Easy
Buttermilk Biscuits
Tall, flaky biscuits made with cold butter and a gentle hand.
The short version. Cut cold butter into flour and baking powder until it looks like coarse crumbs, stir in cold buttermilk until just combined, fold the dough over itself a few times, cut straight down, and bake at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Scaling is exact math. For a fraction of an egg, beat the egg and measure out that fraction.
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for the counter)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp cold butter (cut into small cubes)
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk
Directions
- Heat the oven to 450°F. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
- Rub or cut the cold butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces.
- Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Turn the dough onto a floured counter and pat it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Fold it in thirds like a letter, turn it, and pat it out again. Repeat once.
- Pat the dough to 1 inch thick and cut with a floured 2½ inch cutter, pressing straight down without twisting.
- Set the biscuits just touching in a cast iron skillet or on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until tall and golden.
Tips
- Cold butter and cold buttermilk make steam in the oven, and that steam makes flaky layers.
- Biscuits that touch each other rise taller.
Technique guides
- What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda?
- How do you make a buttermilk substitute?
- Why does cold butter make flaky biscuits?
Questions
Why didn't my biscuits rise?
Twisting the cutter seals the edges, old baking powder loses its lift, and warm butter melts into the dough. Cut straight down, use fresh baking powder, and keep everything cold.
Cooking involves heat and sharp tools. Kids cook with an adult. Times and temperatures are guides, so use your own judgment and a thermometer, and watch for allergens.