Buttermilk Biscuits

These easy buttermilk biscuits are exactly what your weekend called for. A perfect batch of flaky buttermilk biscuits made with butter and rich buttermilk. And takes only 20 minutes or less of time to throw together. Slather some butter or jam on them for the perfect Sunday brunch breakfast treat.

 

Believe it or not, when it comes to breakfast even though I have a sweet tooth the size of Mount Everest, I want savory foods. Like breakfast sandwiches with bacon and fried eggs that are dripping in cheese.

So when I had the opportunity to learn how to make homemade buttermilk biscuits from scratch on a trip to Nashville, you better believe I signed up for that class! I learned so much during this class and walked away feeling like a biscuit expert.

Making biscuits really comes to knowing a few baking tips and a little simple baking science for them to come out flaky and tender and slap some butter on them eat them now amazing.

So with this biscuit recipe, the key is to use cold buttermilk and cold butter. And to not overwork the dough and bake in a hot oven. I’m going to show you all my tricks!

Why These Biscuits Are The Best!

• Wonderful to freeze baked or unbaked
• ​Biscuits are made in just one large bowl!
• No mixer is needed
• Can be made ahead of time

Ingredients Needed

• All purpose flour – No fancy flour needed here. All purpose flour has a mid range protein content so it gives the perfect soft texture to these old fashioned buttermilk biscuits. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly so you do not end up with a tough biscuit in the end. 
• Baking powder and baking soda – These biscuits use both baking powder and baking soda to give these biscuits their rise. You need to make sure they are still active (aka will create bubbles). Test the baking powder with a little hot water to see if it bubbles. Test the baking soda with a little vinegar (or lemon juice) to see if it bubbles. If they don’t, throw them out and buy fresh!
• Salt – Of course these biscuits need a little salt so they don’t taste flat. I love using sea salt in my baking for the best salt taste that will easily mix into our dough. But table or kosher salt will also work.
• Unsalted butter – I always recommend unsalted when baking. Different brands can use varying amounts of salt in their salted butter so it’s best to use unsalted and control the amount of salt you add. If you only have salted butter on hand, then simply reduce the salt called for in the recipe. And make sure you use COLD butter, so you get flaky biscuits. If your butter is too warm, it will be absorbed into the flour which will not create those flaky layers you are looking for. 
• Buttermilk – I love the flavor buttermilk gives to these biscuits. If you don’t have any on hand you can make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup and adding in a cup of milk. Stir and then let it sit for 5 minutes before using. 

How to make buttermilk biscuits

First off, biscuits fall into the quick bread category. Think banana bread. But whether it’s made with yeast like a french baguette or baking powder like these old fashioned buttermilk biscuits, there is nothing like whipping up a homemade bread recipe.

First, preheat your oven to 450oF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or you can also use a silicone baking mat.

Step 1: Combine your dry ingredients.

This recipe starts with just good old all purpose flour. If you’re new to baking then be sure to read my two posts on flour- how to measure flour accurately and flour 101: the different kinds of flour. To the flour I whisk in a bit of baking powder, baking soda, and a little bit of salt.

Step 2: Cut the butter in.

Add the cold, cubed butter pieces to the flour mixture.

Now one of the keys to making amazing biscuits is using COLD butter. It’s kind of similar in making pie crust.

By cutting the butter in either with your fingertips or a pastry cutter, you will have small pockets of butter that are coated with flour, that will stay solid in the dough until hit by the heat of the oven. This will then create pockets of steam that will expand in the oven to create nice flaky biscuits. So be sure to use cold butter.

Step 3: Add the buttermilk.

Then stir in your cold buttermilk. If you’re out of buttermilk, you make your own buttermilk at home easily with just a couple ingredients. However, I will say homemade buttermilk will not produce the same kind of results as using store-bought but can be substitute in a pinch and results will come close.

Step 4: Fold the dough.

The dough will be pretty wet and sticky at this point. Just pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface or one of these pastry mats. And bring the dough together gently. You want to handle the dough as little as possible. Overhandling the dough will develop the gluten in your biscuits, which will in turn make the texture of your biscuits very tough. So handle as little as possible.

I do not use a rolling pin for this step. I simply bring my dough together with my lightly floured hands, and then I press the dough together and flatten into a rectangle. I fold one side of the dough into the center, and the other side into the center (like a book) and repeat this patting down of the dough and folding two more times a smooth, cohesive dough.

Be sure to keep the surface and hands floured. The dough will be sticky as you bring it together!

Step 5: Cut out the biscuits.

After you have kneaded the dough together a few times then pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thick circle. You will need some sort of biscuit cutter. But if you’re in a pinch, even the top of a mason jar will work great. You can also simply use a sharp knife and the dough into square biscuits.

You want to dip the cutter into flour, and then press down but don’t twist the cutter.

Step 6: Bake the biscuits.

I placed these biscuits on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I got about 8-10 biscuits every time I made these. I like mine a bit thicker so I tended to get about 8. And brushed these with a bit of buttermilk on top. As an extra added step I recommend – I like to pop my biscuits in the freezer for about 10 minutes (or you can place then in your fridge for 15-20 minutes) to help firm up the butter before baking them.

These bake in a 450^oF for 13-15 minutes until golden brown on top.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve these warm with just a little butter, drizzle of honey, or jam.

But to make them extra special I recommend whipping up a batch of my cinnamon honey butter, or my regular honey butter to serve on the side!

Storage Instructions

You can store the biscuits in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or you can store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week as well. I prefer storing in the fridge to help them retain moisture and not dry out. I like to warm mine back up in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or in a warm 350_^oF oven until heated through.

You can freeze baked old fashioned buttermilk biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I love putting them in a sealable plastic bag and squish as much air out as possible. They will thaw pretty quickly at room temperature. I also love warming them up in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds. 

You can also freeze unbaked biscuits. Place your biscuits onto a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze solid (about 1 hour), and then transfer to sealable plastic bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, simply place bake frozen, no need to thaw. You may need to just add on a few minutes of baking time.

Recipe FAQs

More Recipes To Try

If you’re looking for more delicious breakfast pastries be sure to try my homemade kolache recipe made with different fillings! I also love baking up a batch of my monkey bread recipe to serve guests for brunch!

And if you’re looking to bake up more biscuits, then be sure to my most popular recipe on the blog, these self rising flour biscuits. Or try my easy drop biscuits (a fun variation on this recipe!)