• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Curly Girl Kitchen
  • about
  • faqs
  • recipes
  • portfolio
  • work with me
  • contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

High Altitude Cheesy Herb Biscuits with Bacon

April 13, 2021 by Heather Smoke 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

If you like fluffy, flaky baking powder biscuits, then you’ll love this easy recipe for high altitude cheesy herb biscuits. Biscuits are such comfort food, and I adore hot, fluffy, flaky biscuits served alongside a bowl of soup, filled with ham and mustard, or slathered with butter and homemade strawberry jam. In today’s homemade biscuit recipe, I’ve added dried thyme and sharp cheddar cheese, as well as bits of crispy bacon. They’re the perfect brunch biscuit.

You might also love these Parker House dinner rolls with maple butter, buttermilk cinnamon rolls, and fluffy milk buns.

Cheesy herb biscuits arranged on a wooden tray with butter and salt.

This site contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  All opinions expressed on this site are my own.

Ingredients

  • All-Purpose Flour + Corn Starch. Using a combination of all-purpose flour and corn starch makes incredibly soft, tender biscuits.
  • Baking Powder. Leavens the biscuits so they rise tall and fluffy.
  • Coarse Kosher Salt. Flavor.
  • Dried Thyme. You can use any herbs you like, but the thyme is especially good in these cheesy herb biscuits.
  • Unsalted Butter. Unsalted butter adds richness and flavor to the biscuits, as well as those flaky layers.
  • Cheddar Cheese. Like the herbs, use any cheese you love and that pairs nicely with the herbs.
  • Bacon. Adds a salty, crunchy texture that’s just delicious.
  • Milk. Moistens and binds the biscuit dough together.
  • Egg. Used as an egg wash, brushed over the tops of the biscuits before baking to promote browning.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Cheesy herb biscuits arranged on a wooden tray.

Instructions

Mix the dough.

  • Preheat the oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble. Set aside.
  • In a bowl, combine the flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt and thyme.  Use a pastry cutter to cut in 6 tablespoons butter until crumbly. Stir in the cheese and crumbled bacon.
  • Stir in the milk just until moistened and use your hands to gather the mixture up into a craggy dough, but don’t overwork the dough. There will be some moist bits, and some dry bits, and that’s exactly how it should be. If it’s too dry, add a little more milk, a tablespoon at a time. You don’t want the dough too wet; it should be just moist enough to barely hold together.

Roll, fold and cut the dough.

  • On a lightly floured surface, gently pat or roll the dough out to 1 inch thick, using a little more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
  • Fold the dough into thirds, then thirds again; folding the dough gives the biscuits lots of flaky layers. Using a little more flour as needed, pat or roll the dough out again to about 1 inch thick.
  • Cut into rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter, trying to cut as many biscuits as you can the first time. Do not twist the cutter, just cut straight down and lift it straight back up. Gather up the scraps, press them together and cut those as well (the scrap biscuits don’t bake quite as prettily, but are always tasty).  You should be able to cut around 10 biscuits.If you like, you can also use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut square biscuits, which will reduce the amount of dough scraps that you need to re-roll.

Bake.

  • Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet so that the biscuits are close together, about 1/2 inch apart.
  • Use a fork to break up the egg, then use a pastry brush to lightly brush the beaten egg over the tops of the biscuits.
  • Bake until risen and a deep golden brown on top, about 12-15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, melt the remaining two tablespoons butter in a small bowl. As soon as you take the biscuits out of the oven, brush the melted butter on top of the biscuits, then sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve immediately.
Cheesy herb biscuits arranged on a wooden tray with butter and salt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you add corn starch to your biscuit dough?

  • The addition of corn starch lowers the percentage of gluten in the flour mixture and tenderizes the dough for light, fluffy biscuits. If you have access to a soft, winter wheat flour, such as White Lily (not self-rising) with a good reputation for fluffy biscuits, you can use that instead of the flour/corn starch combination.

Can I use buttermilk or non-dairy milk instead of whole milk?

  • Yes, you can use any kind of milk that you like in this biscuit recipe.

How do I make tall, flaky biscuits?

  • Use cold ingredients. Your ingredients should be as cold as possible for the best, flakiest biscuits. If it’s warm in your kitchen, it’s helpful to chill the bowl before you start mixing up your biscuit dough.
  • Fold the dough. After rolling the dough out, fold it into thirds, like a letter, then in thirds again. Roll out once more to cut your biscuits. This quick and simple step of folding the dough creates 6 layers of dough, which will give your biscuits lots of flaky layers as they rise in the oven.
  • Don’t twist the biscuit cutter. When you cut your biscuits, it can be tempting to twist the biscuit cutter, but don’t do it. When you twist the cutter, it seals the edges of the dough, preventing it from rising as much as it should.
  • Bake the biscuits close together. Use a baking sheet that’s only as big as you need it, and line it with parchment paper. You want to crowd your biscuits close together, almost touching, which helps them rise tall. If you space your biscuits far apart, they’ll spread out more as they bake instead of rising tall and flaky.

What’s the best way to reheat leftover biscuits?

  • Microwave at 50% power for 45 seconds.
  • Split the biscuits and toast them for a few minutes in a toaster/convection oven.

You Might Also Like

  • A biscuit split in half, topped with strawberry rhubarb jam.
    Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
  • Cardamom orange cinnamon rolls drizzled with orange icing.
    Cardamom Orange Cinnamon Rolls
  • Almond poppy seed muffins, piled on top of a cooling rack.
    Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
  • A lemon poppy seed crumb muffin on a plate.
    Lemon Cream Cheese Crumb Muffins

Favorite Products


Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!

Cheesy herb biscuits arranged on a wooden tray with butter and salt.

High Altitude Cheesy Herb Biscuits with Bacon

Heather Smoke
Fluffy, flaky baking powder biscuits, with thyme, sharp cheddar cheese and bacon.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 14 mins
Total Time 24 mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American, British
Servings10

Equipment

  • Rolling Pin, Bench Scraper & 2-inch Biscuit Cutter

Ingredients
 

  • 4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus extra for rolling
  • ¼ cup corn starch
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 8 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, divided
  • ⅔ cup grated cheddar cheese
  • ¾ cup cold whole milk
  • 1 large egg, for egg wash

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble. Set aside.
  • In a bowl, combine the flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt and thyme.  Use a pastry cutter to cut in 6 tablespoons butter until crumbly. Stir in the cheese and crumbled bacon.
  • Stir in the milk just until moistened and use your hands to gather the mixture up into a craggy dough, but don’t overwork the dough. There will be some moist bits, and some dry bits, and that's exactly how it should be. If it's too dry, add a little more milk, a tablespoon at a time. You don't want the dough too wet; it should be just moist enough to barely hold together.
  • On a lightly floured surface, gently pat or roll the dough out to 1 inch thick, using a little more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
  • Fold the dough into thirds, then thirds again; folding the dough gives the biscuits lots of flaky layers. Using a little more flour as needed, pat or roll the dough out again to about 1 inch thick.
  • Cut into rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter, trying to cut as many biscuits as you can the first time. Do not twist the cutter, just cut straight down and lift it straight back up. Gather up the scraps, press them together and cut those as well (the scrap biscuits don’t bake quite as prettily, but are always tasty).  You should be able to cut around 10 biscuits.
    If you like, you can also use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut square biscuits, which will reduce the amount of dough scraps that you need to re-roll.
  • Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet so that the biscuits are close together, about 1/2 inch apart.
  • Use a fork to break up the egg, then use a pastry brush to lightly brush the beaten egg over the tops of the biscuits.
  • Bake until risen and a deep golden brown on top, about 12-15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, melt the remaining two tablespoons butter in a small bowl. As soon as you take the biscuits out of the oven, brush the melted butter on top of the biscuits, then sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve immediately.

Notes

Biscuits are best served fresh, on the morning they’re made. But leftovers are still great, and the best way to reheat them is to lightly toast them in a convection oven until warm, or to microwave them briefly at 50% power.
Keyword Biscuits, Cheese, Thyme
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/

Filed Under: Breads, Biscuits, Muffins and Doughnuts, Savory

Previous Post: « Chocolate Almond Tart
Next Post: High Altitude Banana Pecan Maple Muffins »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Crystal

    December 19, 2022 at 4:20 pm

    5 stars
    These baked up perfectly at 4,000 ft! Thanks for a super and simple recipe, and also for explaining how folding creates layers. I’ve had biscuit envy for decades now, and your folding method did the trick. I may have lost count and gone overboard in my excitement, though 😆 My biscuits rose so tall that some fell over!

    Reply
    • Heather Smoke

      December 19, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      I’m so glad you love them! Yes, extra folding and layering does make them rise super tall and then fall over as they bake, so I only do a few folds.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome

I'm Heather, and welcome to my Colorado kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes, baked goods and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something delicious with me!

A graphic on how to make perfect American buttercream.
A graphic on how to stack, fill, crumb coat and frost layer cakes.

Recipe Index

  • Breads, Biscuits, Muffins and Doughnuts
  • Breakfast
  • Brownies and Bars
  • Cakes
    • Buttercream
    • Cake Decorating
    • Classic Cake Flavors
    • Holiday Themed Cakes
  • Candy and Snacks
  • Cheesecakes
  • Christmas and Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Cakes
    • Christmas Cookies
  • Cookies
  • Crisps, Crumbles, Cobblers and Puddings
  • Cupcakes
  • Drinks
  • Halloween
  • How To Guides and Resources
  • Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
    • Frozen Custard
    • Ice Cream Sandwiches
    • No Churn Ice Cream
    • Popsicles
  • Jams and Sweet Sauces
  • Pies and Tarts
  • Savory
A graphic on how I improved my food photography with Foodtography School.
A graphic on how to make flaky pie dough.

Recent Posts

  • High Altitude Raspberry Vanilla Cake
  • High Altitude Baked Chocolate Espresso Donuts
  • High Altitude Heart Shaped Chocolate Bundt Cake
  • High Altitude Homemade Graham Crackers
  • High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
  • High Altitude Red Velvet Cake Whoopie Pies
  • Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
  • High Altitude Chocolate Sheet Cake
  • Rose Petal Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
  • Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts

Archives

  • about
  • faqs
  • recipes
  • portfolio
  • work with me
  • contact

Footer

I'm Heather, and welcome to Curly Girl Kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something sweet with me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Privacy Policy

About

FAQs

Work With Me

Contact

Copyright © 2023 Curly Girl Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme