Next Baking Idea: Follow Recipe

Trying out first batch of dough from book Eric loaned me, I didn't have any instant yeast, so I substituted active dry yeast. Result? Did not rise. Still baked, though, and resulted in two sandwich loaves which are delicious but ridiculously heavy.


Next up: jalapeno cheddar biscuits. Perfect, right! Yes. But no. Did not add salt, so savoriness not as overwhelming as it should be. Luckily there is still peppery cheese goodness to replace it.


Finally: mourning end of last bottle of 1989 R. Lopez de Heredia Blanco Rioja. Must order more. (Thank you to Andy Myers at CityZen for introducing this wine which rulz.)


Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple butter
• 2 large jalapenos, minced
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  
• 1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, jalapenos, cheese, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and apple butter into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir until the dough comes together and is sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 6 or 8 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting.

Bake until biscuits slightly browned on top, 10 to 15 minutes.