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These easy homemade buttermilk biscuits are made from scratch and baked until golden brown. Buttery and loaded with flaky layers, this is one of the best biscuit recipes for breakfast or dinner!
Making homemade buttermilk biscuits is a simple thing to do and doesn't take a long time. A few simple ingredients are needed, along with a few key tips and then you are on your way to the best biscuits in town!
This buttermilk biscuit recipe can be used to top chicken pot pie, for biscuits and gravy or to serve with your favorite homemade meatloaf.
Don't forget about using them for breakfast or brunch! They would be delicious served with Italian baked eggs or hash brown quiche with pancetta.
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🧈Ingredient notes
- Flour - These easy buttermilk biscuits use all-purpose flour. It's a general purpose flour that works perfectly for making flaky homemade biscuits.
- Buttermilk - The buttermilk in this recipe serves two purposes. It reacts with the baking powder in the recipe to help create an extra rise and also gives a nice tangy flavor to the biscuit dough. Make sure to use cold buttermilk to help keep the biscuit dough cold. This is critical for creating flaky layers. If you have leftover buttermilk, try making strawberry buttermilk biscuits, buttermilk pancakes, or buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches. You can also easily freeze buttermilk for use later!
- Butter - For fluffy biscuits, it's essential that the butter, along with the other ingredients, stay super cold. When the cold ingredients hit the hot oven, it creates steam, which makes the perfect biscuits. I recommend cutting the butter into small pieces or grating the butter with a box grater. Store the butter in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to mix them into the flour mixture.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk, don't sweat it. You can make your own buttermilk by pouring 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice into a measuring cup and filling it up with whole milk to make the full cup of buttermilk needed. Let the buttermilk mixture stand for about 5 minutes to thicken and then mix it in as directed.
- Dairy Free - Use the buttermilk substitution above but use dairy-free milk instead of whole milk. Replace the butter with a dairy-free butter substitute.
🥣 Step by step instructions
First, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Then add the cold butter pieces to the flour mixture and incorporate it together using a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Next, add the cold buttermilk to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press the dough into a square using a rolling pin.
Fold the dough over onto itself once to form a rectangle and then press it down to make it larger using a rolling pin. Repeat the folding and flattening step two more times and then flatten the biscuit dough with the rolling pin to one-inch thickness.
Use a glass, round biscuit cutter, sharp knife, or a pizza cutter to cut the dough. They can be cut into round biscuits or square biscuits.
Use a bench scraper or spatula to place unbaked biscuits on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place biscuits in the freezer while you preheat the oven to 400˚.
Once the oven has preheated, bake the buttermilk biscuits for 16-18 minutes until they are golden brown.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Make sure the ingredients stay super cold to ensure flaky buttermilk biscuits.
- Try not to use your hands when handling the dough, as it will warm up the biscuit dough and melt the butter. Use a bench scraper and a rolling pin to work the dough instead.
- Let the biscuits chill in the freezer to ensure they stay cold before baking.
🍳 Alternative cooking methods
- Food Processor - Mix the dough in a food processor instead. Be careful not to overmix the dough or it will make tough biscuits.
- Cast Iron Skillet - Cook the biscuits in a cast iron skillet instead of on a lined baking sheet. I recommend adding a bit of melted butter to the bottom of the skillet before adding the unbaked biscuits in an even layer. Baking time may be a little bit different, so keep an eye on the biscuits to make sure they don't burn and are cooked through.
🥡 Storage suggestions
These classic buttermilk biscuits are best served fresh but will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
🍳 More breakfast recipes
If you loved these easy buttermilk biscuits, try these other breakfast recipes that I know you will love too!
- Silver Dollar Pancakes
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon French Toast
- Ham and Cheese Drop Biscuits
- Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Recipe
Easy Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces or grated
- 1 cup buttermilk, cold
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to remove any lumps.
- Next, use a fork or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is incorporated and the size of small peas.
- Pour the buttermilk into the flour and butter mixture and stir until the mixture is combined and no excess flour remains.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a large square.
- Fold the dough over onto itself and use a rolling pin to flatten it out slightly.
- Repeat this two more times and then flatten the dough out to one inch thick
- Using a circle biscuit cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 biscuits. If needed, gently push the scraps back together to cut out the remaining biscuits.
- Place the cut biscuits onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ while the biscuits are chilling and then bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- Make sure the ingredients stay super cold to ensure flaky biscuits.
- Try not to use your hands when handling the dough, as it will warm up the biscuit dough. Use a bench scraper and a rolling pin to work the dough instead.
Substitutions and Variations
- Buttermilk Substitute - Combine 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice into a measuring cup and fill it up the rest of the way with whole milk to make 1 total cup. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes to thicken and then mix it in as directed.
- Dairy Free - Use the buttermilk substitution above but use plant-based or dairy-free milk instead of whole milk. Replace the butter with a dairy-free or plant-based butter substitute.
Alternative Cooking Methods
- Food Processor - The dough can be mixed in a food processor instead. Be careful not to overmix the dough or the biscuits will be tough.
- Cast Iron Skillet - Cook the biscuits in a cast iron skillet with a bit of melted butter on the bottom. Baking time may be a little bit different, so keep a close eye on them.
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