With my newly acquired biscuit cutter set (thanks mom!) and with a half of cup of creme fraiche in the fridge, this recipe from one of the latest Food & Wine issues called to me. I’m always meaning to bake more savory goods–what better way to start?
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Creme Fraiche Biscuits
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
These biscuits were so much fun to make: from rubbing the butter into the flour, to patting down the fluffy, pillow soft dough, to cutting out perfect little squares of dough and painting them with an egg-milk wash.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk and egg white (separated)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) crème fraîche
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp plus 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp table salt
- 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch dice and chilled
- 2T heavy cream or half and half or milk
- Maldon salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the egg yolk, crème fraîche and milk. Reserve the egg white.
- In a large bowl, combine the 2 1/2 cups of flour with the sugar, baking powder, table salt and pepper.
- Using a pastry blender or 2 butter knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal–or rub in with your fingertips or pulse in a food processor.
- Add the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is evenly moistened. Gather the dough into a ball and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and dust them with flour. Transfer the dough to one of the baking sheets and press it into an 8-by-10-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll it out to an 11-inch square. Fold the square in half and roll it out again to an 11-inch square. Repeat the folding and rolling once more. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp out as many biscuits as possible. Gather the scraps, reroll and stamp out more biscuits.
- Evenly space the biscuits on the lined baking sheets. Whisk together the reserved egg white with the cream or half and half, and brush the tops with this mixture. Sprinkle with Maldon salt.
- Bake the biscuits in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 20 minutes, until golden; shift the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Serve the biscuits warm.
Notes
- The original recipe called for 3/4 cup of creme fraiche and 1/4 cup of milk–I used 1/2 cup of creme fraiche and 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt (2%) because that’s what I had on hand.
- I’m sure other combinations would work, as well as sour cream in place of the creme fraiche.
- As long as you use enough of an acidic dairy product (creme fraiche, yogurt, or sour cream) you should be good to go!
- I also mixed my leftover egg white with half and half for “painting” the biscuits before they went into the oven.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 320
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Cultured Butter and Black Pepper Biscuits
- Cheddar-Garlic Biscuits
- Chive, Cheddar and Bacon Biscuits
- Super Flaky Lardo Biscuits
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute sour cream or Greek yogurt for the crème fraîche?
Yes — the author’s notes confirm this explicitly. She swapped half the crème fraîche for Greek yogurt (2%) because that’s what she had on hand and says other combinations work too. The key is using enough of an acidic dairy product (crème fraîche, Greek yogurt, or sour cream) so the total is around 3/4 cup.
Why does the dough need to be refrigerated for 1 hour before rolling?
Chilling the dough for 1 hour firms up the butter pieces that were cut into the flour, which is what creates flaky, distinct layers in the finished biscuits. If the butter melts before baking, you lose those layers and the biscuits become dense. 
What is the purpose of folding and re-rolling the dough twice after chilling?
The instructions call for rolling the dough to an 11-inch square, folding it in half, rolling again, and repeating once more. This laminating technique creates additional flaky layers, similar to puff pastry — each fold multiplies the butter-and-dough layers that puff apart in the 400°F oven.
Why are the biscuits sprinkled with Maldon salt before baking?
The recipe includes 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper in the dough and Maldon salt sprinkled on top before baking, which makes these savory biscuits. The flaky Maldon crystals add a finishing crunch and burst of salt that contrasts with the rich crème fraîche interior.
