Ham Cheddar Biscuits

Name: Ham Cheddar Biscuits
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 8 biscuits
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed and chilled; 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly shredded; 3/4 cup diced country ham (sub pancetta or cooked bacon); 2/3 cup buttermilk, cold (sub plain yogurt thinned with milk); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for brushing tops)

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 22 January 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Savory ham and sharp cheddar folded into flaky biscuit dough. Cold butter bits create layers, buttermilk for tang and tenderness. Hands-on kneading—light, patient, no overmixing to keep biscuits fluffy. Butter brushed on top for golden crust. Adapted times, slight ingredient swaps to avoid dryness or sogginess. Visual and tactile clues carry you through baking, no timers slavishly followed. Salt, sugar balance richness. Cheese grated fresh, ham chopped into bite-size. Perfect for breakfast or snacks with a crunchy crust and soft middle. A simple, rustic comfort fare.

Prep: 25 min

Cook: 17 min

Total: 42 min

Servings: 8 biscuits

#biscuits #southern cooking #breakfast #comfort food #baking

Biscuits, but not bland or too fragile. Loaded with chunks of ham, sharp cheddar ribbons throughout. Cold butter chunks, not fully broken down, build flaky layers better than any roll-in technique you have time for. Learned the hard way—rush or melt butter and biscuits flatten, lose their magic. Buttermilk adds a tang that cuts richness, keeps crumb moist. Maybe you tried powdered buttermilk or skipped salt—taste suffers. I use country ham for a chew and salty pop, but bacon chunks work fine if you have fresh cured. The dough’s almost sticky, if you add too much milk, you get glue. Balance flour dusting for kneading or biscuits turn hard. Oven heat and biscuit placement—key. Crowded tray? Biscuits steam, no crunch, dull color. Watch the oven, rely on smell and color, not timer civic duty.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
3/4 cup diced country ham (sub pancetta or cooked bacon)
2/3 cup buttermilk, cold (sub plain yogurt thinned with milk)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for brushing tops)

About the ingredients

Butter must be cold, cut into pea-sized bits, no smaller. Resisting mixing butter too much retains flaky layers. Cheese fresh shredded, better melt and aroma than powdery pre-shredded store packs. Ham diced small—tiny cubes or strips—scattered evenly to avoid clumps that ruin biscuit texture. Buttermilk cold and fresh, essential—adds acidity for fluffy lift. Substitutions: if no buttermilk, mix sour cream or plain yogurt with milk (use 2/3 cup yogurt + 1/3 cup water approx.). Can swap ham for pancetta (renders fat) or cooked bacon (smokier). Sugar balances salt but can reduce slightly per taste. Flour: all-purpose works, but a blend with pastry flour softens crumb if you prefer. Keep dough cool during handling. Chill if kitchen hot. Add flour sprinkle while kneading, but don’t overdo—too much toughens crumb.

Method

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Heat oven to 440 degrees Fahrenheit. You want that oven steamy enough to bake the biscuits fast and golden. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cheese should be shredded fresh—grating cubes on a box grater releases more flavor than pre-shredded bags. Set it aside.

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In a large bowl, toss flour with salt and sugar. Cold butter is key. Cut 2/3 cup cold butter into flour using a pastry blender or two knives. Mix until lumps are pea-size. Big chunks make pockets, yields flaky layers. Stir in shredded cheddar last—keeps cheese from melting premature.
Toss diced ham in, mix evenly to scatter little salty surprises inside. Pour in 3/4 cup buttermilk, gradually fold together with a fork or wooden spoon. Aim for dough that sticks loosely yet rolls out without crumbling. If too dry, splash more milk—a teaspoon at a time. No wet mess though.

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Dump dough on a floured board. Sprinkle extra flour overhead. Knead gently—fold over 3 or 4 times only, no more or will toughen the crumb. Roll or pat dough to about 3/4 inch thick—thicker biscuits rise taller and yield tender crumb. Use a biscuit cutter (2 1/2 to 3 inches). Press straight down, no twisting—the twist seals edges, stops rise.
Arrange biscuits close but not crowded on pan. Recombine scraps sparingly—not overwork. If dough gets warm, chill briefly so butter stays solid for better rise.

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Brush tops lightly with remaining melted butter. That sizzle when they hit oven, aroma of butter and baking ham waking the kitchen. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Watch color change—tops deep golden, bottoms firm and chestnut brown. Texture springy when tapped; edges firm but not dry.
Remove and cool on rack a few minutes before eating. Serve warm. Cheese and ham pockets burst with savory richness. Leftovers near microwave or oven revive crumb and flavor better than fridge alone.

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Cooking tips

Combine dry ingredients well to distribute salt and sugar evenly—tiny sugar crystals distribute flavor, slow butter melting. Cut butter into flour cold and fast, keep fingers cold, work quickly to avoid melting. Stir in cheese and ham thoroughly but gently, avoid heating dough. Gradually add buttermilk until just combined—dough should be moist, soft but not sticky. Dough kneading is why recipes fail or work—minimal folding to develop some gluten, but over-kneading slaps biscuit tough. Rolling thickness affects rise—too thin makes dry, too thick yields undercooked center. Cutter presses straight down to seal edges and help vertical rising. Overcrowding bakes biscuits to steam, limp, pale tops; space them apart for crisp edges and golden browning. Brush tops with butter before baking for color and flavor punch—listen for oven hum, watch for golden hue, knot more reliable than timer alone. After baking, resting on wire rack maintains texture; hot cooling on pan steams bottom, soggy biscuit. Don’t skip letting cool briefly before eating, cheese filling hot and flavorful then.

Chef's notes

💡 Keep butter cold and cut into small chunks. Too small loses layers. Too big yields uneven pockets. Use pastry blender or knives fast. Cold fingers help. Butter that melts before baking flattens biscuits. Toss cheese shredded fresh just before folding. Avoid early mixing or it melts, ruining texture.
💡 Use buttermilk cold—adds acidity for lift and moist crumb. If none, sour cream or plain yogurt mixed with milk works. Add gradually. Dough should feel sticky yet roll without crumbling. Too wet turns gluey, too dry breaks apart. Sprinkle flour lightly during kneading but don’t overdo, too much makes biscuits tough.
💡 Knead dough gently only 3 or 4 folds. More develops gluten and toughens crumb. Roll or pat to about 3/4 inch thickness—thicker means taller biscuits but risk undercooked center, thin dries out. Press cutter straight down no twist. Twisting seals edges and blocks rise. Arrange biscuits close but leave room for heat circulation; overcrowding softens crust.
💡 Brush tops lightly with melted butter before baking. That sizzle, aroma signal oven ready. Oven temp at 440°F steams biscuits fast, golden tops. Watch color change, tops deep golden, bottoms chestnut. Tap edges for springy feel. Avoid timers slavishly—rely on smell, sound, color. Rest on wire rack after baking to avoid soggy bottoms, hot pan traps steam.
💡 Ham diced into tiny cubes or strips scatter evenly inside dough. Clumps ruin crumb and texture. Cheese shredding fresh produces better melt and aroma than bagged. If using substitutes like pancetta or cooked bacon, expect flavor shift; cut salty balance with sugar or adjust salt slightly. Recombine scraps sparingly, chill dough if warm to keep butter solid for rise.

Common questions

Why are my biscuits flat?

Butter too warm or melted. Knead too much. Oven temp low or slow heating. Make sure butter chunks stay cold cut pea-size. Press cutter down no twist. Bake immediately. Oven steam fast rise needed.

Can I substitute buttermilk?

Use plain yogurt thinned with milk or sour cream plus milk. Maintain acidity for lift. Measure 2/3 cup yogurt plus 1/3 cup water approx. Avoid skim milk alone without acid or biscuit loses softness and tang.

How to fix soggy biscuit bottoms?

Cool on wire rack not pan. Pan traps steam, moisture gathers. Also avoid overcrowding. Baking sheet without hot spots helps. Let cool few minutes before serving. Reheat in oven over microwave for better texture.

How to store leftovers?

Wrap tightly room temp few hours fine. Refrigerate sealed container days, but texture firming happens. Reheat oven 350°F wrapped in foil to revive moisture. Microwave makes crumb gummy easily. Freeze dough portions lined wax paper, thaw chilled before baking.