This is the best recipe for homemade biscuits. The dough comes together quickly and the biscuits bake up to fluffy, golden perfection.
Nothing beats a buttery, flaky homemade biscuit. Whether slathered with homemade chia jam, used as a breakfast sandwich, served with soup, or used as a base for sausage gravy, this recipe for biscuits is nearly as easy as opening a can of biscuits but tastes a million times better!
But when I moved south as an adult, I quickly discovered I had been missing out. When prepared correctly, nothing beats a homemade biscuit.
After learning from my southern friends their tips and tricks, I have created a recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits that have a perfect crumb and are light, tender, and full of flavor.
And with this SIMPLE recipe, you too can master making perfect biscuits. In fact, once you see how easy it is to make homemade biscuits, you will never purchase canned biscuits again!
This recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits only requires 6 ingredients, well 7 if you want to make your own buttermilk, I have included instructions for making homemade buttermilk if you dont keep it on hand.
No Buttermilk? Make homemade buttermilk by pouring 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a glass measuring cup and pouring milk into the measuring cup until it reaches the ¾ cup line. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use, at least 5 minutes, allowing time for the acid to cure the milk.
HEAT oven to 375°F (or 350°F for nonstick cookie sheet). PLACE biscuits 1 to 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. BAKE 11 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
How to Make Homemade Biscuits
- Use a cheese grater or food processor to grate cold butter.
- Place grated butter into the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- If not using prepared buttermilk, prepare homemade buttermilk. Pour 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a glass measuring cup, and pour milk into the measuring cup until it reaches ¾ cup total. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use, at least 5 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium-sized bowl or pulse together in the base of a food processor that has been fitted with a plastic dough blade.
- Using a pastry cutter, or 2 forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas and distributed it throughout the flour. Alternatively, if using a food processor, add the butter to the flour and pulse several times until the butter is the size of peas.
- Add the buttermilk to the flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined or pulse in a food processor 3-5 times until buttermilk is evenly distributed into the flour mixture, being careful to not overwork the dough.
- Lightly flour a working surface, and turn out the dough onto the surface. Using your hands, gently fold the dough together and then fold the dough over itself 3-4 times.
- Lightly pat into a 1-inch circle.
- Using a 2-¾” round biscuit cutter, cut out 4 biscuits, as close together as possible. Gently pat scraps back together to cut out another 2 biscuits, for 6 biscuits total.
- Place biscuits onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
- If desiring golden biscuits, brush each biscuit with additional milk or buttermilk.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, keeping in mind they will not brown as much as rolls, so do not overbake.
Biscuits are best served warm, especially if you simply want to enjoy them slathered with jam or butter. However, there are endless ways to enjoy homemade biscuits. Below are a few of my favorite pairings.
Homemade biscuits are best served warm, immediately after baking. If you do happen to have leftover biscuits, allow them to cool to room temperature and then store them in an airtight container for up to 48 hours at room temperature.
Secrets to Making the Best Biscuits
While homemade biscuits are quite easy to make, there are a few tips I want to share with you to achieve perfect biscuits every single time.
- Use frozen, grated butter. The secret to really great biscuits is COLD butter. The butter will melt when baked forming air pockets in the dough, and keeping the biscuits light and fluffy. To get perfect results, it works best to grate the butter, using a cheese grater or food processor fitted with a grater, and then freeze for 15-20 minutes before preparing the batter.
- Keep everything cold. Not only do I use cold butter to make homemade biscuits, but I also am sure my buttermilk is cold AND my tools are cold. Along with sticking the butter into the freezer after grated, I also recommend placing the food processor bowl or pastry cutter into the freezer as well.
- Use the right equipment. To cut the butter into the flour mixture, use either a food processor fitted with the dough blade, a pastry cutter, or 2 forks. I love to use a food processor, as it keeps the entire process super simple.
- Do not overmix. You want the dough to JUST come together and the butter and milk to be evenly distributed through the flour. Overmixing the dough will result in tough biscuits.
- Do not roll your dough. Instead of using a rolling pin to roll out the biscuit dough, gently shape the dough using your hands. This is another trick to fluffy biscuits.
How to Make Perfect Biscuits from Scratch | Tips & Recipe for the Perfect Biscuit | Allrecipes
FAQ
What is the baking time of biscuits?
Should homemade biscuits touch when baking?
What is the ideal temperature to set your oven when baking biscuits?
How long do biscuits take to bake?
When baked at 350°F, your biscuits should take no more than 30 minutes to bake and be ready to serve if placed in a preheated oven. However, take in mind that the baking time will vary according to the oven you use. If you bake your biscuits from frozen, they should take 45-50 minutes in a 350°F oven. What Temperature Should Biscuits Be Cooked To?
How do you cook biscuits in the oven?
Arrange the biscuits correctly – Place the biscuits close together on the baking sheet to prevent them from spreading out too much. This also helps to create soft and fluffy biscuits. Don’t open the oven door – Opening the oven door during baking can cause the biscuits to collapse. Avoid opening the oven door until the biscuits are fully cooked.
How long do you cook chilled biscuits in the oven?
Bake the chilled biscuits for about 20 minutes; remember to use an upper rack in your oven to promote browning. Remove the biscuits from the oven when they’re lightly browned.
How long to bake frozen biscuits?
If you are baking your biscuits from frozen, it should take approximately 30-35 minutes for them to bake in an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. How Long To Bake Biscuits At 350 In The Oven? When baked at 350°F, your biscuits should take no more than 30 minutes to bake and be ready to serve if placed in a preheated oven.