Buttermilk Biscuits

These Buttermilk Biscuits bake up tall, flaky, and buttery with soft layers inside and golden tops. Easy to make from scratch and perfect for breakfast, dinner, or with sausage gravy.

Prep 10minutes minutes
Cook 15minutes minutes
Total 25minutes minutes

Ingredients

• ▢4 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢¾ cup butter (unsalted, chilled and cut into pieces)
• ▢1¾ cup buttermilk
• ▢1 egg (beaten for egg wash)

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• In a large bowl add the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and mix it all. To it add the cubed or grated butter. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. If using grated butter, you just have to mix the butter in with the flour.
• Next, add the buttermilk to the bowl. Stir in the buttermilk until just moist and knead the dough a few times. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together with your hands. Pat the dough into a rectangle, then fold it over onto itself like a letter. Turn the dough, gently flatten it again, and repeat this folding process 2 to 3 times. This is what creates layers and helps the biscuits bake up tall and flaky.
• Roll out the dough to ½ to ¾ inch thickness, and cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. You should get about 12 biscuits.
• Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet and brush with egg wash. You can also place the biscuits into a buttered skillet.
• Transfer the baking sheet or skillet to the oven and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until nice and golden.

Equipment

• 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet
• Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3 piece)
• Pastry Cutter
• 2-inch Cookie Cutter

Notes

1. Use cold ingredients: Make sure the butter and buttermilk are very cold. Cold butter is what creates flaky layers in the biscuits.
2. Do not overwork the dough: Mix the dough just until it comes together and handle it gently. Overworking the dough will make the biscuits tough.
3. Fold the dough: Folding the dough a few times before cutting the biscuits helps create layers and makes the biscuits rise taller and flakier.
4. Roll the dough thick: Roll the dough to about ½ to ¾ inch thick. Thicker dough will give you taller biscuits.
5. Do not twist the cutter: Press the biscuit cutter straight down and lift straight up. Twisting the cutter can seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising properly.
6. Bake biscuits close together: Placing the biscuits close together on the pan helps them rise upward and keeps the sides soft.
7. Use fresh baking powder and baking soda: Old leavening agents can cause biscuits not to rise properly.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1biscuitCalories: 281kcal (14%)Carbohydrates: 34g (11%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 13g (20%)Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 48mg (16%)Sodium: 421mg (18%)Potassium: 201mg (6%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 432IU (9%)Calcium: 95mg (10%)Iron: 2mg (11%)