Light, feathery, fluffy, layered biscuits. Dripping with butter. Is there anything better?
(I guess maybe something with chocolate). They are such an easy baked good to whip up. In minutes, the batter is mixed up, rolled out, cut, and baked up.
I’ll admit it… one of my guilty pleasures is a good biscuit and gravy. And yes, one of our favourite guilty pleasures to eat breakfast at, is Cracker Barrel. Oh, don’t give me that look. It’s not like we’re heading there for our health. Thankfully, the closest one to us is a good 1 1/2 hours away, in Buffalo. Every road trip Stateside starts with breakfast here. When we pull into the parking lot, we know that our vacation has started!
And yes, it is all about the meat and carbs. Bacon, sausage, eggs, shredded hash browns, grits, pancakes, cornbread…and biscuits. They make such a fluffy buttermilk biscuit. Smothered in gravy, it’s amazing. Using it for runny eggs, it’s amazing. Dripping with butter, it’s amazing. And thankfully we probably only eat there 3 or 4 times a year.
But that doesn’t mean I only get biscuits when we’re at Cracker Barrel. I love getting up early and whipping up a batch. When I can’t sleep, or when it’s an unplanned snow day, or a rainy day, or any other excuse, out comes a batch of biscuits. What’s so wonderful about biscuits, is that the basic recipe is so simple, but easy to embellish. I have my Herbed Kefir Biscuit recipe on the blog already. But you could easily take this same recipe, add sugar and mint or even some currants, and suddenly you have the perfect biscuit for whipped cream and strawberries. Cut the savoury biscuits larger, and you have the perfect vehicle for scrambled eggs.
Breakfast in a Biscuit
And then there are today’s biscuits. It started out because I wanted a breakfast biscuit. Something handheld, self-contained. So I knew I would be adding chopped bacon. And then I scrounged around the fridge to see what else I could add to the mix. Scallions, parsley, dill, cheddar cheese, and some provolone as well. And don’t laugh, because it worked really great, but I added in a finely cubed apple. There is something so wonderful about combining the savouriness of the bacon against the sweet crunch of the apple.
And because I wanted to make them feel breakfast-y, I topped each one with homemade Everything Bagel spice blend. I took some kefir (you could also use buttermilk) and brushed the top of each biscuit, and then sprinkled a blend of Everything Bagel spice blend on each one. I’m going to give you a quick way to whip up the blend in the recipe below, but I will actually share my own blend in a blog post really soon!
*Yes, a good cup for cup gluten free flour blend works great in this recipe.
Plenty of Folding Makes for Great Layers
I follow the method of using my hands to spread the dough flat on a floured counter. Then, I folded it in half. Using a rolling pin I gently pounded and then rolled it out again. And folded it again. And rolled it again. And folded it again. It’s these gentle folds that will give the biscuits the rise in the oven. Don’t underestimate this step. Another trick to getting them to bake up nicely: Place them on the parchment lined baking sheet, almost to barely touching each other. As they spread and grow, they will end up ‘kissing’ and will help each other out to rise up even higher! And in the photo below, I love how the cheese stretches from each one as I separate them 🙂
They bake up real fast, between 15-22 minutes, depending on how thick you rolled them, and the size of cutter you are using. I love a larger size cutter if you want to open and stuff them, say with a scrambled egg or sliced tomato, or even some folded ham or mortadella. A medium cutter works great for if you’re making biscuits for gravy dousing. And mini ones are perfect served up with a bowl of soup.
When these came out of the oven, I had to hold myself back from tearing one open. I barely waited before I did grab one. It was perfect! Just what I wanted. These would be perfect for mornings, when everyone is going in different directions. Since you can bake them up in advance and then just reheat in the toaster oven for a few minutes at 300F, you can have one ready to go with you out the door to catch the bus or head to the car for the daily commute.
Final Thoughts, and Freezing Prep
The bacon, the apple, the cheeses, the herbs- they all come together to make a lovely way to start the day!
These freeze great, whether baked or unbaked. If freezing before baking, place the biscuits onto a wax paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen they can be transferred to a freezer bag. To bake, place frozen biscuits into a 425F oven and bake till golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
If you make these yummy Biscuits, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, if you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.
Love Jen
Update
I’ve made these biscuits a touch more autumnal, by using fresh chopped sage for the herb addition, and then instead of the Everything Bagel topping, placing a sage leaf on top of the biscuits after brushing on the kefir (or buttermilk) Then another quick brush of kefir to adhere the leaf and keep it from curling when in the oven. When they come out of the oven, let them rest for a minute, and then gently pry one open and spread with apple butter. Oh My!! Here’s the link to my slightly addictive and luscious Rich Spiced Apple Butter.
If you make these Everything Bacon Apple Breakfast Biscuits, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.
Everything Bacon Apple Breakfast Biscuits
This biscuit has everything, including Everything Bagel topping! Tangy cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, sweet crunchy apple, and lots of folds. They are so easy to whip up. And they are perfect for breakfast, warmed up and slathered with butter or honey.
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 2 cups 250 g unbleached AP flour, a good Cup for Cup gluten free flour blend works great in this recipe.
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1/4 cup 56 g;1/2 stick frozen unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon about 2-3 slices, fried, blotted dry and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup small cubed peeled GS apple the smaller the better in this case, between 1/8-1/4 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese I like sharp cheddar, but you can use mozzarella, gouda, etc
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs parsley, thyme, rosemary would all work great
- 1 cup 230 g kefir scant cup, plus more for brushing on the tops You can substitute with buttermilk or sour milk.
Everything Bagel Topping Mix
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp dried onion flakes
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds
- 2 tsp garlic flakes
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
Instructions
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Heat oven to 425F
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Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
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Using the large holes on your grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture and mix lightly with your fingers until well distributed, and it looks like all the butter bits are covered with flour.
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Add the bacon, apple, cheese and the herbs and stir in gently.
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Pour in the kefir.
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Stir just until all the dry bits are incorporated, no longer.
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It should be sticky and shaggy, not wet. Sometimes humidity will affect this. You'll get used to your dough, and know when to add a splash extra liquid, or to flour your surface a bit more heavily. See next step.
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Lightly flour the work surface and turn your dough out onto it. Lightly flour the top of your dough and use your hands to pat it out into a rectangle little over 1 inch thick.
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Fold that rectangle towards you. Rotate the dough counter clockwise and roll it out gently using a rolling pin. Use a bouncing motions from the centre of the dough, careful not to crush the out edges and destroy the layers. It's important to roll very gently.
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Repeat the folding and rolling two more times. Sometimes I add an extra fold if I'm feeling extra 'foldy'!
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Roll the dough out to about 1 - 1 1/4" (35mm) thick. Using a floured biscuit cutter, cut your biscuits (be sure not to twist the cutter or it will seal the outer edges and they won't rise well) Gently gather and re-roll the dough until it is all used up. Dip your cutter into a small bowl of flour regularly. The size of your cutter, and how thin you rolled out the dough will determine how many you get.
Alternatively, you can take a sharp knife, trim all the outer edges to expose all the layers, and cut squares or rectangles. You should be able to get between 10-12, again depending on how thin you rolled it out the final time.
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Place the cut biscuits onto a parchment covered baking sheet, so that the biscuits are just barely touching (a slight kiss!) each other. This will ensure that they can help each other rise.
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Brush the top of each biscuit with more kefir. Then take the Everything Bagel blend mix and sprinkle some on each biscuit.
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Bake for 18 or so minutes depending on the size of your biscuits, the weather, and your oven. They should be golden brown and fluffily cooked through. If on the larger size, you may need to bake up to 22 minutes.
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Enjoy them warm with all manner of honey, sausage, jams, ham, apple butter, and of course, grass fed butter.
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See blog post for more details.
Recipe Notes
This recipe is truly about the process. Don't skimp on the directions to roll and fold. And also the idea of placing them on the baking sheet so that they are just touching, a bare kiss, really does work! Obviously you can make these with buttermilk.
I’m pissed I’m seeing this recipe right before I’m about to go to bed and have to wait to make these they look amazing
Hahaha! So sorry for the timing! I’m so glad you got to make them. I just made them again for 70 volunteers, and they got inhaled. Love the sweet bits of apple between the peppery cheesy bites. Have a great weekend. Love Jen
These look AMAZING.
Can yogurt be substituted for the kefir/buttermilk?
Hi Jessica, Thanks! I would think so. Just don’t use a thick greek yogurt just in case. Let me know how it works. Love Jen
Made these this morning for breakfast with a turkey sausage and egg and they were a hit! But honestly, eat them by themselves or with a little bit of apple butter because it’s honestly great on its own! I didn’t fully do the layers right, but they still turned out amazing!
Hi Lindsay, Exactly, they are great served up with breakfast, but I did originally design them to be self-sufficient, for a breakfast on the go deal. As long as they taste good, no worries about the layers. Love Jen
Can these be frozen?
Hi Darlene. Yes, they can be frozen, both baked and unbaked. For both ways, lay them out in one layer on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Freeze, once frozen they can be transferred to a freezer bag, and now they can be removed as needed and baked up or rewarmed. To bake from frozen, you will need to increase the baking time. To reheat, place in a 350F oven and warm through.
I’m gonna make these for birthday breakfast at the office. They look divine. Thanks for pointing them out in your blog Biz. Jennifer your food looks fabulous.
Hi Angela, Thanks so much!! I’ve made them for a crowd of 70 and they were gobbled up! Have fun baking 😉 Love Jen
At what step do you add the apple cubes.. Im making these right now but no where in the instructions does it say when to add the apples?
Hi Caitlin. Sorry about the delay in replying. We were away on vacation. Back to reality now! I’m so sorry if I left that out in the instructions. My oops! Will fix it immedediately. They would get added with all the other add on flavour ingredients (bacon etc) But you have probably already figured this out! Love Jen
Hi Caitlin, me again! I just checked. It was there, just a tad ambiguous. I adjusted the instruction from ‘add bacon through the herbs’ to ‘add bacon, apple, cheese and herbs’ That should help be clear for everyone going forward. Thanks! Jen
Thank u for the lovely recipes specially the water melon cake I’m going to try it
Hi Esther, Thanks so much for your supportive feedback. The watermelon cake is such a fun project, even to work at with the kids. It really makes for a great alternative if there are ones coming over that have so many dietary restrictions. Have a beautiful year of cooking! Love Jen
These look lovely. At what point would you suggest they get frozen? As dough or after baking? Thx!!
Hi Sabine, You can easily freeze before or after. If freezing before, have them cut out, and place in one layer on a lined baking sheet. Once frozen you can transfer them to a bag. They can bake from frozen, just add some time to the oven time. I freeze after baking because I’m lazy!! They re-warm in a toaster oven just fine! Hope this helps, love Jen
I’m looking forward to trying out this delicious recipe but I was curious if maybe you had a sourdough version?
Hi Meaghan, I don’t actually have a sourdough version on the blog. But you can find a great recipe if you head over to Vanilla And Bean’s website. She has some great sourdough recipes! Hope this helps, Love Jen
This looks so good! I wouldn’t have thought of this flavor combination before!
Hi Suzanne, it’s such a good biscuit, a popular one with readers. I just figured, everything that would make a great breakfast is in these, a complete little nibble! Love Jen
Thanks for sharing! Does it freeze well?
Hi Vanessa, Yes, they absolutely freeze well. Place either baked or unbaked biscuits in one layer onto a wax paper lined baking sheet and put the sheet into the freezer. Once frozen these can be moved into a freezer bag. Bake from frozen by placing on a baking sheet and baking in a 425F oven till baked through. Hope this helps, Love Jen
I made these and they were REALLY good! I used them for breakfast sandwiches and they were delicious. I’ll probably add more bacon and a bit more cheese next time, but they’re definitely excellent as is!
Hi Kelly, Yay!! So happy to hear. Yes, I often use them the very same way! Love Jen
Just made these and they are delicious, indeed. I followed the recipes exactly. I used Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar for the cheese and Hormel regular bacon. Rosemary and thyme bc that’s what I have in the garden. These are a flavor packed bite. I think next time, I will leave out the bacon and maybe use less EBTB seasoning. Deffo making for Thanksgiving this year bc they are delish. For me, these were 4 star but for all my taste testers, they were a solid 5.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Angela, Yay! Yes, definitely, as a side biscuit, leaving some of the ingredients out is a great call. These started off as a complete breakfast snacking biscuit if you could only grab it as heading out the door. For a side, you really don’t need to pack it, so choose your faves. Love Jen
OMG THESE ARE RIDICULOUS!! I made them on this rainy Sunday; I think my first time ever making biscuits and they did not disappoint! Thank you for the excellent tips on how to roll and fold them. I was very satisfied with my layers. Now I’m dreaming of other flavor combinations… soyrizo and scallions?! I will be making these again and again. 🙂
Hi Jennifer, welcome to the world of biscuits. So happy you had fun with the recipe. Yes, chorizo and scallions would be sublime! Enjoy, Love Jen
I made these and they are Devine! But I can not get the rise I want how can I fix that? I’m thinking the apple may be the problem? I did the layers but they are still a bit moist inside and have no fluff or flakiness. Please help.
Hi Christine, Hmm, it could be the apples, especially if you are using an apple that releases a lot of juice when baking. Make sure you are using a firm apple that maintains it’s structure when baked, and chop it small. Alternatively, you could sauté the chopped apples first, just to soften and release their initial juices. Set them on paper towel to drain and cool before folding into the batter. Make sure you don’t chop them too large either. Hope this helps, Love Jen
Have to say your photos etc are an amazing presentation. What eye candy! Can’t wait to make these for my guys. May also try with some hard boiled chopped egg added. So many variations are swirling in my head.
Hi Leslie, Thanks so much! These are such a versatile and satisfying biscuit, to make, and to eat! Enjoy, Love Jen
A quick question, if possible…. I can not get kosher salt here in Japan, just plain table salt. I am wondering how many grams of salt would that be??? Often people say to use 1/2 the amount of kosher salt if using table salt. So would 1/2 a teaspoon of table salt sou d reasonable??
These biscuits look and sound amazing. They have everything I love in a biscuit: bacon, cheese, apples!!
Hi Pamela, you are correct, halving the salt is the way to go. Kosher salt is less ‘salty’ than sea or table salt. Hope you have fun with the recipe! Love Jen
Just made these, they are simply delicious and smell so good! Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Kim, so happy to hear, they really are quite versatile, aren’t they! Love Jen