Kimchi and Cheddar Cheese Skirt Biscuits
Savory breakfast dreams
We almost always have a jar of kimchi kicking around in our fridge, ready to kick up a bowl of noodles or curb a spice craving. I haven’t really tried adding it to my bakes (not all my kids are spicy food lovers…yet); but after enjoying a tasty kimchi cheese scone from the lovely Issho Bakery I knew that had to change. While kimchi and cheese may not spring to mind immediately when you think of classic ingredient combinations, they do pair perfectly. Creaminess tames the spicy acidity of kimchi, while kimchi’s pungency can cut through the fattiness of the cheese. If you like jalapeno and cheddar together or always add spicy chilis on your pizza, give it at shot!
For these biscuits, I used storebought napa cabbage style kimchi. You’ll want to squeeze the brine out before adding the kimchi to the dough, as too much moisture can ruin the biscuits’ texture. But don’t throw out that liquid — we’ll be adding some back in with the wet ingredients and using it to brush the biscuits before baking.
We could just toss some cheese into the dough and the biscuits would come out very tasty; but ever since developing these cheese skirt biscuits a couple years back I pretty much make any cheese biscuit a cheese skirt biscuit. It’s simple — just place your individual unbaked biscuits on little beds of shredded cheese before they hit the oven. The cheese will melt and fry during baking, and you’ll end up with a crispy-crunchy frico base. I have noticed that different brands of cheese brown at different rates; though in my experience the cheesy bottoms can look very dark but still not be burnt. But you know your oven best — if the bottoms of your bakes tend to brown fast, nestle an extra baking sheet underneath to avoid burning and sadness.
One final note: I wouldn’t classify these biscuits as spicy — I had a couple bites with a little kick, but all the enriching ingredients really do tame the spice. If you’re a spicy food enthusiast, you could add some chili flakes or perhaps even a dollop of gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) to dial up the heat.
Kimchi and Cheddar Cheese Skirt Biscuits
Makes 6 large biscuits
Ingredients:
For the biscuit dough:
175g all purpose flour
50g khorasan (kamut) flour (or another whole grain flour, such as whole wheat or spelt)
8g (2 tsp) baking powder
3g (1/2 tsp) baking soda
1 tsp garlic powder
8g (2 tsp) sugar
4g (1 tsp) kosher salt
113g unsalted butter, cold
165g grated cheddar (preferably sharp), divided
75g kimchi, squeezed dry and finely chopped, brine reserved (weight after squeezing)
50g 100% hydration sourdough discard, straight from the fridge1
10g reserved kimchi brine
140g buttermilk
To finish:
Reserved kimchi brine
Sesame seeds
Method:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and garlic powder. Scatter the cold butter pieces over the top and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut it into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are roughly the size of peas. Add 100g of the shredded cheddar and the chopped kimchi and toss to coat with flour.
In a medium bowl or glass measuring jug, whisk together the sourdough discard, 10g reserved kimchi brine, and buttermilk. Drizzle the wet ingredients over the dry and gently fold together using a flexible spatula. Continue to fold the dough onto itself just until the dough holds together but is still a bit shaggy with a few dry spots.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and use your hands/rolling pin to press it into a 1/2” thick rectangle (roughly 8” x 11”). Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into quarters. Stack the pieces on top of each other, sandwiching any stray floury bits between the layers. Pat or gently roll the dough back to a half-inch thickness, then repeat the cutting/stacking/rolling process twice more, ending with the dough rolled into rectangle roughly 5” x 7” and a generous inch thick. Transfer the slab to a parchment-lined sheet tray or plate and freeze for 20-30 minutes, until very cold but not frozen.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Tip: If your oven tends to heat enthusiastically from the bottom, nestle another sheet tray underneath to keep the biscuits from getting too brown.) Equally divide the reserved 65g shredded cheddar into 6 piles, evenly spaced on the tray. Pat each pile into a roughly 2.5” square.
Once the biscuit slab is chilled, use a sharp knife to slice it into a 2x3 grid for a total of 6 biscuits. Center each biscuit upside-down on a cheddar pile; the cheese should be just barely peeking out from under the biscuit. (Tip: Flipping the biscuits over encourages them to rise higher, a tip gleaned from Tandem Bakery.) Brush the tops of the biscuits with reserved kimchi brine and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375F and continue baking until the biscuits are well risen and golden, about 20-25 minutes longer. (If you want to check the internal temperature, a fully cooked biscuit should register at least 200F in the very center.) Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving to let the cheese skirt set fully.
Biscuits are best served a little warm from the oven, but keep well for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Refresh until warmed through in a 325F oven, about 5 minutes.
I like adding sourdough discard for flavor, but if you don’t have any increase the all-purpose flour to 200g and the buttermilk to 165g.