Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits

These tasty cheese biscuits are delicious as is, but they are amazing fresh out of the oven with a little butter too. 

Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits

2 cups (305) g Flourist Sifted Red Fife Flour
3/4 cup (170 g) butter, chilled and cubed
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk, cold
1 large egg, cold
1 cup (120 g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine Flourist Sifted Red Fife Flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Pulse until mixed. Add chilled butter and pulse until butter pieces are about the size of a pea. Transfer to a large metal bowl.

Toss in the grated cheese and mix lightly by hand so that the cheese is separated and not clumped together.

Combine buttermilk and egg in a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Gradually drizzle into the flour mixture, tossing together with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a clean and lightly floured work surface and pat into a 1" thick square. Cut the dough into 4 sections using a bench scraper or knife and stack the sections on top of each other, sandwiching any loose bits of dough between the layers. Press down gently to flatten. 

Roll dough into a 1" thick rectangle, keeping edges as straight as possible (can trim if necessary). Cut into squares, this makes 9-12 biscuits depending on size. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing biscuits 2" apart. Freeze for 10 minutes. 

To create an egg wash, lightly whip up the egg white with 15ml water with a fork. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops with egg wash and place in oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until deeply golden brown. Serve hot or warm.