This is the best recipe for homemade biscuits. The dough comes together quickly and the biscuits bake up to fluffy, golden perfection. These Buttermilk Biscuits have a perfect crumb and are light, tender, and full of flavor.
Nothing beats a buttery, flaky homemade biscuit. Whether slathered with jelly, used as a breakfast sandwich, served with soup, or use to serve sausage gravy, this recipe for biscuits is nearly as easy as opening a can of biscuits but tastes a million times better!
I have to admit that I grew up eating homemade rolls, not homemade biscuits.
But when I moved south as an adult, I quickly discovered I had been missing out. When prepared correctly, there is little better than a biscuit.
Homemade biscuits trump canned biscuits, biscuits prepared with a boxed mix, and honestly, I may JUST enjoy biscuits more than rolls these days. Which is quite okay in my book, because biscuits happen to be MUCH easier to prepare.
This recipe for homemade biscuits comes together with only 6 ingredients and with only 10 minutes of work. Especially when prepared using a food processor, there are few recipes easier to master than perfect homemade biscuits.
Key Ingredients
- Flour: All-Purpose or whole white wheat flour are best for homemade biscuits. I often use whole white flour, as it is 100% whole grain, but still produces a light and tender crumb.
- Butter: This is an all-biscuit recipe--which is the BEST kind of biscuits. Be sure to use unsalted butter, so you can control the sodium content.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is used due to its acidity as well as its fat and liquid content. It will react slightly with the baking powder to help the biscuits rise in the oven and add a slight tanginess to the biscuit. But I NEVER purchase buttermilk. I simply make my own by mixing lemon juice or vinegar with milk or cream.
Secrets to Making the Best Biscuits
Before I walk you through how to make homemade biscuits, I want to share with you a few tips that will help you achieve perfect biscuits every single time.
- Use frozen, grated butter. The secret to really great biscuits is COLD butter. The butter will melt when baked forming air pockets in the dough, keeping the biscuits light and fluffy. To get perfect results, it works best to grate the butter, using a cheese grater or food processor fitted with a grater and then freezing for 15-20 minutes before preparing batter.
- Keep everything cold. Not only do I use cold butter to make homemade biscuits, but I also am sure my buttermilk is cold AND my tools are cold. Along with sticking the butter into the freezer after grated, I also recommend placing the food processor bowl or pastry cutter into the freezer as well.
- Use the right equipment. To cut the butter into the flour mixture, use either a food processor fitted with the dough blade, a pastry cutter, or 2 forks. I love to use a food processor, as it keeps the entire process super simple.
- Do not overmix. You want the dough to JUST come together and the butter and milk to be evenly distributed through the flour. Overmixing the dough will result in tough biscuits.
- Do not roll your dough. Instead of using a rolling pin to roll out the biscuit dough, gently shape the dough using your hands. This is another trick to fluffy biscuits.
How to Make Homemade Biscuits
- Use a cheese grater or food processor to grate cold butter.
- Place grated butter into the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- If not using prepared buttermilk, prepare homemade buttermilk. Pour 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a glass measuring cup, pour milk into the measuring cup until it reaches ¾ cup total. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use, at least 5 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium-sized bowl or pulse together in the base of a food processor that has been fitted with a plastic dough blade.
- Using a pastry cutter, or 2 forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas and distributed throughout the flour. Alternatively, if using a food processor, add the butter to the flour and pulse several times until the butter is the size of peas.
- Add the buttermilk into the flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined or pulse in a food processor 3-5 times until buttermilk is evenly distributed into the flour mixture, being careful to not overwork the dough.
- Lightly flour a working surface, and turn out the dough onto the surface. Using your hands, gently fold the dough together and then fold the dough over itself 3-4 times.
- Lightly pat into a 1-inch circle.
- Using a 2-¾" round biscuit cutter, cut out 4 biscuits, as close together as possible. Gently pat scraps back together to cut out another 2 biscuits, for 6 biscuits total.
- Place biscuits onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
- If desiring golden biscuits, brush each biscuit with additional milk or buttermilk.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, keeping in mind they will not brown as much as rolls, so do not overbake.
- Serve warm with butter, jam, and/or honey.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Homemade biscuits are best served warm, immediately after baking. If you do happen to have leftover biscuits, allow them to cool to room temperature and then store them in an air-tight container for up to 48 hours at room temperature.
Another option is to freeze biscuit dough to bake as desired.
To Freeze Biscuits, transfer unbaked, cut biscuits to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze the biscuits until frozen solid, about 2 hours. Place the frozen biscuits into a resealable freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To Bake Frozen Biscuits, preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the frozen biscuits on the sheet leaving at least 2 inches between each biscuit. Brush with buttermilk if desired and bake for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, lower the heat to 425°F and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the biscuits are just slightly golden.
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Homemade Breakfast Sausage
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- French Toast Casserole
- Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Once you see how easy it is to make homemade biscuits, you will never purchase canned biscuits again!
Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter grated and frozen
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Use a cheese grater or food processor to grate cold butter.
- Place grated butter into the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a medium sized bowl or pulse together in the base of a food processor that has been fitted with a plastic dough blade.
- Using a pastry cutter, or 2 forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture, until the butter is the size of peas and distributed throughout the flour. Alternatively, if using a food processor, add the butter to the flour and pulse several times until the butter is the size of peas.
- Pour in buttermilk into bowl or food processor. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined or pulse in a food processor 3-5 times until buttermilk is evenly distributed into the flour mixture, being careful to not overwork the dough.
- Lightly flour a working surface, and turn out the dough onto the surface. Using your hands, gently fold the dough together and then fold the dough over itself 3-4 times.
- Lightly pat into a 1-inch circle.
- Using a 2-¾" round biscuit cutter, cut out 4 biscuits, as close together as possible. Gently pat scraps back together to cut out another 2 biscuits, for 6 biscuits total.
- Place biscuits onto the prepared pan, about 2 inches apart. If desiring golden biscuits, brush each biscuit with additional milk or buttermilk.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, keeping in mind they will not brown as much as rolls, so do not overbake.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- All-Purpose or whole white wheat flour is best for homemade biscuits.
- For Homemade Buttermilk, pour 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a glass measuring cup, pour milk into a measuring cup until it reaches ¾ cup total.
- To Freeze Biscuits: Transfer the unbaked, cut biscuits to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once the biscuits are frozen solid, place in a resealable freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. To Bake the Frozen Biscuits: Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the frozen biscuits on the sheet leaving at least 2 inches between each biscuit. Brush with buttermilk if desired and bake for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, lower the heat to 425°F and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the biscuits are just slightly golden.
Nutrition
Jessica Formicola
We made these biscuits today and they were perfect! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you enjoyed Jessica!
Beth
These look amazing!! I love your tip to use grated, frozen butter - I am going to use that tip and this recipe, going forward!
Kristen Chidsey
It is a tip that helps so much! So glad you enjoyed