Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits are the gold standard in biscuits. They're perfectly tender with a buttery, flaky texture. Serve them under a bed of sausage gravy for homemade biscuits and gravy, use them to sop up homemade soups or stews, or peel apart those multiple flaky layers and add a drizzle of honey. You can't go wrong!
There's nothing quite like these classic Buttermilk Biscuits. Although they use a handful of simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, there is an art to making flaky buttermilk biscuits every time. Don't worry - just follow the steps below, and you'll have the best homemade biscuits in no time.
Why You'll Love These Buttermilk Biscuits
- Perfectly flaky. The process of cutting the cold butter into the dough creates tender, flaky layers that peel apart. Plus, we fold the dough multiple times to ensure a biscuit that is layered and sky high. These homemade buttermilk biscuits are so much fun to eat!
- Easy to make. Made with just a handful of basic ingredients, these biscuits are really quite simple to make. They use common pantry staples you likely already have on hand and are ready from start to finish in under 20 minutes!
- Tried-and-true recipe. Once you try these easy buttermilk biscuits once, you'll come back to this recipe over and over again. There is no need to buy the pre-made biscuit dough from the freezer aisle. This is the only biscuit recipe you need!
Ingredient Notes
To make these delicious buttermilk biscuits, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- flour - use regular white all-purpose flour. Feel free to sift to remove any clumps.
- baking powder - this gives your biscuits a nice rise. Make sure your baking powder is fresh.
- salt - if you don't salt your biscuit dough, it will taste bland and flavorless.
- sugar - a little sugar adds just a bit of sweetness to balance out the flavors and takes these biscuits to the next level.
- butter - keep your butter very cold and cut into ½ inch cubes.
- buttermilk - use very cold buttermilk to help keep the butter nice and cold.
- melted butter - brush your warm biscuits with melted butter for a little shine, if desired
You will also need a large baking sheet, parchment paper or silicone baking mat, large mixing bowl, whisk, pastry cutter, 2.5-inch biscuit cutter or glass, and pastry brush (optional).
How to Make the Best Buttermilk Biscuits
- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or fork until butter is the size of small peas.
- Add buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the mixture and slowly pour in the buttermilk. Mix just until combined. Once the batter forms into a soft dough, use your hands to fold in the dry pieces that haven’t been incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Note that the dough will be slightly sticky.
- Roll out dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form into a rectangle. Fold it into thirds by bringing one half to the center and then repeating with the other half overlapping. Then, pat the layered dough into a ¾-inch thick disk.
- Shape biscuits. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Flour a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass) and cut out rounds of dough. Place biscuits onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat by gathering scraps and shaping into a disk.
- Bake. Bake the biscuits in a 425 F preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tops are just golden brown. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter (optional) and serve warm.
Recipe Variations
- Use a food processor. You can use a food processor to cut the butter into your flour mixture, but be careful. You want the butter pieces to be the size of peas, and don't want to overmix the dough.
- Try self-rising flour. This flour already contains leavening agents, so you can replace the all purpose flour and baking powder. White Lily flour is commonly used in Southern buttermilk biscuit recipes.
- Add honey. Instead of sugar, add up to 2 teaspoons of honey for a subtle sweetness.
How to Serve
These buttermilk biscuits are delicious served on their own, or paired with some of my favorite recipes including:
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Southern Black Eyed Peas
- Creamy Mexican Corn Soup
- Collard Greens with Bacon
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Keep the butter very cold. The only way to get those flaky layers is to use chilled butter. If the butter starts to soften before baking, it will melt right out of the biscuits. If in doubt, pop the whole tray in the fridge.
- Get the oven hot. The high temperature will help the biscuits rise immediately, creating those perfect layers and that soft, fluffy texture.
- Be gentle rerolling. When you're reshaping leftover scraps of biscuit dough before baking, touch them as little as possible. Biscuit dough is really sensitive to overworking, and you don't want a tough biscuit.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Keep leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. To last longer, store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How to Reheat
Pop your leftover biscuit in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute to bring it back to life. You can also pop them in a 350-degree oven or air fryer for a few moments until warm and crisp.
How to Freeze
Wrap leftover flaky biscuits in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer bag for 2-3 months.
How to freeze biscuit dough: You can also freeze the dough before baking! Cut out the biscuits and freeze them on a lined baking sheet for 1-2 hours until hard. Then, store in a freezer safe bag for 2-3 months and bake from frozen for 18-20 minutes or so.
FAQ
What's the difference between this buttermilk biscuit recipe and our easy biscuit recipe? The main difference is the type of milk. Buttermilk biscuits require buttermilk, which gives them an extra rise and a subtle tanginess that is just heavenly. Regular biscuits often use whole milk. Plus, we are using a different technique for these buttermilk biscuits to get high rising biscuits.
The answer is based on personal preference. Both buttermilk and whole milk make great biscuits! Personally, I prefer buttermilk because the extra acid gives you a really fluffy texture, and the little bit of tanginess is really lovely.
The key to fluffy biscuits is to use really cold butter and a hot oven. If your butter is not really cold and the oven is not fully preheated, you won't have a perfect biscuit. If you followed those steps and still had a problem, then check the age of your baking powder. It can go bad after a while and stop rising.
Another option is that you overworked the dough. Unlike yeasted doughs, biscuits should not be kneaded at all; just mix enough to bring the dough together. You don't want to develop any gluten, which can cause a tough texture. If you suspect you overworked the dough, just pop the biscuit dough in the fridge to let it rest for about 30 minutes before baking.
More Bread Recipes
- Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
- Cornmeal Cheddar Biscuits
- Garlic Knots
- Skillet Dinner Rolls
- Cheesy Garlic Dinner Rolls
- Potato Dinner Rolls
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