Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
These easy buttermilk biscuits are incredibly soft, tall, flaky, and buttery. Serve these with some jam or gravy for an easy breakfast!
Making buttermilk biscuits from scratch is so much easier than you’d think. All it takes is seven simple ingredients and a little elbow grease — just a little!
Believe me, once you find out how easy it is to make your own biscuits you’ll never buy the pre-made kind again.
One thing I love about this buttermilk biscuit recipe is how versatile it is. Top the biscuits with your favorite sausage gravy, jam or marmalade, or a little butter and a drizzle of honey.
No matter how you dress them up, you’re going to love these biscuits!
Recipe Ingredients
Homemade buttermilk biscuits require just seven basic ingredients, so it’s important that you use all the right ones. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy biscuit recipe:
- All-purpose flour: You need to spoon and level the flour when measuring it rather than scooping it straight from the bag. This will ensure that you don’t measure out too much by mistake, which would result in dense, dry biscuits.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are still fresh before starting. Both ingredients are important to get a good rise.
- Granulated sugar: Doesn’t make the biscuits taste sweet, it just gives them some flavor.
- Salt: Like the sugar, the salt flavors the biscuits and makes them taste more buttery.
- Unsalted butter: Needs to be cold before being cut into the flour. If you use warm butter, the biscuits won’t rise properly in the oven, nor will they be flaky.
- Buttermilk: The acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to help them rise as they’re baking in the oven. It also creates ultra tender biscuits! I highly recommend using real buttermilk for best results.
How to Make Buttermilk Biscuits
Before you start the recipe, it’s important to note that you need to use cold butter and buttermilk in these biscuits. Prepare your dry ingredients first, then take your butter and buttermilk out of the refrigerator to ensure that they stay cold.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture: The butter can be cut into the flour mixture using a fork, a pastry cutter, or a food processor. You want to see small pea-sized crumbs of butter in your dry ingredients, a few larger pieces are okay though.
- Add the buttermilk: Pour the cold buttermilk into the bowl and mix just until the dough starts to come together.
- Work the dough together: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and very gently work it together with your hands.
- Fold the dough: Form the dough into a rectangle, fold it into thirds like a letter (as shown in the photo above), and then pat it back out into a rectangle. This folding process needs to be repeated two more times. By folding the dough over itself, you’re creating layers. These layers result in ultra flaky, fluffy buttermilk biscuits! Trust me here, it’s worth the extra step.
- Pat out the dough: After the dough has been folded a third time, pat it out into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Make sure to measure here! If the dough is too thin, the biscuits won’t rise very tall.
- Cut out the biscuits: Use a floured 2.5-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits, and arrange them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. When cutting your biscuits out, don’t twist your cutter. This will seal off the edges of your dough and they won’t rise as high. Just cut the dough straight down and pull the cutter right back out.
- Place them side by side on the baking sheet: Make sure the biscuits are touching each other like the picture above. Not only will this help the biscuits rise taller in the oven, but it will also give them softer sides.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk: This step is optional, but it helps the tops turn a beautiful golden brown as they’re baking in the oven.
- Bake until golden brown: This will take about 15 to 17 minutes, depending on your oven.
How To Freeze Buttermilk Biscuits
Yes, you can either freeze the biscuits before baking them or after you have baked them.
- To freeze before baking: Place the cut out biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and freeze for 1 to 2 hours or until the biscuits are frozen solid. Place the biscuits in a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The biscuits may be baked from frozen, just add a few extra minutes to the baking time. If they start to brown too much before they’re fully baked through, place a piece of foil over the top until they’re done.
- To freeze the baked biscuits: Once the baked biscuits have cooled completely, place them in a large freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature on the counter. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 300°F until warmed through.
Storage Instructions
These biscuits are best eaten the same day that they are prepared. However, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. I recommend warming them for a few seconds in the microwave or for a few minutes in the oven at 300°F.
For longer storage, you may freeze the biscuits as mentioned above.
Baking Tips
- Don’t overwork your dough! The more gentle you are with the dough, the more tender the biscuits will be.
- If you don’t have a circular cutter, you can use a knife to cut the dough into eight to ten square biscuits.
- I prefer to bake my biscuits side by side on the baking sheet so the sides are softer. If you prefer crisper sides, you can leave a little space between each one. Keep in mind that if you do, they may not rise quite as tall.
- If the dough feels a little too warm after you have cut it out, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes, then bake as directed.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes to Make!
Recipe Video
Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
These Easy Buttermilk Biscuits are incredibly soft, tall, flaky, and buttery. Serve these with some jam, gravy, or your topping of choice for an easy and delicious breakfast!
Ingredients
Servings: 10 biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (250 grams)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed (85 grams)
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk plus more for the tops of the biscuits (180 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add the cubed cold butter and cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter (you may also use a food processor for this step) until you have small pea sized pieces of butter. Pour the cold buttermilk into the mixture and gently mix until the dough starts to come together.
- Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently work it together with your hands. Pat the dough into a rectangle and fold it into thirds (like a letter). Turn the dough, gather any crumbs, and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat the folding process two more times.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it down into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle (make sure to measure!). Using a floured 2.5-inch biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits. Make sure not to twist the biscuit cutter as you're cutting, just press the cutter straight down and pull it straight back up.
- Continue to gather any scrap pieces of dough, patting it back down to 1/2-inch thickness, and cutting it until you have 8 to 10 biscuits. I suggest trying to get as many as you can the first time, as you continue to work the dough the biscuits won't be quite as good.
- Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheet touching each other. Brush the top of each biscuit with a little bit of buttermilk.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter, if desired. Allow to cool for a few minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Storage Instructions: Biscuits are best eaten the same day that they are prepared. However, they may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave or for a few minutes in the oven at 300°F.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.
Adapted from All Recipes and Food.com with some helpful research from King Arthur Flour.
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I’ve frozen cooked ones and reheated while frozen (no need to thaw on counter) at 425° for 12 minutes. Turn out perfect!
Can this recipe be used as dumplings?
Do you mean for chicken and dumplings? If so, I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work.
Best from scratch biscuits I’ve ever made. I’ve always have had issues with the dough not rising in the past with other recipes.
Do you have a version without buttermilk? I rarely have that on hand.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Debbie! I don’t have a version without buttermilk, but you can use regular milk and just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to it. I have a post on how to make buttermilk here.
The kneading process was not just super fast but I used grated frozen salted butter, cut salt for the rest of it in half and it turned out great. I think next time I’ll still do all the salt. Doubling the recipe got me about 12 beautiful ones before I needed to start working scraps.
Hi, I just made these biscuits and they came out perfectly. Just like your recipe said they were tall and I folded them like is that and they were flaky and really good. I’ve been wanting to make biscuits for a long time and I was like it’ll probably be too much work but it was fun and I enjoyed it. Thank you so much!
Absolutely 5 stars!!
The perfect biscuit!! I’ve made these twice already. They are flakey and delicious. I won’t use another recipe. The tips were great. I used to twist and cut my biscuits. Not anymore! This is my go to recipe from now on!!
OMG! These are amazing! The first time I made them, they were good, but they didn’t rise. This time I made them a little thicker, cut them in fewer squares (than what was recommended), and put them close together in a square cake pan (with sides) as opposed to a baking sheet. They rose perfectly, were absolutely delicious, and had an amazing texture. Thank you!!!
I’m enjoying your biscuits recipe.
Always turns out great!
Thank you
Very fluffy, but a bit too salty. I will make this recipe again but halve the salt
I make these biscuits about every other week for biscuits and gravy ~ they are so fluffy and yummy!
Tried this recipe for the first time came out perfect and so delicious
I made these tonight to have with my sausage gravy. I was happy enough with the taste and texture but they didn’t rise very much. .so not sure what I did wrong. I froze my butter and even put my buttermilk in the freezer to get more chilled. I only buy salted butter so I just used a 1/2 tsp of salt and that was fine for my tastebuds. It was my first attempt so I will try to make them again.
If you make them again, just make sure to work the dough gently and don’t twist your biscuit cutter when you cut them out. If the dough feels warm, try putting the baking sheet with the cut out biscuits in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
These came out really nice. I was happy with it. I am saving this recipe for next time.
Great recipe- my oven runs a little warm so biscuits were perfect at the 12 min mark
I always thought my Grandmothers biscuits were the best. However, this recipe for buttermilk biscuits is tops since it is light, flaky and oh so delicious. In fact, the instructions are simple enough to follow even for someone like myself who has had a hard time getting them to come out right. I made these as part of a holiday meal and they were the best -light and flaky biscuits I have ever had and rose the way they are supposed to. Thanks so much. This recipe is a keeper it’s that good.
I am going to be trying your recipe for buttermilk biscuits. I appreciate the tips for biscuit making you added with the recipe here. The picture of these biscuits looks really delicious. I’ve tried other recipes without success but these look wonderful and with the rise on them that makes them great.Thank you for the recipe. Happy holidays!
Thank you, Sue! Hope you enjoy the biscuits!
Can I make the dough and refigerate for about an hour before I cook them.??
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would probably be fine.
These were awesome. I did mine in a cast iron skillet preheated. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Followed recipe exactly and they turned out amazing from first try! Taste wise very very similar to Chick-fil-A biscuits. I did grade my butter and put it in freezer for a bit. My husband raved how delicious they are and he is from a south. Thank you so much for amazing recipe!
I forgot to post the stars in my review. Excellent!
Thank you, Nancy!
Biscuits were very good! I’ll use this recipe again. Best recipe I have found for making great tasting biscuits. I also like the info about making layers. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Thanks for the excellent simple recipe, my first attempt a success.
So easy & delicious. The flakiness was great
Absolutely love this…
Did it this morning and now doing for dinner as well… Late night snack…
Thank you…
Never will buy biscuits in the store anymore
So good. And in my cast iron round pan perfect. Could I put flecks on cheese in them?
Yes, that would be fine!
Delicious and easy recipe. I always just pat the dough into a rectangle and cut it into 8 smaller rectangles—rather than do the traditional round cuts. No overworking of dough that way. ❤️
Yesss, I did this today because that’s how we do it at my bakery job and makes it soooo much faster and doesn’t overwork dough! I also substituted lard for the butter and it made them superrr flakey.
I enjoyed making these biscuits so much I’m making them again today!
I used this recipe at 5000 ft. I adjusted the baking powder to 2 tsp, the baking soda to 1/4 tsp and because I had salted butter cut salt to 1/2 tsp.
I cut into 6 squares with a knife, brushed with buttermilk and refrigerated for 15 mins before baking.
Tender, flaky, crisp on the edges deliciousness. The BEST biscuit!!
This was an excellent recipe and I appreciated the information regarding how to make the biscuits with lots of layers. I also like that AP flour could be used instead of having to buy self rising. I will use this recipe again!