Here is a classic, reliable recipe for Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits — tender, flaky, and perfect every time.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, but traditional in many Southern recipes)
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 3/4 to 1 cup cold buttermilk
Instructions
Step 1: Prep
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
Step 3: Cut in the Butter
- Add cold butter cubes to the flour mixture.
- Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter.
Cold butter is what makes flaky layers.
Step 4: Add Buttermilk
- Pour in 3/4 cup buttermilk and gently mix until dough just comes together.
- If dough is too dry, add up to 1/4 cup more buttermilk a little at a time.
Do not overmix.
Step 5: Fold for Layers
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- Gently pat into a rectangle about 1-inch thick.
- Fold dough in half, turn, and gently pat down again.
- Repeat the fold 3–4 times to create flaky layers.
- Pat final dough to about 3/4–1 inch thickness.
Step 6: Cut Biscuits
- Use a biscuit cutter or a floured drinking glass.
- Press straight down — do not twist — to help biscuits rise tall.
- Place biscuits close together on the baking sheet for softer sides, or spaced apart for crispier sides.
Step 7: Bake
- Bake 12–15 minutes, or until golden on top.
- Brush with melted butter if desired.
Serve
Great with butter, jam, honey, sausage gravy, or served with breakfast dishes.
Tips
- Keep everything very cold until baking.
- Use high-quality buttermilk for flavor.
- Self-rising flour can be used; skip baking powder and reduce salt.
- Freeze unbaked biscuits for quick future baking.
If you want, I can also give you:
- Drop biscuits (no rolling),
- Cheddar garlic biscuits, or
- Extra-fluffy tall biscuits like the Cracker Barrel style.
