from sticking.
- Pat dough to be about ½ to ¾ inches thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out about 12 biscuits. Re-shape remaining dough to make a few more biscuits. Set biscuits on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (far apart for crispy sides, close together for soft sides) and set in the fridge while you prepare the herb laminate (optional, can go straight to baking now if you want).
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil and prepare a small bowl of ice water. Get a few big leaves of herbs, removing the leaves from the stems. One at a time, throw the leaves in the boiling water for 3 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and immediately dunk into the ice water.
- Set blanched herbs flat on a paper towel*. Cover with a few more paper towels and set a heavy pan on top. Let dry and flatten for 5 minutes.
- Brush biscuits with whisked egg. Place a blanched herb onto each biscuit, and brush with a bit more egg.
- Bake at 450 degrees F (230 C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until biscuits are golden.
michelle idzior says
Two Knives, in each hand with a criss cross motion. How do you maneuver two forks?
Sarah Bond says
I turn them over so the tines are facing down and sort of rake through the butter!