Southern Style Cheddar Biscuits from FIVE Berkeley

A recipe for perfectly flaky southern style buttermilk cheddar biscuits from FIVE restaurant in Berkeley, California. Try to eat just one!

Even though cooking at home is one of our favorite ways to spend time together, Pat and I also love exploring the amazing cuisine of the San Francisco bay area. We average about one meal out on the town a week, which you can see more of on my Instagram account or my San Francisco restaurant reviews page. Even though there are so many options for dining in San Francisco, we try to explore the cities that surround SF as well.

One recent date night adventure took us to FIVE restaurant in Berkeley. We had heard about their beautiful California cuisine from other foodies and had to check it out for ourselves.

The meal started with cheddar biscuits, which were beyond amazing. Perfectly flaky, and super light, it was all I could do to just have one! They perfectly foreshadowed the amazing spread to come.

After that, we feasted on beautifully prepared salads, thoughtful meat dishes and amazing desserts. As I’m sure you can tell from these photos, the dishes feature seasonal ingredients, beautiful resentations and amazing flavors.

Oh, and check out this setting! FIVE is located in Hotel Shattuck Plaza, a few blocks from the UC Berkeley campus. Built in 1910, the high ceilings, tiled floors and marble bar transport you to another era. It’s easy to close your eyes and imagine men top hats and women in their long dresses walking through the lobby.

FIVE was just named to the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for the 8th year in a row. The list recognizes restaurants that are moderately priced (two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less). If you are in Berkeley and looking for a nice special occasion restaurant, you have to check them out.

In the meantime, you can enjoy a bit of FIVE at home with these amazing buttermilk cheddar biscuits. I was so grateful that Executive Chef Stephane Tonnelier agreed to share the recipe with me. He uses White Lily self-rising flour for his biscuits, but I found this challenging to find, even here in San Francisco. The closest I got was on Amazon with two-day shipping. I wanted to make these biscuits easy to make at home, so I searched the internet for a solution.

I looked for a recipe to make White Lily self-rising flour at home that will make these biscuits taste just like the original. My first attempt was with all-purpose flour, which did not work. To get the light texture of the biscuits the best substitute was cake flour, with added salt and baking powder (to make it self-rising). The cake flour has a lower protein content, just like White Lily flour.

Thanks for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Bloglovin’, Snapchat (@asideofsweet), or Twitter. You can also subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts and random musings from me.

Southern Style Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits Recipe

Southern-Style Cheddar Biscuits

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

A recipe for perfectly flaky southern style buttermilk cheddar biscuits from FIVE restaurant in Berkeley, California. Try to eat just one! Recipe adapted for home use from Executive Chef Stephane Tonnelier of FIVE Berkeley.

• Author: Kelly Egan
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 12 biscuits 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Southern

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cheddar Biscuits Recipe:

• 4 cups (18 ounces) White Lily self-rising flour (substitute version using cake flour below)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon iodized salt
• 2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) granulated sugar
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups (13 ounces) buttermilk
• 2 cups (5 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Egg wash ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Ingredients for Cake Flour Substitute for Self Rising Lily Flour:

• 4 cups cake flour (17 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon iodized salt
• 6 teaspoons baking powder (1 ounce)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly distributed. Slice the butter into 1 tablespoon pieces. Mix into the dry ingredients with a mixer on medium-low until the butter is broken down into pea-sized bits.
2. With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk.
3. Slowly add the cheese and mix until evenly moistened. Do not over mix!
4. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 2-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 12 squares.
5. Place biscuits on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and brush with the egg wash mixture.
6. Bake at 325° F for 35-45 minutes. Best served warm.

Go There

FIVE Restaurant
Hotel Shattuck Plaza
2086 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
http://www.five-berkeley.com