Description
A recipe for making tall, flaky, and buttery buttermilk biscuits from scratch using classic Southern baking techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, plus extra for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the cold butter cubes to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork until just combined. Do not overmix; the dough will be shaggy.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
- Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and gently pat or roll it back to about 1 inch thick. This folding creates layers. Repeat this fold and roll process one more time.
- Using a biscuit cutter (about 2 inches), press straight down into the dough to cut out the biscuits. Do not twist the cutter, as this seals the edges and prevents rising.
- Place the cut biscuits close together on the prepared baking sheet for softer sides, or spaced apart for crispier sides.
- Brush the tops lightly with extra buttermilk.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are tall and golden brown on top.
- Serve warm, perhaps with butter or gravy.
Notes
- Keep your butter and buttermilk very cold for the flakiest results.
- For extra height, chill the cut biscuits in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
- If you do not have a biscuit cutter, you can cut squares with a sharp knife.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 35