I’m sharing my Breakfast Butter Swim Biscuits, baked in butter for a golden crust and perfect with jam, honey, or gravy as part of my Easy At Home Breakfast ideas.

Jump to Recipe

I never planned to make biscuits my signature thing, but these Breakfast Butter Swim Biscuits keep happening, and I love that they feel fancy yet totally doable. They bake up soft and fluffy with a golden top that makes you want to tear one open, and the crumb is the kind that soaks up jam or gravy like magic.

I use simple staples like all purpose flour and buttermilk, and somehow they turn into breakfast perfection. Theyre perfect for an Easy At Home Breakfast and they even work great for Biscuit Sandwich Recipes when I need to feed a crowd fast.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

Gives structure and chew, mostly carbs with some protein, low in fiber and nutrients.
Leavening agent, creates light airy texture by trapping gas, adds rise but no flavor.
Enhances flavor, balances sweetness, strengthens gluten slightly, brings out aroma, high sodium so use sparingly.
Gives gentle sweetness and helps browning, caramelizes slightly, optional for savory lovers or skip entirely.
Cold cubes create layered flakiness when cut in, mostly fat for rich tender crumb.
Tangy acidic milk that tenderizes gluten, adds moisture and subtle sour note for depth.
Melts under biscuits making crisp golden bottoms and glossy tops, pure buttery flavor boost.

Ingredient Quantities

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp fine salt

1 tbsp granulated sugar (optional)

6 tbsp cold unsalted butter cubed

1 cup buttermilk

4 tbsp extra unsalted butter for the pan and brushing

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). In a small pan melt all 4 tbsp extra unsalted butter, pour half into an 8 inch cast iron or ovenproof baking dish to coat the bottom, keep the other half warm for brushing later.

2. In a bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp fine salt and 1 tbsp granulated sugar if you want a touch sweet.

3. Add the 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter cubed to the flour and cut it in with a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea sized pieces of butter. Cold butter = flaky biscuits, dont warm it up.

4. Make a well in the dry mix, pour in 1 cup buttermilk and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together; it should be shaggy and a little sticky, dont overmix or the biscuits will be tough.

5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it out to about 3/4 to 1 inch thickness. Fold it over once or twice and pat again to build layers, but be gentle its not a pizza crust.

6. Dip a 2 1/2 to 3 inch round cutter in flour and press straight down through the dough, dont twist the cutter. Reroll scraps as little as possible to keep them tender.

7. Place the biscuits snugly into the melted butter in the pan so the sides touch for tall, soft middles; if you use a baking sheet leave about 1 inch between biscuits.

8. Brush the tops with some of the reserved melted butter before baking to get a golden crust, then bake in the preheated oven 12 to 16 minutes or until the tops are deep golden.

9. Remove from oven, immediately brush with any leftover melted butter, let cool a few minutes then serve warm with jam, honey or gravy. Small tip: a cast iron skillet gives the best bottom crust, and chilling the cutter helps get clean edges.

Equipment Needed

1. 8-inch cast iron skillet or ovenproof baking dish
2. Small saucepan (to melt the butter)
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Whisk
5. Pastry cutter or two knives
6. Measuring cups and spoons
7. 2 1/2 to 3 inch round biscuit cutter (chill it if you want cleaner edges)
8. Pastry brush (for brushing melted butter)
9. Bench scraper or spatula (for lifting and rerolling dough)
10. Oven mitts and a cooling rack

FAQ

Q: My biscuits came out dense why did that happen? A: Usually because the butter melted into the flour, the dough was overworked, or the oven was too cool. Keep butter cold, handle dough gently, and bake in a very hot oven.

Q: Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk? A: Yes mix 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup milk and let sit 5 minutes to sour it. It wont be exactly the same but will work fine.

Q: How do I get flaky layers? A: Keep butter in small cold chunks, do one or two simple folds rather than smashing the dough flat, and dont over mix. Grating very cold butter into the flour also helps.

Q: Can I make these ahead or freeze them? A: You can freeze unbaked shaped biscuits on a tray then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen adding a few minutes to the time. Baked biscuits reheat well in a hot oven for a few minutes.

Q: My bottoms burned but tops were pale what now? A: Your skillet was probably too hot or there was too much butter pooling. Reduce oven temp 25 F or use a slightly cooler rack. Also use only enough butter to coat the pan not puddles.

Breakfast Butter Swim Biscuits Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: swap with pastry flour for a lighter, more tender crumb, or use 00 flour if you want a finer texture; for gluten free, try a 1 to 1 GF baking blend but expect a slightly crumblier biscuit.
Baking powder: no powder on hand mix 3/4 tsp baking soda + 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar to replace 1 tbsp baking powder, use right away since it loses lift if left sitting.
Buttermilk: make a quick sub by stirring 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup milk and let sit 5 minutes; you can also thin plain yogurt or sour cream with a bit of milk to equal 1 cup.
Cold unsalted butter: for flaky layers use cold vegetable shortening or lard, if you want butter flavor but less water try cold ghee plus a little brushed melted butter after baking, margarine works too but flavor and texture will change.

Pro Tips

– Keep the butter really cold, even pop the cubed butter in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before cutting it in, that way you get big pockets of butter and super flaky layers, trust me it makes a difference.
– Use a light touch and dont overwork the dough, fold it just once or twice to build layers and press straight down with your cutter not twist, reroll scraps as little as possible so they stay tender.
– Chill your cutter or cookie ring and dust it with flour between cuts for clean edges, and if you want extra height let the cut biscuits rest in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking they’ll hold their shape better.
– If you have a cast iron skillet preheat it in the oven, add the hot melted butter so the bottoms start sizzling right away, and always brush with butter right after they come out for the best shine and flavor.

Breakfast Butter Swim Biscuits Recipe

Recipe by Samantha Dalling

0.0 from 0 votes

I’m sharing my Breakfast Butter Swim Biscuits, baked in butter for a golden crust and perfect with jam, honey, or gravy as part of my Easy At Home Breakfast ideas.

Servings

servings

Calories

266

kcal

Equipment: 1. 8-inch cast iron skillet or ovenproof baking dish
2. Small saucepan (to melt the butter)
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Whisk
5. Pastry cutter or two knives
6. Measuring cups and spoons
7. 2 1/2 to 3 inch round biscuit cutter (chill it if you want cleaner edges)
8. Pastry brush (for brushing melted butter)
9. Bench scraper or spatula (for lifting and rerolling dough)
10. Oven mitts and a cooling rack

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar (optional)
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter cubed
1 cup buttermilk
4 tbsp extra unsalted butter for the pan and brushing

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). In a small pan melt all 4 tbsp extra unsalted butter, pour half into an 8 inch cast iron or ovenproof baking dish to coat the bottom, keep the other half warm for brushing later.
In a bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp fine salt and 1 tbsp granulated sugar if you want a touch sweet.
Add the 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter cubed to the flour and cut it in with a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea sized pieces of butter. Cold butter = flaky biscuits, dont warm it up.
Make a well in the dry mix, pour in 1 cup buttermilk and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together; it should be shaggy and a little sticky, dont overmix or the biscuits will be tough.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it out to about 3/4 to 1 inch thickness. Fold it over once or twice and pat again to build layers, but be gentle its not a pizza crust.
Dip a 2 1/2 to 3 inch round cutter in flour and press straight down through the dough, dont twist the cutter. Reroll scraps as little as possible to keep them tender.
Place the biscuits snugly into the melted butter in the pan so the sides touch for tall, soft middles; if you use a baking sheet leave about 1 inch between biscuits.
Brush the tops with some of the reserved melted butter before baking to get a golden crust, then bake in the preheated oven 12 to 16 minutes or until the tops are deep golden.
Remove from oven, immediately brush with any leftover melted butter, let cool a few minutes then serve warm with jam, honey or gravy. Small tip: a cast iron skillet gives the best bottom crust, and chilling the cutter helps get clean edges.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.