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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Mine didnt rise very high. Tasted great though. Maybe I worked the dough to much.
I’ve been making biscuits for years with regular milk but I had some buttermilk left over from a cake recipe and thought biscuits would be a good way to finish it off. I followed the directions exactly, including the use of cold butter and placing the biscuits close together on the pan. I measured the height and made sure the oven was up to temp. Despite all of that, my biscuits were still flat. Beautiful layers, pretty good texture, but no rise. Both my baking soda and baking powder were new so I know that wasn’t the issue. Maybe my expectations were too high based on the other reviews.
Could you do this recipe with rice flour for people with gluten intollerance?
Hi, Maria! I haven’t tested this recipe with rice flour, so I’m not quite sure. You may be able to use a gluten-free flour that substitutes 1:1 in this recipe though.
These are excellent and very easy. After multiple failed attempts with other recipes, it was refreshing to find this recipe. The instructions were very helpful
Delicious biscuits but way too salty. I think it should 1/4 tsp of salt. Loved the way the buttermilk adds a golden look, very flaky.
Yay, biscuits with flavor! So good with strawberry jam! Thank you!
These were delicious! They disappeared in an instant and I loved making them. Thank you for the recipe, it was so easy!
I’ve been searching for a buttermilk biscuit recipe to go with my homemade jam. I just made these and they are soooo good. This was my first time making biscuits from scratch. This recipe was easy to follow and the tips were definitely helpful. Will be making these again.
How would this work with pastry flour, would I need to change anything else around?
I think it would be okay to substitute it 1:1.
Fantastic introduction to buttermilk biscuits, so easy to follow and bake. Will definitely be cooking these all the time.
I wanted to thank you for such a clear, concise and DELICIOUS recipe. We are beginning bakers and my 11 and 8 year olds helped me from start to finish. Your baking tips were so helpful (such as spooning flour and not over-working the dough) and made it rewarding to turn out a good product instead of being disappointed. 🙂 Thank you again!!!
I did want to ask – we only got 10 biscuits out of the batch. Did we make the dough too thick? If we’d gone any thinner it would have been well below 1/2 inch. Thanks!
Hi, Dana! It may have been a little thicker when you first patted it out and that’s why. I don’t think you really did anything wrong though, I think 10 is a decent amount to still get for this recipe. I’m glad you enjoyed the biscuits!
These were most excellent! After trying many recipes for Buttermilk Biscuits, these have been the best. Super fluffy and tasty! Thank you!
BTW, after Step 4, I froze them. Once ready to bake them, took them out of the freezer, brushed them in Buttermilk, placed them with the edges touching on a baking sheet, and baked them in a toaster oven at 450F for 17 minutes and they were perfection!
Would these freeze well after baking?
I think these are best the same day they’re baked. That being said, they do freeze fine for up to 3 months.
My biscuits turned out well but did not rise much at all. The only thing I didn’t do was put them into the pan touching. Could this be the problem? Should I let them rise before baking?
Hi, Lisa! There are several other reasons – if the butter wasn’t cold enough, the oven wasn’t hot enough, if you twisted the biscuit cutter and sealed off the edges, or patted the dough out less than 1/2-inch thick it can cause that to happen.
My third batch is cooking right now. I’ve had to share the recipe with my Friends. It is simple, but oh so good…..
Didn’t have buttermilk, so substituted a quarter or a third plain yoghurt for milk I added some grated cheddar cheese. Cheese biscuits quick and easy. Delish! Thank you!
Our frozen biscuits had expired and I didn’t want to go to the store so I found your recipe and I think this is the best biscuit I have ever made. I was discouraged before because other recipes had not yielded good results and I thought it was me. But these biscuits turned out beautifully! They were a tad thin (my fault for not measuring) but the layers were glorious!! Delicious on their own but heavenly with some homemade sausage gravy. Thank you so much for this recipe and salvaging my almost ruined anniversary brunch.
I love this recipe! Could I substitute 1/2 of white flour with whole wheat flour?
That should be fine! You may need an extra 1-2 tablespoons of buttermilk.
Is the 450 degrees correct? My biscuits almost burned.
Yes, 450°F is correct. The higher oven temperature is what helps the biscuits rise. If they almost burnt it’s likely that your oven may have been a bit too hot or they were starting to over bake. If they start to brown on top too much before they’re done in the center, you can cover them with a little foil until they’re done inside.
Ok, cool. I’ll make it tomorrow and report back. I never overwork the dough. I even grate in frozen butter and refrigerate the dry ingredients. I usually don’t handle it enough I’ve found as they have sometimes broken apart in my hand! I’ve never been one to make a tough biscuit. Never developing the gluten by over handling nor letting butter melt, keeping the all important pockets of air during cooking. I will make them tomorrow and report back. Thank you kindly for your reply. Be safe and happy cooking! (Sorry for typos)
I usually make one batch. Can I safely triple this recipe with all the same mesurements? I’m using pink Himalayan salt and I don’t want these to be too salty. I’ve seen other Baki recipes where if you double or triple , you sometimes need adjustments and not a strait 1:1 on all ingredients. I’ve already sifted all dry ingredients. Will I be ok here or did I just trash my biscuits? I like mine a bit thicker so wanted to double but wasn’t paying attention and ended up with 6 cups of flour (thinking I saw 3 cups instead of two). Please advise. Never screws up my biscuits before. Thank you.
It think it would probably be okay to double or triple this recipe. If it’s a lot of dough, you may need to divide it in half just so you don’t overwork it too much.
Can these biscuits be frozen? I have a small family and we tend to only use 3 or 4 biscuits at one time.
After you bake them, you can freeze them, but I wouldn’t freeze the dough otherwise they may not rise well once you bake them. You can cut the recipe in half to just make 5-6 biscuits too.
I absolutely love this recipe, they turned out beautifully. I too used Kerrygold butter and they are delicious and buttery, the only thing is the butter is salted so omit the salt in the recipe otherwise they may be too salty for your taste. But otherwise than that they are so moorish that I can’t wait to bake more. Thank you for this beautiful recipe.
Can these be made with self rising flour and forego the baking powder/soda?
It should be fine to use self-rising flour, it usually has about 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon salt per 2 cups of flour. I would still add the baking soda and maybe 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Just took these out of the oven!! Look perfect! Hold on…Yep they are!! Tender on the inside and a lil crusty on the edges! Flavorful with the hint of sugar! Thank you for the easy, perfect recipe!
This recipe is so easy and so delicious. They came out perfect! This was the second time we made them and we used Kerrygold butter and oh man, they seemed flakier!
Good afternoon. I was wondering if there was a way to incorporate sour cream into the recipe, so there’s both buttermilk and sour cream. Thank you for your time.
You could probably substitute some of the buttermilk for sour cream, maybe 1/4 cup.
Can I make dough the night before
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe, the biscuits may not rise quite as high if you let the dough sit overnight.
Best recipe for biscuits yet in my opinion. Whipped these babies up in little time. Family loved them. Thank you for sharing. ??
These are very good!! Easy to make as well. I used a food processor for adding the butter. I swear these taste like chicken express biscuits, their flavor and texture!
We love this recipe.