Description
This recipe features light, flaky savory biscuits infused with Zaatar and sumac, topped with a bright lemon-tahini drizzle, perfect for family meals or a unique breakfast.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, very cold and cubed (or vegan butter alternative)
- 1 cup full-fat buttermilk, very cold (or homemade buttermilk substitute)
- 1 tablespoon Zaatar spice blend
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac
- 2 tablespoons tahini, smooth and drippy
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2–3 tablespoons cold water, for drizzle
- pinch fine sea salt, for drizzle
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Prepare Oven: Preheat oven to 220 degrees C (425 degrees F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, Zaatar, and sumac until thoroughly combined and uniform.
- Cut In Cold Butter: Add the very cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Add Buttermilk: Pour in the cold buttermilk. Mix with a spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened and a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Create Layers: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat the patting and folding process 2 more times.
- Cut Biscuits: Gently pat the dough to a thickness of about 2 cm (0.75 inch). Use a 6 cm (2.5 inch) round biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting. Reroll scraps once and cut any remaining biscuits.
- Bake Biscuits: Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are touching lightly. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and well-risen.
- Prepare Drizzle: While biscuits bake, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Gradually add 2-3 tablespoons cold water, whisking until smooth and pourable, like a thin pancake batter.
- Serve: Remove biscuits from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Drizzle the creamy Lemon-Tahini Drizzle over them and scatter the chopped fresh parsley generously.
Notes
If your butter softens too much during preparation, pop the bowl into the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm it up. For a quick buttermilk substitute, combine 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. You can also bake a double batch and freeze half of the unbaked biscuits for a future easy breakfast.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern-inspired American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 300 calories
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg