Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
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You can’t deny the comfort of a warm, flaky buttermilk biscuit, especially when it’s homemade and fresh out of the oven. They are the cornerstone of classic comfort food, so tender and flaky with perfect buttery layers. The buttermilk gives them a slight tangy flavor and they’re perfect as a side for many meals, a base for a breakfast sandwich or biscuits and gravy, or just enjoyed with jam or a drizzle of honey.
You’ll also love these other breakfast favorites: Biscuits and Gravy, Eggs Benedict Casserole, Sheet Pan Eggs, Bacon and Cheese Quiche, Breakfast Enchiladas, Sausage Breakfast Sliders, and this Breakfast Sausage Casserole.
Table Talk with Tawnie
I feel like biscuits never go out of style and will forever be a Sunday brunch favorite. There is a breakfast place in my hometown we would always get biscuits and gravy at, and it wasn’t until I was older that I started making my own homemade biscuits. I quickly realized how easy and absolutely delicious a warm, golden biscuit fresh of the oven is and want to give you the confidence to make them at home too! So let’s do it!
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- All Purpose Flour: The foundation of the biscuits! Be sure to measure the flour properly, by spooning and leveling it into the measuring cup or using a scale. Too much flour can make the biscuits dry.
- Salt: the salt will help balance and enhance the flavors of the biscuits.
- Baking powder and baking soda: always be sure to make sure your leavening agents are fresh. The baking powder helps the biscuits rise nice and tall and the baking soda reacts with the buttermilk’s acidity for additional lift and a subtle tang.
- Sugar: The sugar added doesn’t make these biscuits sweet, but it adds a little color to the biscuits and balances out the flavor.
- Cold, unsalted butter: biscuits get their tender crumb and layers from the suspension of fat in flour, so the butter needs to be in a cold, solid state for ultra-flaky biscuits.
- Buttermilk adds flavor and moisture. Use whole buttermilk for a richer biscuit. If you don’t have buttermilk, make a substitute by mixing 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar with 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream helps biscuits get that tender, flavorful crumb. If you don’t have any, you can use more buttermilk in its place.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Dry ingredients & cut in the butter
Whisk together the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter using a pastry blender until pea-sized pieces form. You can also do this in a food processor and pulse until the largest butter pieces are pea-sized.
Add the wet ingredients
Whisk together the wet ingredients and pour them into the dry ingredients. Mix gently together until a shaggy dough forms, being careful not to over-mix.
Fold, shape, and cut
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full detailed instruction. I’ve given you some option on how to cut the biscuits; traditionally with a round cutter, or cut with a knife or a bench scraper to cut the biscuits into squares, like shown in these images. Just be sure to cut straight down and don’t use a back-and-forth sawing motion.
Chill, brush with butter, & bake!
Bake for about 14 minutes at 400°F or until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits are cooked through. Biscuit perfection!
Success Tips
- Keep Ingredients Cold: Cold butter and buttermilk are essential. You want the butter to stay solid until it hits the oven, where it will create steam and flaky layers. This is why I like to pop the biscuits in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking just in case when working with the dough, the butter got too warm.
- Use a Gentle Hand: Overmixing the dough can lead to tough biscuits. Mix just until the ingredients come together.
- Fold for Layers: Gently fold the dough over itself a few times to create natural layers before cutting the biscuits.
- Don’t Twist the Cutter: When cutting out your biscuits, press straight down and lift up without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and can prevent the biscuits from rising fully.
- Bake Close Together: Placing the biscuits close together on the baking sheet helps them rise higher as they support each other during baking.
Make Ahead
- Prep the biscuits a day ahead so that in the morning, you’ll have biscuits ready to pop in the oven! Make the recipe as directed. Place the cut biscuits on a baking sheet (ensure your refrigerator has space) and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the biscuits overnight, and in the morning, uncover them, and bake the cold biscuits straight from the fridge until golden brown on top.
Variations
- Cheddar and Herbs: Add 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar and 2 tablespoons finely chopped herbs (chives, rosemary, thyme, parsley) to the dough for a cheesy, herby kick. Great with soups, chili, or eggs!
- Everything Bagel Biscuits 🥯 Sprinkle everything bagel seasoning on top before baking. Great for breakfast sandwiches or paired with cream cheese!
- Honey Butter Biscuits 🍯🧈 Mix in 2 tablespoons honey to the dough (omit the added sugar) and brush warm biscuits with melted honey butter or a maple honey butter!
- Chocolate Chip Biscuits 🍫 Stir in ½ cup mini chocolate chips for a subtly sweet treat. Drizzle with melted chocolate for extra indulgence!
Storage
- Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Warm in a low oven or toast in a toaster oven. Refrigerating the biscuits tends to make them dry, but you can refrigerate them for up to a week.
- Biscuits can also be frozen for up to three months.
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Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled (plus more for dusting)
- 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt or 3/4 tsp. fine salt
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
- 1/2 cup cold sour cream, full-fat (or you can just use 1/2 buttermilk in place of sour cream (so 1 cup buttermilk total) )
- 2 Tbsp. butter, melted, unsalted (to brush on the biscuits )
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (You can also use a cast iron skillet). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. kosher salt or 3/4 tsp. fine salt, 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- Cut in the butter using a pastry blender until pea-sized pieces form.1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter
- Whisk together the sour cream and buttermilk in a small bowl and then add to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until a shaggy dough forms. Do not over-mix.1/2 cup cold buttermilk, 1/2 cup cold sour cream, full-fat
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, like a cutting board, and gently pat it into a rectangle, it should be about 1 inch thick. Don’t add more liquid, you’ll be tempted, but it will come together in the next step. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 4 sections. Stack each quadrant on top of each other and press down to flatten. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 1 inch thick rectangle.
- 2 options to cut the biscuits. Option 1. Cut into squares using a knife, this method is great because you’ll have no scraps. Just be sure to cut straight down and don’t use a back-and-forth sawing motion. Option 2: Cut into rounds using a 2 ½ inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, press straight down, and avoid twisting or jiggling the cutter. Press the leftover dough back together if desired to cut a couple more biscuits, but try not to work with the dough and re-roll it too much because this leads to tough biscuits. This is small batch, you should get about 4-6 round biscuits.
- Place the biscuits on a baking sheet with the sides touching each other. Freeze biscuits for 10-15 minutes.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter.2 Tbsp. butter, melted, unsalted
- Reduce the oven temperature down to 400°F. And bake for ~14 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits are cooked through. YUM!
Video
Notes
- Cold is key for biscuits. It helps create tender, flaky biscuits. Keep the ingredients refrigerated up until right before you need them. You can even freeze the butter, and grate it into the dry ingredients.
- Try not to re-roll the dough: Overworking the dough will result in dense, tough biscuits. We want fluffy biscuits, so work gently.
- Dip the round biscuit cutter into flour between each cut when cutting out the biscuits. This will create a cleaner cut for a better rise.
- Storage: Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Warm in a low oven or toast in a toaster oven. Refrigerating the biscuits tends to make them dry.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Sierra Ashleigh Photography.
Made these last night ready to bake in the mornining.Easy prep and so flaky and delicious. Definite keeper. Thank always love your recipes
Thank you so much Linda! So happy you enjoyed them and that the overnight method was helpful! 🙂