Buttermilk Biscuits are the absolute basic biscuit recipe everyone needs to have. Granted, I have gone through my share of regrettable biscuit recipes. But this recipe is mine, and I have tested it nine ways to Sunday! It works!
that butter…
Buttermilk Biscuits are the Best (Easy too!)
The trick with making the best Buttermilk Biscuits lies in the small details. Real butter is my choice of fat and if you can find European or Irish butter then you are on the right track. Butter made in the U.S. has extra water added and will give you a tougher biscuit.
Like many children of the 60’s and 70’s we used vegetable shortening in the biscuits when I was growing up. The biscuits I make these days are way better than what I remember, with more flavor and much more tender.
The best biscuits are handmade, but don’t confuse light kneading with the heavy kneading technique used for making yeast bread. Gluten in flour needs water and kneading so that it develops a chewy elasticity. The last thing you want is an elastic biscuit (Or a rubber biscuit, á la Blues Brothers.) Good Southern Buttermilk Biscuits should be light, savory and fluffy. Only the barest of kneading is recommended.
more butter is better
Use a Good Recipe and Two Hands
Also, I gave up using a rolling pin on biscuits years ago. If you want tall, fluffy biscuits that are easily split and can hold a filling, simply pat out the dough to the thickness you want. If you want thicker, taller biscuits than what I recommend below, make sure to adjust your baking time.
Good biscuits can be your future. Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits take five minutes to assemble, once you get the hang of it. This is my favorite biscuit cutter and pastry stirrup, if you are looking for some great biscuit making equipment. The good news is that you already have the most important tools – your hands.
PrintButtermilk Biscuits
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 Biscuits 1x
Ingredients
2.5 cups all-purpose flour (312g) plus a little extra
1 tbsp. baking powder (12g)
2 tsp. sugar (8g)
1 tsp. salt (4g)
4 oz softened butter (115g)
1 cup buttermilk (240ml) plus a little extra
Extra butter
Instructions
Heat your oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry stirrup, cut the softened butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Add 1 cup (240ml) of the buttermilk to the mixture, using the pastry stirrup to mix. Add small amounts of the remaining buttermilk or flour if needed for a soft but not sticky dough. Use your hands to lightly knead into biscuit dough for about 30 seconds.
Lightly flour a wooden board and turn the dough out onto the board. Using your hands, pat the dough into a circle to a 1.5” thickness (3.8cm.) Cut the biscuits using a 2.5” biscuit cutter (6.3cm) and place on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the tops of the biscuits with butter. Cool on a wire cooling rack before serving.
Notes
For fluffy biscuits, avoid over-kneading the biscuit dough, which develops the chewy gluten in wheat flour. Make sure you’re your dough is cohesive but do not knead as you would for a yeast bread.
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