These homemade Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, served with a rich sausage gravy or topped with eggs, bacon, country ham or jam are a Southern staple. You can also enjoy them with a drizzle of honey or a dollop of preserves 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
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.
- Be gentle when mixing the dough and knead as little as possible to avoid developing the gluten in the flour.
- If preferred, the biscuits can be baked closer together, to encourage them to rise upwards while baking.
Variations Of Classic Buttermilk Biscuits to Add to the Menu
- The most common kind of Southern biscuit served is savory with occasional add-ins such as cheese, chives or bacon.
- Buttermilk biscuits can also be served as a sweeter version such as incorporating sweet potatoes with sugar and cinnamon.
- Just like a scone, at times they feature fresh or dried fruit and they're topped with a sweet glaze.
- Then, there are the beloved "Angel Biscuits" which are a cross between a buttermilk biscuit and a yeast roll. 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.
- 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:
Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
- 1 - 1 ¼ cup cold buttermilk
- melted butter or heavy cream to brush the tops
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 ¼ 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 ¾-1 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.
Weeweese
Can these be refrigerated for a couple of hours before cooking?
Melissa
Yes, make sure they're covered.
Morgan
Once the dough has been made, could I put it in the freezer?
Melissa
Yes, go ahead and cut into rounds and place on a parchment lined sheet pan to freeze. Once solid package and pop into the freezer for later.
Donna
Going to try recipe, why does some biscuits have a toppled look when come out of oven. Use a biscuit cutter all same size.
Melissa
There can be slight variations in the thickness of the biscuit dough when rolling or patting it out.
Jenn Petty
OK I have wanted to make homemade biscuits for years. I bake all the time and have no idea why biscuits intimidated me lol. I decided last minute yesterday to make them for breakfast. (I had a backup plan if I destroyed them). They were amazing! My husband has made the request that I never use premade biscuits again! 10/10!
One question I have is, have you ever used buttermilk powder? And does that change the taste/texture?
Melissa
If the buttermilk powder is reconstituted per the package directions and you use the same amount of liquid as called for in the recipe, it should be fine. I'm happy you enjoyed them, thanks!
Desiree
Can you add shredded cheese and herbs for a cheesy biscuit to this recipe?
Melissa
If you'd like to make a cheese biscuit, I have many others in the recipe index here.
Sandra Armstring
Fantastic!! These turned out beautifully- flaky and delicious.
Elizabeth
These are definitely easy to make and versatile biscuits that never disappoint. Thank you for sharing!
Carolyn
Awesome biscuits will make
for years delicious
Sharon Gremillion
turned out excellent. will definitely use this recipe again.
Carol
Very easy and were really good. Thanks for the recipe!
Nichole
This is my go to biscuit recipe! They always bake up light, fluffy, and delicious! Holds up perfectly to gravy or just some butter and jam.
Melissa
I'm so happy you love them, thanks!
Kathleen Freebird
Excellent! My grandson and I drooled over them. I didn’t get the butter cut in good but a delightful surprise to bite into a biscuit with little pockets of butter!!
Michelle
Just made these this morning. I don’t usually do comments but had to for these. They turned out beautiful, ligh, tall and fluffy. Just like my momma made them. Thank you!!
Melissa
I'm so happy you enjoyed them, thanks!
James
Best biscuits I've ever made, and I've been cooking for 45 years.
Marlene
Excellent fluffy biscuits with great flavour. Very easy to make.
Melissa
Thank you Marlene!
Michael ODay
Can I make the biscuits dough in advance.
Melissa
Biscuit dough doesn't keep as well as cookie dough in the refrigerator. You can make the biscuits, cut into rounds and freeze them separately then bake from frozen.
Lisa
Can these be made and then frozen unbaked?
Melissa
Absolutely! You can bake them from frozen per the recipe adding time as needed.
Hali
Great texture but the baking powder gives them a bitter flavor
Melissa
The flavor of these biscuits isn't bitter, I'm not certain why it was for you. Unless, you're super sensitive to that flavor. Baking powder is necessary for the biscuits to rise and can't be omitted.
Roni
Easy recipe, but I had to add more 1 1/4 of buttermilk to get the mixture sticky. They were nice and fluffy, but a bit salty. Should I have used unsalted butter?
Melissa
If you're especially sensitive to salt, it's perfectly fine to use less and/or use unsalted butter.
Sarah
Delicious, turned out perfect but I only baked mine 10 minutes and they were done.
Kathryn Welch
Will they rise higher if they are touching
Melissa
Any bread, be it biscuits of dinner rolls, will rise higher if touching.
Britt
Love this recipe! So easy and worked like a charm for me!