“I feel like baking, what should I make? What are you craving?” I always ask my family. “Cheesebuns” is always the reply. End of discussion. Though my family might complain an awwwful lot about my love of baking and the amount of sweets and carbs they ‘have to eat’ because of me, whenever I ask what I should bake, the immediate answer within a second is always “cheese buns”. I put the cheese buns in quotes because they’re actually just a classic buttermilk biscuit, which I then happen to add a considerable amount of aged cheddar to. But my brother Dennis, their biggest fan, has since given them the moniker ‘cheese buns’. The way he asks for them is something like a child ordering their donut at a bakery, no conversation or debate around it, just a snappy straight to the point request – “cheese bun”. The discussion around these little buns of joy should tell you a little bit about how good they are. A batch of twelve has been known to disappear within a day.
Last winter when I first started working on this recipe I went through various different combinations of flour, and butter ratios and even mix ins like different aged cheeses and herbs as well. I’ve only now finally settled on the perfect recipe and chosen the best kicker in the league to drive home the extra points (I’ve been watching a lot of football sorry) and that is everything bagel seasoning.
Most bakers I’ve seen using Everything Bagel seasoning rely on Trader Joe’s ‘Everything But The Bagel’ mix, but since I’m above the Trader Joe’s border I had to get a little crafty. My version has no measuring involved, just mix-em together in a bowl goodness. Roughly equal portions of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic and onion powder and of course sea salt make up my seasoning. Once the biscuits are formed and about to go in the oven, I just give the tops a brush with (more) butter and sprinkle the seasoning generously on top, and its truly what makes these biscuits irresistible.
At the core of the recipe, is a simple buttermilk biscuit that is one of my favourite things to make at any time of the year. I find the simplicity of the ingredients that go into biscuits reinforces their position as such a classic comfort food, with rustic connotations. I rely on this recipe a lot especially at this time of year as the weather starts to change and Fall comes a knocking. I start cooking and baking as if I live in an early 19th century farmhouse with 14 family members and I’m preparing for Winter. On a more modern note, these buns are great for entertaining a crowd, say game day (??), with their buttery and flaky texture, cheesey centre and taking it over the edge, the garlicy-salty everything bagel seasoning. These biscuits are a real game winner.
Cheddar & Everything Bagel Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups All purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 Cup or less Whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp Baking powder
- 1 Tsp Baking soda
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2/3 Cup Salted butter, Cubed
- 1 Cup Buttermilk
- 2 Cups Shredded Aged Cheddar
- Homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning
Everything Bagel Mix: In a small bowl mix together poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sea salt, garlic powder and onion powder.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in the cold cubed butter and gently toss to first coat all the pieces in flour.
- Using your hands, work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have pea to almond sized bits remaining. Don’t worry about breaking up every chunk of butter completely, a range of piece sizes is okay. Add in about half of the grated cheddar and gently combine.
- Drizzle the buttermilk over the dry ingredients and using a spatula to gently mix until a ragged dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and fold the dough over on itself 4 times to create those flaky biscuit layers.
- Pat the dough out to 1 inch thick square & use a knife to slice the dough into 12 equal squares.
- Distribute the remaining cheddar onto your parchment lined baking sheet in the shape of a square. Place biscuits on top of the cheese. Brush the tops with melted butter & sprinkle with your everything bagel seasoning.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown in colour.
Sandra Stainton 