Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
Get ready for the flakiest, most heavenly buttermilk biscuits you’ve ever tasted. These golden beauties are about to become your new breakfast obsession – and they’re way easier to make than you might think!
The secret to these cloud-like biscuits? It’s all in the folding technique that creates dozens of buttery layers, resulting in biscuits that practically float off your plate. Plus, that tangy buttermilk flavor? Pure magic.
Ingredients
For the Biscuits:
- 2½ cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 1 cup (240 ml) cold buttermilk
For Finishing:
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
Steps
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat – this prevents sticking and ensures even browning.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Pro tip: Whisking aerates the dry ingredients for lighter biscuits.
- Working quickly to keep ingredients cold, cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. These butter pieces = flaky layers!
- Make a well in the center and pour in the cold buttermilk. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir until just combined. The dough should be shaggy and slightly sticky – don’t overmix or you’ll have tough biscuits.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Here’s the magic: Fold dough letter-style into thirds. Pat back to 1-inch thickness. Repeat folding process 2 more times, then gently press or roll to ½-inch thickness.
- Using a 2½-inch round cutter, cut biscuits with straight down motion (no twisting – this seals the edges and prevents rising). Place biscuits on prepared sheet with edges touching for soft sides.
- Brush tops with melted butter and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Check at 10 minutes – they should be risen and lightly browned on top.
- Brush hot biscuits with remaining melted butter. Best served warm within 24 hours. Store leftovers in airtight container up to 4 days and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes.
Smart Swaps
- Use 1 cup plain yogurt + 1 tablespoon lemon juice as buttermilk substitute
- Replace ½ cup all-purpose flour with whole wheat for extra nutrition
- Try ¼ teaspoon garlic powder + ½ teaspoon herbs for savory version
Make It Diabetes-Friendly
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2½ cups almond flour + 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- Reduce sugar to ½ teaspoon
- Add 1 tablespoon ground flax for fiber
- Portion size: Make 16 smaller biscuits instead of 12
Pro Tips
- Keep everything COLD – freeze butter for 15 minutes before cutting in
- Don’t twist the biscuit cutter – straight down and up
- For extra-tall biscuits, stack two cutouts before baking
