Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
These easy buttermilk biscuits are incredibly soft, tall, flaky, and buttery. Serve these with some jam or gravy for an easy breakfast!
Making buttermilk biscuits from scratch is so much easier than you’d think. All it takes is seven simple ingredients and a little elbow grease — just a little!
Believe me, once you find out how easy it is to make your own biscuits you’ll never buy the pre-made kind again.
One thing I love about this buttermilk biscuit recipe is how versatile it is. Top the biscuits with your favorite sausage gravy, jam or marmalade, or a little butter and a drizzle of honey.
No matter how you dress them up, you’re going to love these biscuits!
Recipe Ingredients
Homemade buttermilk biscuits require just seven basic ingredients, so it’s important that you use all the right ones. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy biscuit recipe:
- All-purpose flour: You need to spoon and level the flour when measuring it rather than scooping it straight from the bag. This will ensure that you don’t measure out too much by mistake, which would result in dense, dry biscuits.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are still fresh before starting. Both ingredients are important to get a good rise.
- Granulated sugar: Doesn’t make the biscuits taste sweet, it just gives them some flavor.
- Salt: Like the sugar, the salt flavors the biscuits and makes them taste more buttery.
- Unsalted butter: Needs to be cold before being cut into the flour. If you use warm butter, the biscuits won’t rise properly in the oven, nor will they be flaky.
- Buttermilk: The acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to help them rise as they’re baking in the oven. It also creates ultra tender biscuits! I highly recommend using real buttermilk for best results.
How to Make Buttermilk Biscuits
Before you start the recipe, it’s important to note that you need to use cold butter and buttermilk in these biscuits. Prepare your dry ingredients first, then take your butter and buttermilk out of the refrigerator to ensure that they stay cold.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture: The butter can be cut into the flour mixture using a fork, a pastry cutter, or a food processor. You want to see small pea-sized crumbs of butter in your dry ingredients, a few larger pieces are okay though.
- Add the buttermilk: Pour the cold buttermilk into the bowl and mix just until the dough starts to come together.
- Work the dough together: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and very gently work it together with your hands.
- Fold the dough: Form the dough into a rectangle, fold it into thirds like a letter (as shown in the photo above), and then pat it back out into a rectangle. This folding process needs to be repeated two more times. By folding the dough over itself, you’re creating layers. These layers result in ultra flaky, fluffy buttermilk biscuits! Trust me here, it’s worth the extra step.
- Pat out the dough: After the dough has been folded a third time, pat it out into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Make sure to measure here! If the dough is too thin, the biscuits won’t rise very tall.
- Cut out the biscuits: Use a floured 2.5-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits, and arrange them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. When cutting your biscuits out, don’t twist your cutter. This will seal off the edges of your dough and they won’t rise as high. Just cut the dough straight down and pull the cutter right back out.
- Place them side by side on the baking sheet: Make sure the biscuits are touching each other like the picture above. Not only will this help the biscuits rise taller in the oven, but it will also give them softer sides.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk: This step is optional, but it helps the tops turn a beautiful golden brown as they’re baking in the oven.
- Bake until golden brown: This will take about 15 to 17 minutes, depending on your oven.
How To Freeze Buttermilk Biscuits
Yes, you can either freeze the biscuits before baking them or after you have baked them.
- To freeze before baking: Place the cut out biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and freeze for 1 to 2 hours or until the biscuits are frozen solid. Place the biscuits in a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The biscuits may be baked from frozen, just add a few extra minutes to the baking time. If they start to brown too much before they’re fully baked through, place a piece of foil over the top until they’re done.
- To freeze the baked biscuits: Once the baked biscuits have cooled completely, place them in a large freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature on the counter. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 300°F until warmed through.
Storage Instructions
These biscuits are best eaten the same day that they are prepared. However, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. I recommend warming them for a few seconds in the microwave or for a few minutes in the oven at 300°F.
For longer storage, you may freeze the biscuits as mentioned above.
Baking Tips
- Don’t overwork your dough! The more gentle you are with the dough, the more tender the biscuits will be.
- If you don’t have a circular cutter, you can use a knife to cut the dough into eight to ten square biscuits.
- I prefer to bake my biscuits side by side on the baking sheet so the sides are softer. If you prefer crisper sides, you can leave a little space between each one. Keep in mind that if you do, they may not rise quite as tall.
- If the dough feels a little too warm after you have cut it out, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes, then bake as directed.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes to Make!
Recipe Video
Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
These Easy Buttermilk Biscuits are incredibly soft, tall, flaky, and buttery. Serve these with some jam, gravy, or your topping of choice for an easy and delicious breakfast!
Ingredients
Servings: 10 biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (250 grams)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed (85 grams)
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk plus more for the tops of the biscuits (180 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add the cubed cold butter and cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter (you may also use a food processor for this step) until you have small pea sized pieces of butter. Pour the cold buttermilk into the mixture and gently mix until the dough starts to come together.
- Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently work it together with your hands. Pat the dough into a rectangle and fold it into thirds (like a letter). Turn the dough, gather any crumbs, and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat the folding process two more times.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it down into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle (make sure to measure!). Using a floured 2.5-inch biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits. Make sure not to twist the biscuit cutter as you're cutting, just press the cutter straight down and pull it straight back up.
- Continue to gather any scrap pieces of dough, patting it back down to 1/2-inch thickness, and cutting it until you have 8 to 10 biscuits. I suggest trying to get as many as you can the first time, as you continue to work the dough the biscuits won't be quite as good.
- Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheet touching each other. Brush the top of each biscuit with a little bit of buttermilk.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter, if desired. Allow to cool for a few minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Storage Instructions: Biscuits are best eaten the same day that they are prepared. However, they may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave or for a few minutes in the oven at 300°F.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.
Adapted from All Recipes and Food.com with some helpful research from King Arthur Flour.
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Tried these today and found them to be very very salty. I would think half as much next time. I didn’t have a cutter so sliced into squares. The raw edges didn’t rise as much as the cut edges, which is an interesting effect. I also found they got quite dark by 12 minutes.
These are stellar and I make them every week! Very flaky. My fiancé didn’t know the biscuits I was making weren’t out of a can until I told him. I was offended but he likes canned biscuits, so it works out. I think these are oodles better!
Some comments saying they’re too salty – I think they are just perfect with the unsalted butter and 1 tsp salt.
Tried this recipe as my biscuits did’nt rise very much, however I had the same results although the biscuits were the best tasting according to my wife and daughter. I had to agree with them. Must have messed up somewhere, the dough was very wet.
I baked today – the dough turned out to be watery and I had to add a little more flour, everything turned out great
I’ve never made biscuits from scratch except for drop baking mix ones. This recipe was so simple and they turned out amazing! Thanks so much!
WOW!! I finally made good biscuits. I have been trying for a few years and not doing too good. Trick is don’t handle dough much, keep butter and buttermilk cold. I surprised myself. This a KEEPER recipe. (As far as recipes I was looking at) No one had mentioned the part about over handling dough would toughen the biscuits. I used to handle it like making bread or tortillas. MAN!! no wonder they were tough. Go figure, one important step makes a big difference. Flavor was spot on. 🙂
Yum. I use powdered buttermilk so not to deal with wasting dairy. I refrigerated the milk over night to allow it to rest and get really cold. I used my food processor and…BANG! Delicious and easy. Also, I didn’t use a cookie cutter but cut the biscuits into 8 pieces. No wonky biscuit!
I grew up on bisquick and my life will never be the same after making these. I’m a college student so I sometimes struggle with recipes that require a lot of equipment or ingredients but these are awesome. Thanks Danielle!!
These are just delicious and looked gorgeous. I followed the recipe to a T, using buttermilk from making butter. I didn’t have the right size biscuit cutter, so I used a small glass. Not too salty in my opinion. If you use salted butter, use less salt. Will be making on repeat!
I have a tip to make this easier to make and protects the coldness of the butter! GRATE THE UTTER. I have a spiral cheese grater so I freeze the butter for 20 mins before hand, grate it with the grater, and it literally take me like two mins to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients!
MY TIP for getting your butter evenly distributed in “pea-sized amounts”: Freeze the butter and grate it with a cheese grater using the large sized holes. First, lightly rub the cheese grater with oil to keep the butter from sticking to the grater.
I also use 1/2 a stick of butter, and 1/2 stick of Crisco to make them a little crispier.
Easy and delicious
I make a lot of biscuits, and these are really really excellent. Love how Chris the outside gets and for me, it’s just the right amount of salt, even using salted butter.
The biscuits are perfection. Flakey to perfection and high risers❤️
They taste good, however, by 10 minutes, my biscuits were dark brown and very dry.
Maybe it’s my oven. Next time I try this recipe I’ll check them at 8 min.
Way too salty. I suspected they would be but went with it anyway. Cut it in half.
These biscuits are delicious. The recipe is spot on for a wonderful taste and texture. I make a double batch, cut the biscuits, freeze them and pull out a few at a time. Bake from frozen at 400 for 18-19 minutes and always have fresh biscuits on hand.
The biscuits are good and soft
I am so confused. The dough flattened out in microwave, didn’t even cook, and just tasted like radioactive baking soda. I need serious help, like what did I do wrong ?!I followed the recipe and took exact measurement. They came out the microwave just as they went in, almost worst. It was all bubbly and droopy and ploopy and had the texture of warm fecal matter (speaking from experiance) If anyone tries this, bless your dear heart.
I’m confused too, did you microwave the dough? It’s meant to be baked in the oven.
Mine came out just like the picture! I reduced the salt a bit based on the comments, grated the frozen butter, and brushed the tops with melted butter since I was using buttermilk powder. This recipe has redeemed my biscuit baking history! THANK YOU!!
This recipe is awesome! They’re so fluffy and buttery. I find myself laminating an extra time, just to add to the layers. I only have one issue: I keep burning the bottoms of my biscuits every time I make them. Otherwise, this recipe is a winner!
So glad you love the recipe, Jessica! Are you using a dark baking sheet? If so, a lighter one will help prevent that from happening. If you are using a light baking sheet, then you can reduce the oven temperature to 425°F and that should help as well.
greatest of all time
These were very good! Made them for biscuits and gravy. I’ve only made biscuits a few times and always use a different recipe but I think this will be my new one. I did measure the flour in grams which I think makes a difference. I only had salted butter so I omitted the salt all together and it wasn’t too salty. the only thing I would change is cut the biscuits a little bigger. They did rise decently but were very small around, otherwise they were great! I didn’t have buttermilk but used milk + vinegar and brushed only with melted butter.
This recipe was spot on. Great!
They turned out great. I don’t like using all purpose flour but in a crunch and thank you. I wasn’t disappointed.
Loved this recipe! Very easy and came out very tasty even for my picky 16 year old! Thanks for sharing.
Best biscuits I think I have ever made. Love the tip on the folding.
Very good and not salty. First time I’ve book-folded dough and the results were impressive. 🤩
This definitely going to be my new go-to baking powder biscuit recipe…my husband loved them as well!!
These were by far the best biscuits I have ever made. I grated my butter and then left it in the freezer for about 25 minutes and then gently mixed it in. Do not overwork the dough. I just used to forks until it was just mixed. I also used salted butter. I kept folding my dough and the biscuits had so many flaky layers!
Like the recipes
I have made these three times now. And they are so good. The first time I made them way too thin. They were still good. I can’t get buttermilk where I live. The milk companies make liquid sour cream. (Bleh) I did the vinegar and milk thing the first time. Other than the biscuits tasting like vinegar. They were good. The second time I bought powdered buttermilk, didn’t taste the buttermilk, but the biscuits were still good. This time I made my own buttermilk (and butter). We shall see how well they turn out.
Turned out awesome! I made butter the night before and saved the buttermilk leftover to make the biscuits with. Will be using this recipe all the time. Quick and easy!