Buttermilk Biscuits

Is there anything more typically Southern (and delicious) than buttermilk biscuits? Buttery, flaky, and fresh from the oven… There’s almost nothing better. 

These golden-brown beauties are cozy, comforting, and mouth-wateringly good. With all those irresistible layers, it’s impossible to eat just one! 

As a bonus, this recipe only requires 6 ingredients!

Serve them with your favorite jam, gravy, or jelly, and watch as they disappear. 

Why You’ll Love These Buttermilk Biscuits

Heavenly Aroma: I absolutely adore the scent of freshly baked biscuits wafting through the house. It creates a warm, inviting atmosphere that’ll have everyone waking up with a smile. 

Flaky Layers: The folding technique in this recipe ensures multiple layers of buttery goodness. These delightfully flaky treats pull apart with ease and will melt in your mouth.

Good for Any Meal: Buttermilk biscuits are the perfect canvas for sweet and savory toppings. Serve them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a standalone snack. Pair them with gravy, jam, honey, breakfast meats, or garlic butter. 

Incredible Taste: They’re rich, buttery, and subtly sweet. That makes them an irresistible addition to any meal.

Ingredients

• Flour: For structure and stability. Use all-purpose flour for the best results. 

• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These powerhouses of leavening agents create the ultimate rise and lift. They make every bite light and perfectly textured. 

• Salt: Add just a little to brighten the overall taste of the biscuits. 

• Granulated Sugar: It contributes to browning and depth of flavor. It’s a subtle sweetness booster that really dials up the flavor. 

• Unsalted Butter: Add it cold to create steam and flaky, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth layers.

• Buttermilk: This tangy addition activates the leavening agents and adds moisture for ultra-soft biscuits. It also helps tenderize them to create their phenomenal texture. 

How to Make Buttermilk Biscuits

Don’t let the many steps of from-scratch baking recipes scare you away. It may seem like a lot of work, but in reality, this recipe isn’t difficult. 

1. Get ready. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pre-measure and have the ingredients ready to go. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, leavening agents, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until combined. 

3. Add the butter. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour mixture. Continue until it resembles coarse crumbs. 

4. Add the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in a cup of buttermilk, and use a fork to stir until the dough comes together. It should be a shaggy mass when ready. Don’t overmix. 

5. Fold the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a rough rectangle, then fold into thirds. Then, pat it back into a rectangle. Repeat the process twice more to make layers.

6. Cut and bake. Pat the dough out to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut the biscuits out with a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter. Re-roll the scraps to cut more biscuits. Place them close together on the baking sheet and brush with the remaining buttermilk. Bake for approximately 15 to 17 minutes. 

7. Finish and serve. Remove the biscuits from the oven and brush them with melted butter. Serve warm and enjoy! 

Tips for the Best Buttermilk Biscuits

Remember these tips when making buttermilk biscuits. You’ll be glad you did!

• The colder, the better. Ensure that the butter and buttermilk are very cold, straight from the refrigerator. This will help create the flaky texture that makes the biscuits so good. For optimal results, place both in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before using.

• Don’t overdo it! Overhandling the dough will cause the biscuits to come out flat and hard. Be sure not to overmix when adding the buttermilk. And don’t overwork it when folding the layers. Three times through the folding process should suffice.

• Resist the urge to twist! Place the biscuit cutter straight down into the dough and pull it straight up again. Twisting will seal the dough’s edges and prevent it from rising correctly.

• Let them chill. After cutting the biscuits and placing them on the baking sheet, pop them in the freezer. Just 10 minutes will greatly improve their flakiness. 

• Make them nice and tall. Canned biscuits often instruct you to place them 1 to 2 inches apart. For these homemade biscuits, it’s better to place them close together. This will cause them to push each other up instead of spreading out. Additionally, for extra-tall biscuits, pat the dough out to 1-inch thickness before cutting.

• Get ahead of the game. You can prepare the biscuit dough ahead of time. Simply stop short of cutting the biscuits from it. Instead, refrigerate it overnight or freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw the frozen dough in the fridge overnight. Let chilled dough come to room temperature before proceeding.

What to Serve with Buttermilk Biscuits

What you serve with your biscuits largely depends on what meal you’re making. The following are several serving suggestions for any meal of the day: 

• Gravy
• Jam or jelly
• Honey, syrup, or sorghum
• Apple butter
• Scrambled eggs
• Oatmeal or grits
• Sausage, bacon, or other breakfast meats
• Fried chicken
• Pork tenderloin
• Mashed potatoes

How to Store

Because these biscuits store so well, you can make extra and save them for later. 

To Store: Place the cooled biscuits in an air-tight container or resealable plastic bag. Keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for a week. 

To Freeze: Wrap cooled biscuits tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before reheating. 

To Reheat: Warm biscuits for 5 to 7 minutes in a 350-degree preheated oven. Or microwave them for 10 to 15 seconds on high power.