Buttermilk Biscuits

If there is one thing that brings family running to the kitchen, it’s a warm tray of fluffy buttermilk biscuits fresh from the oven. Light buttery, and impossibly tender, these homemade biscuits were a staple on my table growing up. Whether it was Saturday morning breakfast or Sunday dinner. In this post I will walk you through just how easy it is to make my no-fail buttermilk buiscut recipe. I share tips for the flakiest layer, and all the ways they can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Trust me, once you see how easy it is to make these from schratch, you’ll nver go back to store bought.

Why I love these biscuits so much

Homemade biscuits also double as dessert. Just in case you didn’t know, or missed the biscuit memo! Slather them in butter and honey, or spoon smashed strawberries over them with whip cream and you’ve got yourself the best Strawberry Shortcake ever.  Who needs pie? Did I say who needs pie? My grandfather was from southern Missouri, so biscuits were a staple in his home, so when he married my grandma (a Northerner), she needed to learn how to make Southern biscuits. As the story goes, grandpa packed his new bride up early into their marriage and drove her from Michigan to Missouri so his Momma could teach his new wife how to make 1. fried chicken and 2. some darn good biscuits! Biscuits made a regular appearance at our table when I was growing up. I don’t make them as often as my mom did, but they are still a favorite, and we rarely have any leftovers. Biscuits make some darn good gravy soppers, making Thanksgiving dinner a perfect time to make them. Use them the next day as mini turkey sandwich buns or eat them with leftover gravy poured over them. No judgement here. 

Gather these ingredients

How to make this easy biscuits recipe

Here we go lets make some buttery biscuits! Preheat oven to 375.

Start: Whisk 1 cup buttermilk with 1 egg, sprinkle the baking soda over the top and set aside.

 In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt whisk together.

Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients, with a fork or a pastry cutter cut the butter into the flour mixture.

This is what it should look like oatmeal sized pieces of flour and butter combined together. Try to keep the consistency smaller than pea sized.

Make a well in the middle of the butter and flour, pour buttermilk mixture into the well and fold it together; using a fork or a spatula.

The key to tender biscuits is to not over mix.  Fold wet and dry together until just barely mixed, then dump out on to a well floured counter top or cutting board.

Bring the dough together with a light hand just until it is formed into a flat disk approximately 3/4-1 inch thick.  Your hands are going to get sticky, but it’s okay. Try not to mess with the dough too much.  This process should take no more than 10 seconds.

I use a juice cup to cut my biscuits.  But if you have a biscuit cutter or a round cookie cutter, those work perfectly.  I do, and I still like to use my juice glass just like my momma used to.   Get the edge wet, then dip the cutter in flour. This will prevent the biscuits from sticking to the cup as you cut them.  The cup I use is about 2 inches in diameter.

How about that manicure?

I always grease my baking dish with butter when baking biscuits. It gives them a beautiful golden, buttery crisp on the bottom.  Another lovely mani shot. How did my moms hand get in this picture?

Leaving a little room around each biscuit place them in your buttered baking dish.

Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.  Feel free to slather them in melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. This is not necessary and I rarely do it, but when I do, I wonder why I don’t every time! Then I look down and see my midsection, and I remember why.

Tips & Tricks for the fluffiest buttermilk bisuits

1. Keep everything cold. Cold butter and cold buttermilk are key to flaky layers. If your kitchen is warm, consider chilling your flour and mixing bowl in the fridge for a bit before you start. Another reason not to work the dough too much with your hands is that your hands will begin to melt the butter. You can put the disk of dough in the freezer for 10 minutes before cutting biscuits if it seems too warm. Cold ingredients = steam = flaky biscuits. 
2. Use real buttermilk. There’s no true substitute for real, tangy buttermilk when it comes to authentic Southern biscuits. It adds both flavor and acidity, which helps the biscuits rise tall and tender. However, if you are in a pinch, you can make buttermilk by adding one teaspoon of an acid like white vinegar or lemon juice to every cup of milk, preferably whole fat. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes before using it in the biscuit recipe. 
3. Don’t overwork the dough. Overmixing develops the gluten, which can lead to dense, tough biscuits. Gently mix until the dough just comes together, then stop. It’s okay if it looks a little shaggy.
4. Fold for layers. Want those irresistible, pull-apart layers? After patting out the dough, give it a few simple folds- like you would with croissant dough. Laminating the biscuit dough. This will help create layers of flakiness. Again, be careful not to over-handle and get the dough warm. 
5. Cut straight down. When cutting out the biscuits, push straight down, giving a nice even cut on all sides. Twisting the cutter seals off the surface area, and the biscuit won’t rise as high. 
6. Place close together. You can give them a little space, but not too much; you want the biscuits to be close together. This will ensure they rise up and not spread out. If you want crispier edges, then space them out more; this is better for when you are making biscuits for strawberry shortcake. 

Speaking of leftovers!  You could make my Chicken & Biscuit recipe to use up your left over turkey.  Just substitute 5 cups of chopped turkey for the chicken.  You can find the recipe HERE.   

At this moment I am knee deep in making pies.  Only 50 this year, but if you don’t hear hide nor hair of me for the next couple days, don’t worry.  I do have a rather long Thanksgiving post that will be going live for your reading pleasure on Wednesday…..my son started to read it today and said, “sheesh mom how long is this”, then got up and walked away.  Hmmmmm, not sure how I feel about that.

I pray your Thanksgiving is peaceful and your table is full of friendly faces, and loads of delicious vittles.

I am so thankful for you all!
Much luv!
Sheila