Buttermilk Biscuits

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Flaky, buttery, and towering buttermilk biscuits are a southern baking staple. With golden, crisp outer crusts and tender, steam-filled layers on the inside, they are unbeatable when served piping hot with butter, honey, or sausage gravy.

Southern Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

This recipe yields about 8 to 10 tall, flaky biscuits that bake up with gorgeous, distinct layers.

Ingredients

  • The Dry Ingredients:
    • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp granulated sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
  • The Butter:
    • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small cubes (frozen is even better)
  • The Liquid:
    • 1 cup cold buttermilk (plus an extra 1–2 tbsp if needed)
  • The Finish:
    • 2 tbsp melted butter (for brushing on top after baking)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1.Prep oven and dry ingredients:Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F) for a strong oven spring.

Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
2.Cut in the cold butter:Cut butter into flour until pea-sized crumbs form.

Add the cold cubed butter into the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender, your fingers, or two forks to quickly cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
3.Add buttermilk:Cold buttermilk reacts with leaveners for height.

Create a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork just until the dry ingredients are moistened and a sticky, shaggy dough forms.
4.Roll and fold:Laminating the dough creates flaky layers.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle, then fold it in half like a letter. Roll or press it gently back out into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Repeat this fold-and-roll process 2 to 3 times to build those signature flaky layers.
5.Cut the biscuits:Press straight down without twisting for maximum rise.

Pat the dough down to about 1-inch thickness. Use a sharp 2.5-inch biscuit cutter to stamp out biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting (twisting seals the edges and prevents rising). Gather scraps, gently press together, and cut remaining biscuits.
6.Bake and brush:Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

Place biscuits on the baking sheet so their edges just touch (this helps them rise straight up). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Brush immediately with melted butter upon removing from the oven.

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