High rising, rich, buttery biscuits infused with the incomparable flavor and aroma of rosemary ~ we love them wtih soups and stews, and they make the best breakfast sandwiches!!
Rosemary biscuits are tall and fluffy, with a soft moist interior infused with fresh rosemary. Break them open at the center and they’re like little steamy pillows of deliciousness. The perfect fall and winter biscuit? I think so. I made them to go with Patricia Wells’ Beef Daube and the combination is awesome. Biscuits + stew, biscuits + soup, biscuits + eggs and bacon…this is what fall eating is about!
why rosemary biscuits?
While you can use other herbs (thyme, sage, tarragon,) fresh rosemary has a robust, aromatic, and slightly pine-like flavor that really shines through in a biscuit dough. Its woodsy personality makes it a no-brainer for this cozy fall quick bread. I don’t like to play favorites, but I do love rosemary 🙂
- Rosemary and Olive No Knead Focaccia Bread
- Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
- Tangerine Shortbread Tart with Fresh Rosemary
- Instant Pot Short Ribs with Rosemary and Polenta
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You might be able to tell from the buttermilk and sour cream that this is a moist biscuit dough. A wetter dough makes a softer and more tender biscuit. The moisture in the dough turns into steam during baking which creates pockets of air, giving the biscuits a light and fluffy texture. Fresh rosemary is readily available, but if you live in zones 7-11, I highly recommend growing this perennial yourself.
- fresh rosemary
- hold a stem of rosemary in one hand and pull the leaves off, starting at the top and stripping the them off the stem in a downward direction. Then give the needles a really fine mince to release all the flavor.
- all purpose flour
- use all purpose flour for tender biscuits (save the bread flour for crusty loaves.)
- butter
- sour cream or yogurt
- buttermilk
- buttermilk lightens and tenderizes biscuits. You can make a buttermilk substitute by adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and letting it sit for a few minutes until it curdles.
- baking powder
- salt
- baking soda
rosemary biscuit making tips
- Start with cold ingredients: cold butter, cold buttermilk, cold sour cream.
- I like to use my food processor to pulse the cold butter into the flour mixture. It does this super quickly so the butter stays cold.
- Over mixing develops gluten, which can lead to tough biscuits. Mix the ingredients until just combined. A slightly shaggy dough is fine; it doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth.
- Don’t roll out your dough too thinly, I like to pat it into a nice thick layer, at least 1 inch thick.
- Use a sharp biscuit or cookie cutter, a dull cutter (like a drinking glass) can compact the dough and impede rising.
- To cut biscuits, push your biscuit cutter straight down into the dough, and bring straight back up, without twisting it. Twisting can seal the edges of the biscuit dough and keep it from rising well.
- For crispier biscuits arrange the biscuits 2 inches apart on your baking sheet.
- For softer biscuits arrange them so that they are touching each other so they will rise together.
- Make sure your oven has been preheated to the correct temperature before baking. If your oven is still preheating, slide your biscuit tray into the refrigerator while you wait.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits lightly with melted butter or buttermilk before baking for a golden color. I will sometimes brush melted butter on after the biscuits come out of the oven for a softer, buttery top.
reheating rosemary biscuits
It’s no secret, biscuits are best warm, right out of the oven (why would you ever let a hot biscuit sit around long enough to cool down??) But if life gives you cold biscuits, here’s what to do:
1. Oven or Toaster Oven:
- Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 325°F
- Place the biscuits on a baking sheet.
- Lightly cover them with aluminum foil to prevent further browning.
- Warm the biscuits for about 5-10 minutes or until heated through.
2. Microwave:
- Wrap the biscuits in a damp paper towel or place them in a microwave-safe container with a damp paper towel on top.
- Microwave for short bursts, say 15 seconds, until heated through.
- Be cautious not to overheat them, as they can become tough or rubbery if microwaved for too long.
how we’re serving our rosemary biscuits
Rosemary biscuits are a great bread for winter holiday menus. The rosemary echoes flavors in your turkey stuffing for Thanksgiving, and definitely has a Christmas-y vibe as well. Try them with a Roast Beef Tenderloin.
They’ll go with Tuscan White Bean Soup and Split Pea Soup with Ham, or with any other soup you love.
Try rosemary biscuits alongside Lentil Chili or Creamy White Turkey Chili.
Biscuits are especially welcome with hearty stews like Beef Daube, Dublin Coddle, or Beef Bourguignon.
Leftovers make the BEST breakfast sammies! Load ’em up with eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, cheese…
Rosemary Biscuits
Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
dry ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced.* Measure after mincing.
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
wet ingredients
- ½ cup cold butter, cubed. I use salted butter.
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F Line your baking pan with parchment paper.
- Put the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to combine. You can do this by hand in a bowl if you prefer.
- Add in the cold butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is broken down into approximately pea sized bits. If doing by hand, use a pastry cutter.
- Add the buttermilk and sour cream and pulse till just combined. Don't over mix, it will be wet and crumbly.
- Scrape out the dough onto a floured board and bring together with floured hands. Pat or roll out to one inch thick. Dip your biscuit cutter into flour and cut out your biscuits pressing straight down with the cutter and then lifting straight back up, without any twisting. (Twisting the cutter can seal the edges and affect rising.) I used a 2 ½ inch size biscuit cutter.
- Place the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place them either 2 inches apart, for crisper edges, or touching, for softer plusher biscuits (my choice.) Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden on top. In my oven they took 12 minutes.
- Enjoy your biscuits warm, with a pat of butter.
Notes
- Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 325°F
- Place the biscuits on a baking sheet.
- Lightly cover them with aluminum foil to prevent further browning.
- Warm the biscuits for about 5-10 minutes or until heated through.
- Wrap the biscuits in a damp paper towel or place on a plate with a damp paper towel on top.
- Microwave for short bursts, say 15 seconds, until heated through.
- Be careful not to overheat them, as they can become tough or rubbery if microwaved for too long.
Nutrition
more biscuits please!
Hi Sue! I live in the great white north (Alberta, Canada ??) and never have fresh herbs on hand, as I just end up wasting more than I use. Can dried rosemary be substituted, and if so, how much would you recommend? Many thanks!
P.S. – A heads up that there’s an ad, rotating with a list of recipe links, that’s covering up the top part of the recipe card, from directly below the word “Ingredients”, to the actual list itself.
Have a great weekend!
You could try dried rosemary but you really won’t get a good outcome. One solution is to buy a package of fresh rosemary and freeze what you don’t use. Lay them out on a baking sheet to freeze solid, then pack in a heavy duty freezer bag.
Hi Sue! Can these biscuits be frozen (baked or unbaked)? What is the best way to reheat or bake from frozen?
Thanks!
They can be frozen either way. To bake from frozen just add a little bit of extra time for them to cook through.