Buttermilk Biscuits
34 min
|
intermediate
|
vegetarian
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
This is my no-nonsense take on the Southern classic: tall, flaky buttermilk biscuits with cold grated butter and a touch of sour cream for extra tenderness, finished with a brush of melted butter.
They bake up fast for brunch, breakfast sandwiches, or alongside fried chicken and gravy on Sunday, and they stay sturdy enough to split without crumbling but tender enough to melt in your mouth.
Ingredients (8 servings)
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Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour all-purpose flour 0.69 lb
- 1 Tbsp baking powder baking powder 0.5 oz
- ½ tsp baking soda baking soda 0.08 oz
- 1 tsp kosher salt kosher salt 0.13 oz
- 2 tsp granulated sugar granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, frozen, grated unsalted butter 4 oz
- 1 cup buttermilk, cold buttermilk 8 fl oz
- 1 Tbsp sour cream, cold sour cream 0.5 oz
- unsalted butter, melted (for brushing) unsalted butter 1 oz
How to Make Buttermilk Biscuits
-
Preheat and chill
Heat the oven to 450 F and line a sheet pan with parchment or preheat a dry 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet.
Keep the buttermilk, sour cream, and grated butter in the fridge until the second you need them.
-
Combine dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until thoroughly combined to prevent uneven rise.
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Add the butter
Toss the frozen, grated butter into the flour with your fingertips, coating every shred until it looks like fluffy snow with pea sized bits throughout.
-
Mix in the dairy
Stir in the cold buttermilk and sour cream with a fork until a shaggy dough forms with no dry pockets, then stop mixing to avoid toughness.
-
Turn out and fold for layers
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured board and gently pat into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle.
Fold it in thirds like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, pat back to 3/4 inch, and repeat the fold 2 more times for big flaky layers.
-
Final pat and cut
Pat to a 1 inch thick slab for tall biscuits and dust the top lightly with flour to keep the cutter from sticking.
Cut with a sharp 2 to 2 1/2 inch round cutter, pressing straight down without twisting, or cut squares with a knife to avoid scraps.
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Pan and bake
Arrange biscuits so they barely kiss for higher rise and softer sides, or space them 1 inch apart for crisper edges.
Bake on the middle rack 12 to 15 minutes until the tops are deep golden and the sides look set.
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Brush and rest
Brush hot biscuits with melted butter the moment they leave the oven for glossy tops and extra flavor.
Cool 5 minutes so the crumb sets, then serve while steamy.
Substitutions
- Buttermilk -> whole milk with acid or kefir
- Use 1 cup whole milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, or use plain kefir for tang; the texture stays tender with slightly less punchy tang than true buttermilk.
- Butter -> half butter, half leaf lard
- Swap 4 tablespoons of the butter for 4 tablespoons leaf lard to boost flake and lift while keeping buttery flavor; the biscuits bake up taller with ultra tender layers.
- All-purpose flour -> self-rising flour
- Use 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour and omit the baking powder and reduce the salt to a scant 1/2 teaspoon; rise stays strong with a slightly softer crumb.
Tips
- Cold is control
- Chill the bowl and flour for 10 minutes and freeze the grated butter for 5 minutes to keep fat solid so it steams and lifts the dough.
- Fold like a pro
- Those 3 quick letter folds are a low drama lamination that creates visible layers without overworking the dough.
- Sharp cuts, no twists
- Press the cutter straight down and lift straight up because twisting seals edges and blocks rise.
- Hot surface equals high rise
- Preheating a dry cast iron skillet or heavy sheet pan jump-starts oven spring and gives you a gorgeous, crisp bottom.
- Season the top
- A pinch of flaky salt on the butter-brushed tops adds snap and wakes up the buttery sweetness.
- Close bake for softer sides
- Snugging biscuits so they kiss helps them climb up instead of out, giving you taller biscuits with tender edges.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 380 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11 | g |
| Total Fat | 13 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- Why did my biscuits not rise much?
- Your butter or dough likely got too warm or you twisted the cutter; keep ingredients cold, work fast, and cut straight down to preserve puff.
- My dough is sticky and hard to handle, what now?
- Dust lightly with flour, then chill the slab for 10 minutes to firm the butter before folding and cutting.
- The biscuits spread instead of going tall, how do I fix that?
- Bake on a preheated heavy pan and place biscuits so they touch, which encourages upward lift and cleaner sides.
- How do I avoid tough biscuits?
- Mix just until the flour is hydrated, stop the second the dough comes together, and use gentle folds instead of kneading.
- Can I make the dough ahead?
- Cut the biscuits, freeze on a sheet until solid, then store in a bag and bake from frozen at 450 F adding 2 to 3 minutes to the time.
Serving Suggestions
Hot biscuits beg for salted honey butter, smoky jam, or a peppery sausage gravy that drips into every flaky layer.
For a power breakfast, split them and stack with a soft scrambled egg, sharp cheddar, and hot sauce, or turn them into dessert with macerated strawberries and a cloud of whipped cream.
More pairings:
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