Sour Cream and Chive Biscuits

By
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan is a recipe developer, baker, food writer, and author of "The Vintage Baker" and "Icebox Cakes."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/30/21
sour cream and chive biscuits

Jessie Sheehan / The Spruce
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
chilling: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 9 servings
Yield: 9 biscuits
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
469 Calories
29g Fat
45g Carbs
8g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 9
Amount per serving
Calories 469
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 17g 84%
Cholesterol 98mg 33%
Sodium 494mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 179mg 14%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 131mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Sour cream adds the most wonderful tang and richness to a classic all-butter biscuit. The addition of chives places these cuties firmly in the savory baked goods camp, transforming them into the perfect "dinner rolls" to serve with just about anything—but yes, you can eat them for breakfast as well.

The recipe calls for a food processor to combine the dry ingredients with the butter, which is our secret to working quickly, while keeping the butter cold—an important aspect to biscuit making. The sour cream is mixed in by hand, then the dough comes together with a little kneading. The biscuits are cut with a 3-inch cutter and bake up even taller (you're welcome), about 1 1/2-inches prebake. Slather them with salted butter and perhaps a sprinkling of flaky sea salt, to ensure these easy sour cream and chive numbers are just about as perfect as a biscuit can be.

Ingredients

For the Biscuits:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 4 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup minced chives

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream

For the Egg Wash:

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Grease a 9 x 9-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or softened butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper

  3. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.

  4. Add the cold butter and chives to the bowl, then pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

  5. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the sour cream, then use a wooden spoon to combine until a shaggy dough forms. (This will take awhile. You can use your hands to knead the dough together in the bowl, if desired.)

  6. Transfer the dough to a work surface (no need to flour it, but if you find the dough is too sticky, a little flour will help). Knead the dough a few times until it is no longer crumbly and the dry bits are fully integrated. It may seem like this will never happen, but it will. Be patient!

  7. Gently pat or roll the dough into a rectangle at least 1 1/2 inches thick to ensure a tall biscuit.

  8. Using a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut out the biscuits from the dough. Place in the prepared pan so they are touching (this helps them rise).

  9. Collect any scraps and re-roll, then cut as needed. (Note, the biscuits made from scraps will not be as flaky and tender.)

  10. Tightly wrap the pan in plastic wrap and freeze the biscuits for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

  11. To make the egg wash, whisk the egg and salt in a small bowl

  12. Once the biscuits are frozen, brush the wash over the tops of each.

  13. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown on top and lightly browned on the bottom, rotating the pan halfway through. Let the biscuits sit 1 or 2 minutes in the pan until they are easy to handle.

  14. Biscuits are best eaten the day they are made (slathered in salted butter), but can be stored, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to three days.

Recipe Tip

  • Don't over knead the dough. As soon as it comes together, begin cutting out the biscuits.
  • Don't skip the freezer as this helps the biscuits retain their shape and helps create those flaky layers.

Recipe Variations

  • You can omit the chives and substitute scallions or herbs like rosemary or thyme. Feel free to leave out all together and just make plain buttery biscuits.
  • If you do not use the egg wash, then these biscuits are egg free, but they will not be as shiny.
  • If you do not want to deal with re-rolling the scraps, you can make square biscuits by simply cutting the rectangle of dough into squares.