I just made Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits that are flaky, buttery, and so outrageously golden they officially ruined every other biscuit for me.

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I’m obsessed with these Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits because they’re everything I want in bread: flaky layers, buttery crumbs, and that tang from cold buttermilk. I love how the crust gets golden without being dry.

I eat them straight from the oven with cold unsalted butter melting, no shame. Flaky Biscuits that pull apart into steam and soft insides make me stupidly happy.

I’m not sentimental about breakfast, I’m loyal to texture. But seriously, these biscuits hit every note, tender, layered, ready to sop up gravy or sandwich fried chicken.

Hard to share, easy to justify. I want them every morning.

Ingredients

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All-purpose flour: Basically the backbone, gives structure and that tender crumb you’ll love.
Baking powder: Fluffy lift, makes biscuits light and slightly airy when it bakes up.
Baking soda: Reacts with buttermilk, helps browning and a little extra rise.
Salt: Balances sweetness and boosts flavor, so the butter actually sings.
Sugar (optional): Adds a whisper of sweetness and helps with browning, if you want.
Cold butter: Little pockets of fat for flaky layers and rich, buttery bites.
Cold shortening (optional): Plus it keeps biscuits super flaky, especially in humid kitchens.
Cold buttermilk: Tangy moisture that reacts with leavener and keeps crumbs tender.
Melted butter (for brushing): Basically shine and extra buttery flavor on the golden tops.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp granulated sugar, optional

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed or grated

1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, optional but helps flakiness

1 cup cold buttermilk, plus a splash if dough seems dry

2 tbsp melted butter for brushing, optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

2. In a large bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled), 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp granulated sugar if you want a touch of sweetness.

3. Cut or grate 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter into the flour mixture until pea sized bits remain; work quickly so the butter stays cold. Add 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening if using, and pulse with a fork or your fingers until the mix looks like coarse crumbs with some bigger flakey bits.

4. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork until dough just comes together; if it seems dry add a splash more buttermilk. Do not overmix or it will get tough.

5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold it over itself 3 to 4 times to create layers. Pat or roll to about 1 inch thick; again dont press too hard, keep the dough shaggy so it stays flaky.

6. Use a floured 2 to 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter and press straight down without twisting to cut rounds. Recombine scraps gently and repeat, giving the dough one quick fold only.

7. Place biscuits close together on the prepared sheet for taller sides, or spaced apart for crisper edges. For extra flaky layers stack two rounds loosely on top of each other before baking.

8. Chill the shaped biscuits in the fridge 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating, this helps them hold their rise.

9. Bake at 425 F for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top. Rotate the pan halfway if your oven bakes unevenly.

10. Brush hot biscuits with 2 tbsp melted butter if desired and serve warm. Theyre best the day made, but you can reheat them in a 350 F oven for a few minutes to refresh.

Equipment Needed

1. Baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Whisk
4. Pastry cutter or two forks (or a small food processor)
5. Box grater (if you prefer grating the butter)
6. Measuring cups and spoons
7. 2 to 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter
8. Rolling pin or your hands for patting the dough
9. Pastry brush for brushing melted butter

FAQ

Q: Can I make these biscuits without buttermilk? A: Yes. Use 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, let sit 5 minutes until slightly curdled. Texture will be almost the same, but true buttermilk gives a bit more tang.

Q: My dough looks dry. Should I add more buttermilk? A: Add a splash at a time, about 1 tablespoon, until dough holds together but is still shaggy. Too wet and biscuits won't rise right, too dry and they'll be dense. Better to err on slightly sticky than crumbly.

Q: Can I use all butter and skip the shortening? A: You can. Use 3/4 cup cold butter in place of butter plus shortening. Shortening helps flakiness, but all butter gives richer flavor. Keep everything very cold so you get layers.

Q: How do I get tall, flaky layers? A: Keep ingredients cold, handle dough gently, and fold the dough a couple times before cutting. Press or roll to about 1 inch thick, fold in half, press again, then cut. Use a sharp cutter and don't twist it when cutting.

Q: Can I make the dough ahead or freeze it? A: Yes. You can assemble, pat into a disk, wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. For longer storage freeze raw cut biscuits on a tray, then bag them for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, add a few extra minutes to the oven time.

Q: Oven not heating evenly. How do I avoid burned bottoms? A: Bake on the middle rack and use a light-colored baking sheet or line with parchment. If bottoms brown too fast, move sheet up one rack or lower oven temp 25 degrees F and bake a little longer.

Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: swap with 1-to-1 cup for cup whole wheat pastry flour for a nuttier, slightly denser biscuit. If you only have regular whole wheat, use 75% whole wheat and 25% AP to avoid heaviness.
Cold unsalted butter / shortening: use all butter for richer flavor, or use all vegetable shortening for extra flakiness. If using salted butter, cut back the added salt by about 1/4 teaspoon.
Buttermilk: make a quick substitute by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup milk, let sit 5 minutes. For thicker tang, use plain yogurt thinned with a little milk at the same 1 cup measure.
Granulated sugar (optional): replace with honey or maple syrup, use about 3/4 the volume (so 3/4 tablespoon for 1 tablespoon sugar) and reduce any added liquid slightly so dough isn’t too wet.

Pro Tips

1. Keep everything cold — butter, shortening and buttermilk. Cold fat melts in the oven and makes flaky pockets, so chill your butter and even your mixing bowl if your kitchen is warm. Work fast and if your hands get warm, pop the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes.

2. Don’t overmix or overhandle the dough. Stir until it just holds together and only fold a few times. The shaggy, slightly lumpy look is good. If you knead or press it too much the biscuits will get dense and tough.

3. Cut straight down with the cutter, don’t twist. Twisting seals the edges and stops them from rising evenly. Also place rounds close together on the sheet for taller sides, or spaced apart if you want crisper edges.

4. Chill shaped biscuits briefly before baking and brush with melted butter right out of the oven. Ten minutes in the fridge helps them hold their rise, and the butter gives a soft shiny top. If you need to refresh later, heat them in a 350 F oven for a few minutes rather than the microwave.

Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Recipe by Samantha Dalling

0.0 from 0 votes

I just made Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits that are flaky, buttery, and so outrageously golden they officially ruined every other biscuit for me.

Servings

servings

Calories

279

kcal

Equipment: 1. Baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Whisk
4. Pastry cutter or two forks (or a small food processor)
5. Box grater (if you prefer grating the butter)
6. Measuring cups and spoons
7. 2 to 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter
8. Rolling pin or your hands for patting the dough
9. Pastry brush for brushing melted butter

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar, optional
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed or grated
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, optional but helps flakiness
1 cup cold buttermilk, plus a splash if dough seems dry
2 tbsp melted butter for brushing, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
In a large bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled), 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp granulated sugar if you want a touch of sweetness.
Cut or grate 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter into the flour mixture until pea sized bits remain; work quickly so the butter stays cold. Add 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening if using, and pulse with a fork or your fingers until the mix looks like coarse crumbs with some bigger flakey bits.
Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork until dough just comes together; if it seems dry add a splash more buttermilk. Do not overmix or it will get tough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold it over itself 3 to 4 times to create layers. Pat or roll to about 1 inch thick; again dont press too hard, keep the dough shaggy so it stays flaky.
Use a floured 2 to 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter and press straight down without twisting to cut rounds. Recombine scraps gently and repeat, giving the dough one quick fold only.
Place biscuits close together on the prepared sheet for taller sides, or spaced apart for crisper edges. For extra flaky layers stack two rounds loosely on top of each other before baking.
Chill the shaped biscuits in the fridge 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating, this helps them hold their rise.
Bake at 425 F for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top. Rotate the pan halfway if your oven bakes unevenly.
Brush hot biscuits with 2 tbsp melted butter if desired and serve warm. Theyre best the day made, but you can reheat them in a 350 F oven for a few minutes to refresh.

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.