Cheddar Pinwheels

Think of these as savory cinnamon rolls with sharp cheddar standing in for the sugar and spice. A simple biscuit dough gets rolled thin, covered in grated cheese, then spiraled up and sliced into rounds.

The technique is classic biscuit-making: cut cold butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs, add milk, and handle the dough as little as possible. That minimal kneading (just 30 seconds) keeps the layers flaky. Overwork it and you’ll get tough, dense pinwheels instead of tender, buttery ones.

Rolling the dough to ⅛ inch is thinner than most biscuits. That thinness means more spiral layers and a higher cheese-to-dough ratio in every bite. Use the sharpest cheddar you can find. Mild cheddar gets lost in the baking.

Pro Tips

• Keep the butter cold. Cut it into cubes and work fast so it doesn’t soften. Those cold butter pockets create steam in the oven, which is what makes the layers puff and separate.
• Roll the dough up tightly. Loose rolling creates gaps in the spiral where the cheese melts out instead of staying put.
• Use a sharp knife and cut with a single downward motion. Sawing back and forth smashes the layers flat.
• Space them at least an inch apart on the sheet. They spread as the butter melts.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika or cayenne to the flour for a spicy kick.
• Mix in crumbled crispy bacon with the cheese before rolling for a loaded cheddar-bacon version.
• Use Gruyère or Parmesan instead of cheddar for a sharper, more complex flavor.