Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus 2 tablespoons melted for topping
- 1 cup cold buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a standard loaf pan (9×5 inches) or line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar. Ensure everything is well combined.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This creates pockets for flaky texture.
- Stir in the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder into the flour mixture until evenly distributed.
- Gradually pour in the cold buttermilk, mixing gently with a spoon or spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; the dough should be shaggy and a little sticky. Overmixing develops gluten, leading to tough biscuits.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and gently pat or roll it into a rough rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Fold the dough in thirds (like a letter) and then gently pat it back into a rectangle. Repeat this folding process 2-3 times. This creates layers for a light, fluffy texture.
- Gently shape the dough into a loaf and place it into the prepared loaf pan. It will look rustic and that's perfectly fine.
- In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of melted butter with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Brush this mixture generously over the top of the biscuit loaf.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
- Once baked, remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before carefully lifting it out using the parchment paper overhang. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing and serving warm. Enjoy!
Notes
For an extra kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then filling the rest with regular milk until you reach 1 cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using. This loaf is best served warm, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/6th loaf)
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 65mg