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:
Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
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
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.
Super fast and super easy! Happy to not need any special equipment. Did wonder how to make them taste more like the KFC ones though?
These are amazing! The right amount of crisp on the outside with soft, melt in your mouth layers in the middle.
Can you leave out the baking powder and baking soda if using self rising flour?
Yes, you should.
Perfect!!!
Incredible! These came out so fluffy and yummy. Will be my go to biscuit recipe from now on. (I used frozen butter)Thank you!
I typically do not write reviews for food because people have such different tastes. However, this recipe deserves 10 stars! These biscuits indeed turned out fluffy and light, almost roll like. I am so happy with these biscuits. I love that they are quick and easy, take few ingredients, and bake fast and perfect. Also, in case you are wondering, even different shaped cookie cutters work on these; I found this out due to not being able to find my biscuit cutter so I used an approximately same sized heart shaped cutter. These turned out beautiful and you can see the layers. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
Loved this recipe! They are so fluffy and buttery. 5 stars
THE BEST biscuit recipe ever!!! I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I improvised. I used a 1/4 cup pancake mix to substitute the baking soda, and almond milk for the buttermilk that I didn’t have and STILL, THE BEST biscuit recipe I have ever tried. Thank you so so much for your shared recipe that made my biscuits and gravy dish even more spectacular and my kids were fighting for the last biscuit to sop up the jimmy dean country gravy in the bowl♥️
This is my go to biscuit recipe! Easy prep and delicious results! Light and fluffy biscuits with fantastic flavor!!
We halfed the recipe and the taste is great, but biscuits didn’t rise a lot and came out a bit crumbly. Any advice? Need more buttermilk? Less mixing? Don’t half it? All good ideas welcome, as I am new to making biscuits. Thanks!
It’s best to make a recipe the exact way the first time and not make changes. If it makes more than you need, you can freeze the dough rounds and bake from frozen another time. There are many tips in the narrative, you can do it!
Can i use gluten free flour (1-1 is what i have)?
I haven’t tested it specifically but I’m sure you could adapt it, yes. If you try it let us know how it goes!
I’ve tried a lot of biscuit recipes and this is now my go to I did substitute lard for the butter. But I’m sure the butter would have been even more amazing.
Hi Melissa, I’m a super scone baker. Had an abundance of buttermilk so decided to try your biscuits.
I’m happy to report they were very nice and high. Moist interior and crunchy outside. My strawberry preserves never tasted so good.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them, thanks!
usually i don’t write comments for things like this, but this recipe was super good and easy and thanks so much! i’ve never made buttermilk biscuits before but now i’ll keep using this recipe. thank you!
Family just loved these biscuits. First time success is always great. Thanks for sharing
I made a batch for breakfast and they were so delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Should I sift my flour before or after I measure the amount of cups needed and Should I sift my baking powder as well
Spoon the flour into the the cup, level and then sift with the other dry ingredients per the recipe.
I DID IT!!! I finally did it!! Perfect. Thank you.
This recipe was very easy, I liked the buttermilk better than other recipes I’ve tried. Please don’t skimp on ingredients use quality as stated.🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
I’m so happy you loved these, well done!
Literally just pulled my first batch out of the oven. I don’t think I used the right cookie cutter cause they are kind of small, but they look so cute! Letting them cool before I taste. Recipe was fairly easy to do for a beginner!
Hayley, no worries you can make these as big (or small) as you like. Have fun, regardless of size they will still be delicious!
Can you do the dough the night before?
So I can do it first thing in the morning
You can make it ahead of time, yes. Store in an airtight container so the dough doesn’t dry out.
Can you use salted butter and just omit the salt?
You can use salted butter, sure. Decrease the salt to 1 teaspoon but don’t omit.
Can I just use regular milk or carnation milk instead of butter milk
You can use whole milk, I wouldn’t recommend canned milk.
My biscuits didn’t puff up. Any thoughts on what could have been the problem? My baking powder was fresh…
Was the dough overworked? Were they rolled too thin? These are two things that could be a problem. Otherwise, if the leavening was fresh I’m not certain I have an exact answer.
Hello,
Can these biscuits be frozen? If so, how would you reheat them?
Thank you
You can freeze these prior to baking. Place them onto a sheet pan and freeze solid then package. You can bake them from frozen adding a few minutes to the bake time. If you bake them prior to freezing, reheat in single servings in the microwave after thawing.
Can bread flour be substituted for all purpose flour?
Bread flour isn’t ideal for making biscuits due to the higher gluten and protein content.
So fluffy, this is the best biscuit recipe, and I’ve tried many. This will be my new go-to recipe.
Thanks so much!