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Learn how to make the best ever Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe! They’re tender, soft, flakey, and buttery biscuits made with just a few ingredients and done in under 45 minutes, perfect as a side dish with butter or gravy or as breakfast with jam!
NOTHING compares to soft and fluffy homemade buttermilk biscuits – these are soft and buttery with tender, flakey layers and that classic crunchy bottom that comes with a restaurant style biscuit. These have a few more steps than drop biscuits, but it’s totally worth it – it’s way easier than you think.
I used to think biscuits from a can or from the yellow box were superior – until I made this recipe. Once I realized how easy it really is to make them I never went back to store-bought again. This biscuit recipe is sure to become your absolute favorite!
Ingredients needed
- Self-Rising Flour or All-Purpose Flour: You can use either one in this recipe, with a few substitutions. Self-rising flour includes leavening agents and salt. If you use self-rising flour you only need 3 ingredients, but if all you have is AP flour you can just add salt and baking powder.
- Butter: cold salted butter that’s cubed, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing
- Buttermilk: The acidity in the buttermilk adds a nice tang and also works with the self-rising flour to help the biscuits rise. I recommend buying buttermilk not making your own for this recipe.
How to make Buttermilk Biscuits
- Place flour (and salt and baking powder, if using AP flour) in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 forks.
- Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, stirring with a fork to work the flour into the buttermilk just until moistened and it’s a shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press it to get it into a cohesive ball. At this point we’re going to laminate the dough to make it flakey – fold it over on itself 3-4 times. (This is a similar process to making puff pastry or croissant dough.)
- Roll or pat out to desired thickness. Cut biscuits with a pastry cutter or drinking glass to cut into rounds. Place on buttered cookie sheet or cast iron pan.
- Brush the tops with the melted butter. Bake until they are puffy and golden brown.
Expert tips
- Use cold butter and buttermilk in the biscuits to keep them tender – the little bits of butter help create those flakey layers.
- Don’t overflour your work surface or your biscuits will turn out dry. Similarly, do not overwork your biscuit dough.
- Make sure your self-rising flour is not expired. Self-rising flour includes baking powder which will lose its potency over time and cause your biscuits to not rise properly and not be flaky and tender.
- I don’t recommend using homemade buttermilk in this recipe – for biscuits you want to buy actual buttermilk.
- Laminating the dough a few times is what creates those flaky layers!
- Serving biscuits: these are delicious plain, as a sandwich, with butter, sausage gravy, or jam. We use them as a side dish mostly, but I’ve also been known to eat one (or two) for dessert!
Storing Biscuits
Store leftover biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days. You can wrap them well in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for a month or so.
FAQs
The buttermilk reacts to the rising flour, creating a perfectly tender biscuit.
Yes, it should be cold to get the best results.
Was your self-rising flour or baking powder expired or old? This will cause the biscuits to not rise, as will using warm butter or buttermilk.
Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe
Ingredients
If using SELF-RISING FLOUR
- 3 cups (375g) self-rising flour
- ½ cup (113g) cold salted butter cubed
- 1 cup (237ml) cold buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons (28g) melted butter
If using ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
- 3 cups (372g) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) cold salted butter cubed, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing
- 1 cup (237ml) cold buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons (28g) melted butter
Instructions
- Cube ½ cup butter and place back into the refrigerator while prepping dry ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or bottom of a cookie sheet.
- Place the flour (and salt and baking powder if needed) in a large mixing bowl.
- Use a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, stirring with a fork to work the flour into the buttermilk just until moistened and a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and gently press until it becomes a cohesive dough.
- Fold the dough over on itself a 3-4 times (laminate the dough).
- Roll or pat out to roughly ¾-1-inch thickness. Use a 2-2½-inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut into rounds. Place on prepared pan.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush over the tops of the biscuits. Bake for 17-20 minutes until they are puffy and golden.
- Store biscuits in an airtight container for 2 days or freeze for up to one month.
- Chocolate Honey Butter: Beat ½ cup (113g) butter until creamy, about 30-60 seconds with a hand mixer. Slowly mix in ½ cup (57g) powdered sugar, ¼ cup honey, and 1 tablespoon (5g) unsweetened cocoa until combined. Serve room temperature so it’s spreadable, store in refrigerator.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Yield and calories will depend on the thickness of the dough and size if your biscuit cutter.
- Use cold butter and buttermilk
- Don’t over-flour your floured work surface. Otherwise your buttermilk biscuit recipe will turn out too dry. Don’t overwork the dough.
- I don’t recommend using homemade buttermilk in this recipe – for biscuits you want to buy actual buttermilk.
- Don’t skip the laminating step – this creates the flakey layers.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze.
Recipe Nutrition
This recipe is from Melissa’s Southern Cookbook – grab your copy today!
As if I didn’t already love you enough, CHOCOLATE HONEY BUTTER!!!
Buttermilk biscuits with a chocolate honey butter? Sounds interesting and looks delicious. Inspired to make it soon. Thanks for the recipe Dorothy 🙂
Thank you Dorothy we’d be happy to adopt you any time. The chocolate honey butter is a brilliant idea I mean, if you can serve biscuits with chocolate gravy why not chocolate butter? Great post!
The honey butter looks fabulous! I thought it would be delish on pancakes or waffles. The biscuits humm, I have tried to make before so I may get the courage to try again. They always turn out hard as bombs. ?
That butter looks amazing and there is nothing like a classic buttermilk biscuit.
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