Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 cup whole milk, cold
  • 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • ½ tsp dried parsley flakes

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 232°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. This high temperature is non negotiable; we need the heat to hit the cold butter and turn it into steam immediately.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 ½ cups flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Whisking for about 30 seconds actually aerates the flour, making the final biscuits much lighter.
  3. Add the ½ cup cold, cubed butter to the dry mix. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs with some pea sized pieces. Do not over blend; those visible chunks of butter are your friends.
  4. Toss in the 1 ½ cups of freshly shredded cheddar. Stir it gently so every strand of cheese is coated in the flour mixture. This prevents the cheese from clumping together in one spot.
  5. Pour in the 1 cup of cold milk. Use a large spoon or spatula to fold the mixture together until just combined and a shaggy dough forms. Stop the moment there are no more dry streaks of flour. Over mixing at this stage will make the biscuits tough.
  6. Use a large spoon or an ice cream scoop to drop roughly ¼ cup portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 5 centimeters between each biscuit. You should get exactly 12 servings from this batch.
  7. Slide the sheet into the center of the oven. Bake for 12 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is sizzling at the edges. While they bake, prepare the finishing glaze.
  8. In a small bowl, combine the 3 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp garlic salt, and dried parsley. As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, use a pastry brush to liberally coat the tops.
  9. Let the biscuits sit on the pan for 3 minutes. This allows the internal structure to set and the garlic butter to fully penetrate the crust. Serve them while they are still warm enough to make the butter melt on contact.