Whole Wheat Biscuits with Smoked Paprika and Chives
Savory biscuits, warm from the oven, are a welcome addition to the dinner table, or served at brunch with thinly sliced country ham. They can even be made with a small biscuit cutter and turned into crowd-friendly hors d’oeuvres. To keep the biscuits tender and light, make sure the cream is refrigerator cold, and handle the dough with a gentle touch when you turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter; just a quick knead pulls the dough together. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops with cream, and avoid drips down the sides as they prevent the biscuits from rising evenly. For a final flourish, sprinkle each biscuit with flake sea salt and add a little touch of freshly ground pepper on top. Uses [KitchenAid® Stand Mixer](https://yummly.app.link/k3bnNNhsd1) and [Sifter + Scale Attachment](https://yummly.app.link/WVsBbRrsd1).
Ingredients
Freshly ground black pepper
Flake sea salt (for sprinkling)
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream (cold)1/4 cup fresh chives (finely snipped)
3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream (cold)1/4 cup fresh chives (finely snipped)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Step by step
Special Equipment: KitchenAid® Stand Mixer; KitchenAid® Sifter + Scale Attachment; Large rimmed baking sheet; parchment paper; 2 1/2-in/6.25-cm biscuit cutter; pastry brush
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC/gas 4. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Attach the KitchenAid® Sifter + Scale Attachment to your KitchenAid® Stand Mixer fitted with the flat beater. Close the ingredient valve. Weigh the flours (6 oz whole wheat, 6 oz all-purpose), sugar (2 oz), baking powder (0.56 oz), smoked paprika (0.24 oz), and salt (0.08 oz) in the ingredient hopper, taring the scale between ingredients. Turn the mixer to medium-low speed, open the ingredient valve, and sift the flour mixture into the mixing bowl. Turn off the mixer.
Stir together the 1 cup + 3 Tbs cream and 1/4 cup chives. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream down the side of the mixing bowl. Mix just until it comes together, 30 second to 1 minute. The dough will be very shaggy. Do not overmix. Turn the mixer off. Remove the mixer bowl, and use a rubber spatula to blend in any flour remaining on the sides of the bowl. (The dough will seem dry, but not to worry, the biscuits will bake up flaky!)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough 2 to 3 turns and then form into a 1-in-/2.5-cm-thick patty. Dip the biscuit cutter into flour, and press straight down to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Arrange on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Use your hands to form the scraps into another 1-in-/2.5-cm-thick patty. Cut out more biscuits and place on the baking pan, spacing the biscuits 2-in/5-cm apart.
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of each biscuit with remaining 2 Tbs cream, being careful the cream doesn’t drip down the side. Sprinkle each biscuit with flake sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake the biscuits until they rise and color nicely on top and the bottoms are beautifully browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm. The biscuits are best straight from the oven, or rewarmed just before serving on the day they are baked. Leftovers can be kept in a covered container for 1 day. To rewarm, it is best to split them in half crosswise and toast the insides.