Buttermilk Biscuits
Southern-style 6-ingredient, homemade Buttermilk Biscuits are flaky and fabulous. Just like Grandma used to make, only easier!
When I tell you how easy these biscuits are to make!, I mean it! These spectacular Buttermilk Biscuits are a quick bread recipe that will make you look like a baking PRO – only 5 minutes to mix and 15 to bake! The result is a pan full of airy, golden, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits made from simple ingredients: all-purpose flour, butter, baking soda & baking powder, buttermilk, and salt. Just slather them with butter and jelly and be amazed!
Homemade Biscuits Made Easy!
This is a yeast-free biscuit recipe that rises beautifully, thanks to the use of both baking powder and soda, and placing the biscuits close together in a black skillet or round pan so they cook up and not out.
Nothing compares to these Buttermilk Biscuits! They take 20 minutes, start to finish, and turn out soft and airy – perfect for gravy or jam but sturdy enough for a sausage & egg breakfast sandwich! YUM!
Other Recipes to Serve with Homemade Biscuits
- Creamy, savory Sausage Gravy served over Buttermilk Biscuits makes any morning extra special!
- Strawberry Freezer Jam is easy to make and keeps summer berries available all year long!
Ingredients
Baking Staples: All-purpose flour with both baking soda and baking powder gives these biscuits an extra boost to be fluffy and delicious!
Dairy: Buttermilk and ice-cold butter bring flavor and a nice, airy texture to these homemade biscuits!
Seasoning: Salt is all you need for this simple Southern-style recipe!
How to Make Buttermilk Biscuits
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ice-cold butter (cut into cubes) into the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarse and grainy in texture.
STE TWO: Pour this flour mixture into a large bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir until just combined (but don’t overmix!) The dough will be sticky.
STEP THREE: Dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out. Sprinkle more flour over the dough. Using your hands, flatten the dough into a circle about half an inch thick. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter (press firmly but don’t twist)
STEP FOUR: Place each biscuit in a cast-iron skillet or round baking pan, arranging them very closely together (sides touching).
STEP FIVE: Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the biscuits are a beautiful golden brown. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- It really is essential to use super cold butter – this gives you light, fluffy layers.
- Chilling the dry ingredients before starting helps keep the butter cold while mixing.
- Don’t open the oven during the cooking process – even a slight temperature change can cause the biscuits to fall rather than rise.
- Place the biscuits close together in the pan – this helps them rise tall rather than spread wide.
- Shortening (or lard) can be used as a substitute for butter if necessary. They’ll cook up just as light and flaky, but not taste buttery.
- Do NOT twist the biscuit cutter – twisting seals the edges of the dough and keeps them from rising.
What’s the Key to Making Perfect Biscuits?
Homemade Biscuits are more straightforward than you might think, but there ARE a few tips that transform simple biscuits from “good” to “WOW”!
- Ice cold butter melts as the biscuits bake, causing pockets of steam that create those flaky layers of goodness!
- Mixing the dough until it is “just combined” (without overmixing) helps keep your biscuits soft and tender.
- Baking the biscuits close together in a hot oven (450°F) causes them to rise quickly and bake to a perfect golden brown!
Can You Freeze Biscuit Dough?
You sure can! Go ahead and roll out the biscuit dough and cut it into shapes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the biscuits onto the sheet. Freeze for one hour. Once the dough is frozen, transfer the biscuits into freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to 3 months! For baking, you can thaw first for a few hours or cook these straight from the freezer to the oven, just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
Other Easy Homemade Bread Dough Recipes
- Drop Biscuits
- Dutch Oven Bread
- Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
- Homemade White Bread
- Easy Peasy Pizza Dough Breadsticks
- Air Fryer Doughnuts
Buttermilk Biscuits
Equipment
- Food Processor (see note)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons butter frozen and cut into cubes
- 1 cup buttermilk plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and butter to the bowl of a food processor. Cover and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Pour the flour mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir until just combined. (Don't overmix!) The dough should be very sticky. If it's dry, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Dust your counter with flour and turn out the dough onto the work surface. Sprinkle more flour on top of the dough, and use your hands to form it into a circle. Then flatten it down to a ½-inch thickness.
- Using a biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and place them in a cast-iron skillet or round baking pan. Rework the dough scraps into a ½-inch thick circle and cut out more biscuits until all the dough has been used. (You should get about 12 biscuits.)
- Bake for 13-16 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove the biscuits from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
