Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

These homemade Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits can be served drizzled with rich sausage gravy or topped with eggs, bacon, country ham or jam. They’re a Southern staple that you can also enjoy simply with a drizzle of honey or a dollop of homemade preserves as a side dish at any meal.

Fluffy Tender Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

The aroma of homemade biscuits baking is only eclipsed by the first heavenly bite. If you gathered any number of Southern cooks together, none of them would make their biscuits exactly the same way. Each cook would have their own favorite techniques and tricks to give their biscuits the edge that sets them apart. Serve these fluffy biscuits at any meal and enjoy a taste of the South at your own kitchen table.

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Homemade biscuits are heritage bread of sorts. They’ve been served in the South for eons and are made using simple pantry ingredients. They bridge the gap between modern day cooks and those who came before us. When I bite into a biscuit, I’m instantly transported back to my Mothers and Grandmothers tables and the are widely considered to be the house bread of choice in the South tying only with a skillet of homemade cornbread. Savory or sweet, recipes are handed down for generations by the cooks who came before us, each one claiming that they knew the closely guarded “secret” to the perfect biscuit. The truth of the matter is; that perfecting the art of biscuit making takes practice. Rest assured, you can master biscuit making with my expert tips. How to make simple Buttermilk Biscuits:

• Flour – All purpose flour not self rising for this recipe.
• Leavening – Baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Buttermilk – Whole fat buttermilk not fat free.
• Fat – Cold butter or butter flavored solid vegetable shortening. You can also use plain unflavored shortening or lard.
• Tops – Brush the tops of the biscuits with additional melted butter.

How to Make the BEST Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Follow these expert helpful tips for Making the BEST homemade buttermilk biscuits. The ingredients needed to make biscuits are so basic, it’s important to use the very best for making tender fluffy biscuits.

• Kitchen tools you’ll need: A large bowl for mixing, measuring cups and spoons, a pastry blender, a non stick surface for rolling or a pastry mat. You’ll also need a food processor, a pastry blender or two forks to cut the cold butter into the flour. A biscuit cutter and a baking pan. A pastry brush for brushing the tops.
• Ingredients you’ll need to make biscuits from scratch: All purpose flour, cold butter, baking powder, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Also, melted butter or heavy cream for brushing the tops and a drizzle of honey, jam or butter for serving.
• Start with quality ingredients. Biscuits require so few ingredients to make it’s worth making sure everything is fresh and top quality.
• Don’t overwork the biscuit dough or the biscuits could be tough.
• Use fresh baking powder.
• Use a sharp biscuit cutter. When cutting the biscuit dough into rounds, dip the cutter in flour, press down, then lift, never twist to make the cut. This ensures the biscuits will have flaky layers.
• Use cold butter. The butter will melt and create steam while baking resulting in a fluffier biscuit.
• To make your own buttermilk: To every one cup of whole milk add one tablespoon of white distilled vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir and proceed with the recipe.
• Be gentle when mixing the dough and knead as little as possible to avoid developing the gluten in the flour.
• I recommend baking the biscuits closer together. Doing so, they will rise upwards while baking.
• You can bake these biscuits in a cast iron skillet (preferred) or in a similar oven safe skillet, baking dish or pan.
• Southern Buttermilk Biscuits are best made and served immediately. That being said, you can keep them for 1-2 days then reheat in single servings in the microwave.
• You can also freeze the biscuit rounds prior to baking. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment and freeze solid. Package and store frozen then pull them out to bake when you’re short on time.
• Bake frozen buttermilk biscuits per the recipe brushing the tops with cream adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time.

More Variations and Southern Biscuit Recipes to Make

Whatever your preference, a classic Southern buttermilk biscuit and a few simple technique tips will put you on the path for biscuit making success. Biscuits come in many flavors, but this basic buttermilk biscuit recipe is probably the one that people most often make and clearly one that will never go out of style.

• The most common kind of Southern biscuit served is savory with occasional add-ins such as cheese and bacon as seen in these Cheddar Bacon Buttermilk Drop Biscuits.
• They can also be served as a a sweeter version such as incorporating sweet potatoes with sugar and cinnamon in my recipe for Sweet Potato Biscuits.
• Use leftover holiday ham to make these Ham and Cheddar Biscuits.
• Just like a scone, at times they feature fresh or dried fruit and they’re topped with a sweet glaze honey glaze like my Honey Butter Biscuits or Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Biscuits.
• Then, there are the beloved Angel Biscuits which are a cross between a buttermilk biscuit and a yeast roll.
• Easy 7 Up Drop Biscuits are a fan favorite!
• You may also like to try this recipe for Cinnamon Biscuits with Honey Butter from Butter with a Side of Bread.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Aluminum Baking Sheets
• Mixing Bowl Set
• Measuring Set
• Cookie and Biscuit Cutter Set

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Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: fluffy-southern-buttermilk-biscuits

Servings: 10

Calories: 254kcal

Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 5 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
• 1 – 1 1/4 cup cold buttermilk
• melted butter or heavy cream to brush the tops

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Sift together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Cube the butter or shortening then cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or pulse in a food processor. Cut until it becomes crumbly and resembles peas.
• Mix in 1 cup cold buttermilk, just until the crumbs are thoroughly moistened. Add up to 1/4 cup additional buttermilk, if needed. The dough shouldn’t be overly wet but, slightly sticky. 
• Roll or pat out on a lightly floured surface about 3/4-1 inch thick. Cut into rounds using a 2-inch cookie cutter dipped in flour. Do not twist the dough with the cutter. Cut the dough, then lift the cookie cutter up.  Re-roll any scraps and repeat.
• Place biscuits 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter or heavy cream.
• Bake biscuits at 450°F for 13-15 minutes until lightly golden and puffed.
• Brush with melted butter after removing from the oven. Serve immediately. 

Notes

• Whole fat or low fat buttermilk preferred, not fat free.
• To make your own Buttermilk: To every one cup of whole milk add 1 Tbsp of white distilled vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir and proceed with the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 570mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 2mg

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