Buttermilk Biscuits
This buttermilk biscuits recipe turns out tall, flaky layers every single time, with a golden top and a soft, pillowy center. The secret is cold butter, a light hand, and real buttermilk — once you nail those three things, your biscuits finally get that bakery-style rise and buttery flavor.
Equipment
- Box grater for grating the cold butter
- Pastry cutter (optional) if you prefer cutting butter by hand
- Large mixing bowl
- Bench scraper for folding and cutting the dough
- Round biscuit cutter 2.5 inch
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour 500g, plus more for dusting
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar optional
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter 2 sticks, cubed
- 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing
Instructions
- Set your oven to 450°F (230°C) and let it fully preheat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place your butter cubes in the freezer for 10 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt for a full 20 to 30 seconds to make sure the leaveners are evenly distributed.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Alternatively, grate the frozen butter directly into the flour using a box grater and toss gently to coat.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture. Pour in the cold buttermilk all at once and stir gently with a fork or spatula just until a shaggy, slightly wet dough forms. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry patches of flour.
- Turn the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick, fold the dough in half, then pat it back out again. Repeat this folding process 3 to 4 times.
- After the final fold, pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Dip your biscuit cutter in flour, then press straight down through the dough without twisting. Gather the scraps, gently pat together, and cut a few more biscuits.
- Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet so their sides are touching. Brush the tops lightly with the melted butter or a splash of extra buttermilk.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have risen tall. Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.
- Remove the biscuits from the oven and brush the tops with a little more melted butter while they are still hot. Let them rest on the pan for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or serving basket.
Notes
- Keep everything cold — chill your bowl, your butter, and even your flour if your kitchen runs warm.
- Handle the dough as little as possible once the buttermilk goes in; overmixing is the number one cause of tough biscuits.
- Always cut straight down with the biscuit cutter, never twist, as twisting seals the edges and prevents proper rising.
- Bake on the middle rack for the most even color.
- Use fresh baking powder, since old baking powder loses its lift over time.
- If using self-rising flour, skip the added baking powder, baking soda, and salt; just add the flour, sugar if using, cold butter, and buttermilk.
- To make ahead: prepare dough through the cutting step and refrigerate cut biscuits for up to 24 hours before baking, or freeze cut unbaked biscuits for up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.
- For a buttermilk substitute: add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 3/4 cups of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days if your kitchen is warm or humid.
- Reheat in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BiscuitCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 380mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g
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