
Buttermilk Biscuits
Tall, flaky, and golden-brown, these classic Southern-style buttermilk biscuits are everything a homemade biscuit should be. With just a handful of pantry staples and a few key techniques — cold butter, a gentle hand, and a hot oven — you'll pull out a batch of pillowy, buttery biscuits every single time. Perfect for breakfast with jam, alongside a bowl of soup, or split open and loaded with sausage gravy.
10 servings · Prep 15 min · Cook 14 min · Total 29 min
Bread
Ingredients
Open in recipe scaler →
2 cup all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
1 tbsp baking powder
0.25 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter very cold, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
0.75 cup buttermilk very cold, plus more for brushing
Equipment
Oven
Stovetop
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Mixing Bowl
Skillet
Cookie Cutters
Fork
Pastry Cutter
Pastry Brush
Whisk
Spatula
Pan
Jelly Roll (10x15)
Cutting Board
Mixing Bowl (4 Quarts)
Dipping Fork
Grater
Instructions
- Preheat your #[Oven] to ![450°F]. Line a #[Baking Sheet] with #[Parchment Paper] (or leave it unlined — a bare sheet gives a slightly crispier bottom).
- In a large #[Mixing Bowl], whisk together the @[All-Purpose Flour], @[Baking Powder], @[Baking Soda], @[Salt], and @[Sugar] until evenly combined.
- Add the cold @[Butter] cubes to the @[All-Purpose Flour] mixture. Using your fingertips, quickly press and smear the @[Butter] into the @[All-Purpose Flour] until the mixture resembles coarse, shaggy crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of @[Butter] remaining. Work fast — the @[Butter] must stay cold. You can also use a #[Grater] to grate frozen @[Butter] directly into the @[All-Purpose Flour].
- Make a well in the center of the @[All-Purpose Flour]-@[Butter] mixture and pour in the cold @[Buttermilk]. Using a fork or #[Spatula], stir and fold gently until the dough just comes together into a shaggy mass. Do not overmix — a few dry streaks are okay at this stage.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a rough rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Fold it in thirds like a letter (fold one side to the center, then the other side over the top). Rotate 90°, pat out again to 3/4-inch thick, and repeat the fold one more time. This lamination creates the flaky layers.
- After the final fold, pat the dough to 1-inch thickness. Using a sharp 2.5-inch round biscuit cutter, press straight down — do not twist — and cut out biscuits as close together as possible. Press the scraps together gently and cut out remaining biscuits (these may be slightly less layered, but still delicious).
- Place the biscuits on the prepared #[Baking Sheet] so they are just barely touching each other (about 1/4-inch apart). This helps them rise tall and straight. Brush the tops lightly with @[Buttermilk].
- Bake at ![450°F] for ~[12–14 minutes], until the tops are deep golden brown and the biscuits have risen tall. Rotate the pan halfway through for even browning.
- Remove from the #[Oven] and brush immediately with melted @[Butter] if desired. Let cool for ~[2–3 minutes], then serve warm.
