I really shouldn’t be changing up a classic buttermilk biscuit recipe because it’s always perfect, but you know me and I can’t keep well enough alone. So here I am changing it up regardless. These Sun-Dried Tomato, Feta and Za’atar Biscuits are what you make when you really just want to switch things up and add a bunch more flavor to your biscuits. The dough is studded with lots of sun-dried tomatoes (which add a bit of sweetness), crumbled feta, herbs and then they’re topped with za’atar seasoning which brings just a zip of citrus flavor in a way. It all comes together to create a flavorful biscuit that would be a star all on it’s on but also works so well with an assortment of main dishes. Did I mention there’s an herby butter spread to go with them? It’s true, and you won’t be able to resist so don’t even try to.
To make the biscuits, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes.
**Note: I know that the sugar might sound a bit odd especially since these are savory but the sugar really helps out the flavors. It’s just as important as adding salt to sweet recipes!**
Add the cold butter and use your fingers to rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas.
**Tip: It’s super important to make sure that the butter is very cold and remains cold because cold better allows for a flakier better risen biscuit. You could grate your cold butter with a cheese box grater and then just gold it into the dry ingredients if you prefer!**
Stir in the crumbled feta and sun-dried tomatoes until evenly distributed. Try not to break the feta too much when adding it in.
**Note: If you can find the dry sun-dried tomatoes that are in pouches without oil, that would be best for this recipe. But if all you can find is jarred with oil, just make sure you drain and pat them dry very well. You don’t want to add in any unnecessary oil to the dough.**
Add in the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until everything is evenly moistened. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to bring it all together.
Roll out to a 1-inch thick rectangle and cut with a 4-inch round biscuit cutter. Rework the dough and cut out any remaining biscuits. Transfer to a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, and chill in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with Za’atar seasoning.
Bake in a preheated 400°F oven until golden brown on top, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving with the herby butter
Speaking of the herby butter spread, here’s how to make it (it’s super simple). Add garlic, basil, parsley oregano, olive oil, butter, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Give it a small taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt or pepper. You can also add in a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes if you like a bit of heat.
**Tip: Use immediately with the biscuits or chill in the fridge until ready to eat. The olive oil will prevent the spread from being too firm.**
The biscuits can be made ahead of time, either before or after baking. You can either cut them out then freeze on a baking sheet, move to a freezer bag and keep in there for 3 months and bake from frozen. Or you can bake them off, wait for them to cool then freeze and just rewarm when ready to eat. Either way, you’ll have biscuits in the freezer and you can’t beat that.
These are of course super tasty with the herby butter spread but honestly, just some plain salted butter would be delicious as well. Or you can also make a whipped feta situation because that would be just as delicious. Double the feta, double the fun.
These are such a tasty snack all by themselves but they would be great as a side dish to so many different recipes. Instead of dinner rolls on the table, these biscuits would be perfect. Serve with your favorite fried chicken (homemade or store-bought) for a bit of added flavor! Let me know if you have any questions or comments below. As always, stay safe out there.
Sun-Dried Tomato, Feta and Za'atar Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, diced
- 4 ounces crumbled feta
- 3 ounces dry sun-dried tomatoes or 1 6-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained
- 1 cup chilled buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon Za'atar seasoning
Herby Butter Spread:
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 4 to 6 fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- To make the biscuits, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Add the cold butter and use your fingers to rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas. Stir in the crumbled feta and sun-dried tomatoes until evenly distributed. Add in the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until everything is evenly moistened. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to bring it all together. Roll out to a 1-inch thick rectangle and cut with a 4-inch round biscuit cutter. Rework the dough and cut out any remaining biscuits. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and chill in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with Za'atar seasoning. Bake until golden brown on top, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving with the herby butter (recipe follows). Enjoy!
- To make the herby butter, place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until well blended and smooth. Use immediately or chill until ready to use.
The flavour of these biscuits is outstanding! I found the dough a little hard to work with, as it crumbled a fair amount. I didn’t want to knead it too much because I wanted to avoid tough biscuits. I ended up with some loose flour that I just discarded and it all worked out just fine. Served with leek, potato and cauliflower soup for a delicious dinner. Thanks for the great recipe!