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These homemade buttermilk biscuits are everything you could want in a biscuit: buttery, flakey, and tender with golden brown tops. Whether you’re serving them alongside a hearty breakfast, a comforting bowl of soup, or as part of a delicious dinner, these biscuits are sure to be a hit. Made with simple ingredients and a few key techniques, this recipe will become your go-to for perfect biscuits every time.
From scratch, biscuit dough makes the best biscuits, with tangy buttermilk, flaky layers, and melted butter on top. My mouth is watering just typing this. Biscuit dough is made from basic ingredients and freezes wonderfully, so you can have homemade biscuits anytime!
The Chemistry of Buttermilk Biscuits
The secret to achieving light, flakey biscuits lies in the handling of the ingredients. Cold butter is essential because as the biscuits bake, the butter melts, creating steam that puffs up the dough, resulting in those coveted flakey layers. Using a pastry cutter or a food processor to cut the butter into the dry ingredients helps to keep the butter pieces small and evenly distributed. The acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and baking powder, ensuring a good rise and tender crumb.
What is in homemade buttermilk biscuits?
All-purpose Flour
Builds structure as it absorbs liquids and expands. All-purpose flour falls in the middle of bread flour (high in gluten) and cake flour (low in gluten). It’s exactly what it is named, all-purpose, the most universal flour that can be used in most baked goods.
Fine Sea Salt
Enhances flavor, adds balance, masks any bitter flavors. Salt is the most powerful and oldest preservative. Always make sure to use fine sea salt so it melts down at the right speed in the heat of the oven. If you use larger granule salt, it will not melt down fully when baked and will leave salt crystals throughout your treat, making it crunch like you dropped it into sand.
Granulated Sugar
Adds sweetness, provides a caramelized flavor and crisp texture. Sugar assists with rising when creamed with butter. It helps add moisture to your treat and helps it evenly spread as it melts into a liquid in the heat of the oven. Sugar also helps with naturally preserving your baked treat.
Baking Powder
Puffs up your batter or dough instead of spreading it out. Baking powder contains a little bit of baking soda, an acid & cornstarch. Because of this, it only needs a liquid to react. It also consists of two different acids, so it’s double reacting. It reacts as soon as it’s mixed with a moisture and then again when it’s heated up.
Baking Soda
Elevates the pH level of your batter or dough. It increases the spread in your treat and encourages browning, which gives the crispy outside and soft inside texture that everyone loves. Baking soda needs both an acid and a liquid to react. Things that will activate your baking soda are: vinegar, fruit juice, molasses, brown sugar, tartar, buttermilk and sour cream. Baking soda only reacts once, which is right when it’s mixed into your batter or dough. The soda creates little air bubbles all throughout your treat. When the air bubbles get heated up in the oven, they expand.
Unsalted Butter
It is always important to use unsalted butter when baking. If you use salted butter, you have no way of knowing how much salt you are adding to your dough or batter and it will result in an overly salted treat.
Butter adds fats to your dough or batter which helps with moistness, flavor and texture. Butter melts at body temperature, which creates a ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation.
When baking with butter the temperature is important. If the butter is too warm your treat will melt down too fast and overspread in the oven, leaving you with a greasy, flat mess. If your butter is too cold it will have the opposite problem and not melt down enough, leaving your treat too thick.
Buttermilk
Adds moisture and helps to tenderize the gluten, creating a soft crumb and tangy flavor. It also helps rise the pH level of your batter, increasing the rise from the baking powder.
How do you make buttermilk biscuits?
- Prepare the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 teaspoons baking powder.
- Cut in the butter. Cut 3/4 cup of cold, unsalted butter in small pieces. Use a pastry cutter or food processor to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the buttermilk. Pour 1 cup of cold buttermilk into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined and the dough starts to come together.
- Knead the biscuit dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough, folding it 3-4 times to create layers. Be sure not to overwork your dough or you will end up with tough biscuits. Pat the dough into a thick rectangle or use a rolling pin, keep it about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut the biscuits. Use a round biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting. Place the biscuit on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Brush the tops of the dough with a little extra buttermilk using a pastry brush. This helps them achieve a beautiful golden brown color.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 14 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Finish with butter. Remove the baked biscuits from the oven and immediately rub the tops with a stick of butter for an extra layer of flavor and shine.
How to Store Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or freeze them in a freezer bag for up to three months.
You can make these ahead of time. Prepare the dough, cut out the biscuits, and freeze them unbaked. When ready to enjoy, bake them straight from the freezer, adding a couple of extra minutes to the bake time.
Serving Suggestions
These classic buttermilk biscuits are incredibly versatile. Serve them warm with butter and honey for breakfast, or pair them with fried chicken for a classic Southern meal. They also make an excellent base for strawberry shortcake or as a side for soups and stews.
Fun Fact
Did you know the first biscuit recipe was published in an American cookbook in 1796? Over the years, biscuits have become a staple in Southern cuisine, known for their buttery flavor and tender, flakey texture. Whether enjoyed at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, biscuits are a beloved comfort food across the United States.
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Why make homemade buttermilk biscuits?
These biscuits are perfect for weekend brunches, holiday dinners, or whenever you want to add a comforting, homemade touch. They’re quick to make and always a crowd-pleaser, whether you serve them with savory gravy or sweet jam.
This recipe is easy to follow and delivers consistently delicious results. The cold buttermilk and cold butter are key to creating the flakey layers that make these biscuits so irresistible. Whether you’re making breakfast sandwiches, serving them with sausage gravy, or enjoying them with a smear of homemade preserves, these biscuits are versatile and always satisfying. Plus, they can be made ahead and frozen, so you always have homemade biscuits ready to go.
FAQs
What makes biscuits flakey?
Flakiness in biscuits comes form cold butter. When the butter melts in the oven, it creates steam that separates the dough into layers, creating that perfect flakey texture.
Can I make buttermilk biscuits without a pastry cutter?
You can use your hands or a fork to cut the butter into the flour mixture. Alternatively, a food processor works well to distribute the butter evenly.
How do I store homemade biscuits?
Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. You can also freeze them in a freezer bag for up to three months.
Why do my biscuits turn out flat?
Flat biscuits an result from overworking the dough or using warm butter. Make sure to use cold ingredients and handle the dough as little as possible to keep those air pockets intact.
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Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup buttermilk **plus a bit more to top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium-sized bowl add the dry ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, baking soda and powder. Mix to combine
- Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry knife. You could also cut into small pieces and break it in with your hands or use a handheld food processor to cut the butter in.
- Add the buttermilk and stir until combined.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured countertop. Using a round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and place on a light metal cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue until all the dough is used.
- With a pastry brush, top each uncooked biscuit with some buttermilk.
- Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and immediately rub the tops with a stick of butter while still hot.
Nutrition
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