Buttermilk Biscuits

There’s nothing like a fresh, homemade biscuit still warm from the oven. The best biscuits are so flaky that you can tear the top and bottom away from each other easily, and there’s a slight crunch on the exterior that gives way to a soft and buttery interior.

Making buttermilk biscuits doesn’t have to mean spending all day in the kitchen! These biscuits are not just delicious, they’re also the easiest biscuit recipe you’ll find. Once you realize how quick they are, they’ll be in regular rotation on your breakfast table.

Key Ingredients

Jamie Thrower for Taste of Home

Cold butter

Cold butter is essential! While the biscuits cook, the butter melts, creating the pockets of air that make delicious layers and texture. Use butter straight from the fridge, cut it into small pieces, then return it to the fridge until the minute you’re ready for it.

Self-rising flour

Self-rising flour is regular flour with the leavening agent already incorporated. If you try to substitute all-purpose flour without adding baking powder, then your biscuits won’t rise. You can buy self-rising flour at the store or make self-rising flour by adding 1 to 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is ideal for biscuits because of all the fat, and the acidity adds to the flavor and gives them a good rise. You really should use buttermilk in baked goods.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

Jamie Thrower for Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and butter. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. Drizzle in the cold buttermilk a little bit at a time, mixing with a rubber spatula and making sure to incorporate any dry flour that’s settled at the bottom of the bowl.

You’ll know the flour has enough moisture if there are no dry bits of flour at the bottom of the bowl. If there’s still dry flour, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time as needed.

Step 2: Knead and roll out dough

Jamie Thrower for Taste of Home

Turn dough onto a clean and lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together, then pat into a rectangle. Roll out dough until it’s 3/4-inch thick.

Step 3: Cut out biscuits

Jamie Thrower for Taste of Home

Set aside a sheet tray with a piece of parchment on it.

Use a biscuit cutter around 2-1/2-inches wide to cut out biscuits. Transfer biscuits to the lined sheet tray. Bring together the remaining dough without working it too much, roll it out once and then cut out any remaining biscuits.

Step 4: Bake the biscuits

Jamie Thrower for Taste of Home

Place the sheet tray in the oven and cook for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating halfway through. The tops of the biscuits should be golden brown when done. While they’re cooking, heat up a couple tablespoons of butter.

Step 5: Brush with butter

Jamie Thrower for Taste of Home

When the biscuits are done, brush tops with melted butter. Serve warm!

How to Store Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits should be stored in a food storage container or plastic bag. They are best the day they’re made, but can hold for up to 3 days, especially if you reheat them. Cooked biscuits can also be frozen in a sealed plastic bag for up to 2 months.

Can you freeze the dough?

Yes! Freeze biscuits on a parchment-lined sheet tray. Once they’re completely frozen, transfer them to a zip-top bag. No need to thaw before cooking; simply put directly in the oven on a parchment-lined sheet tray and add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to your bake time.

Buttermilk Biscuit Tips

Taste of Home

What can you use to make buttermilk biscuits if you don’t have buttermilk?

You can make homemade buttermilk in a pinch by substituting milk with a splash of lemon juice. Let the milk and lemon juice sit for a minute to curdle before using.

Can you make buttermilk biscuits vegan?

These biscuits are best with butter. However, you can still get a really tasty biscuit using vegan butter or solid coconut cream in place of butter. You can also replace the milk with dairy-free milk and a splash of lemon juice.

What can you serve with buttermilk biscuits?

The better question is what doesn’t go well with buttermilk biscuits! They go wonderfully with classics like scrambled eggs and sausage gravy. They could also be used as the base for an eggs Benedict with hollandaise. If you want to keep it simple, serve warm with butter and jam or honey.