Cornmeal Cheddar Biscuits — The Kind of Steady That Smells Like Home

A quiet week of bread and family. The subscription deliveries went out on Saturday. The farmers' market sold out by 10 AM. The Anapra bakery reported its best week of the month. The numbers are steady. The steady is the success. The success is the bread.

A week like this one — where the numbers hold and the market sells out before noon — calls for something that belongs in the same category as the bread itself: humble, golden, and made with your hands. I kept coming back to these cornmeal cheddar biscuits all week, baking a batch here and there between deliveries, the smell of sharp cheddar and toasted cornmeal filling the kitchen the same way a good week fills you. They’re not fancy, but that’s exactly the point — steady food for a steady week.

Cornmeal Cheddar Biscuits

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 12 biscuits

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat. Heat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and cayenne until evenly mixed.
3. Cut in the butter. Add the cold butter cubes to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining.
4. Add the cheese. Stir in the shredded cheddar until distributed throughout the dry mixture.
5. Mix wet ingredients. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the cold buttermilk and beaten egg. Pour into the dry mixture and stir gently with a fork just until a shaggy dough comes together — do not overmix.
6. Shape the biscuits. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it gently to about 3/4-inch thickness. Use a 2-inch round cutter (or a glass) to cut out biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting. Gather scraps and re-pat once to cut remaining biscuits.
7. Bake. Arrange biscuits on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool slightly and serve. Let rest on the pan for 5 minutes before serving warm. Best eaten the day they’re baked.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 175 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 20g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 230mg