Best Buttermilk Biscuits Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl.
• Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 5 minutes.
• Make a well in the center of butter and flour mixture. Pour in 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir until just combined.
• Turn dough onto a floured work surface, pat together into a rectangle.
• Fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn dough a half turn, gather any crumbs, and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat twice more, folding and pressing dough a total of three times.
• Roll dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick.
• Cut out 12 biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.
• Transfer biscuits to the prepared baking sheet. Press an indent into the top of each biscuit with your thumb.
• Brush the tops of biscuits with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Rub 2 tablespoons of the cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until completely absorbed. Work the remaining 5 tablespoons of cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until pea-sized bits of butter remain. Use a rubber spatula to stir the buttermilk into the flour until the mixture comes together into a shaggy dough.
• Dust a cutting board or work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Fold dough in thirds, like a letter, and then pat into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut biscuits out using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter and put on the prepared baking sheet. Press together the remaining scraps of dough and cut out more biscuits. Brush the biscuit tops with buttermilk.
• Bake until the tops are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool on the pan at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

THE BEST FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Rub 2 tablespoons of the cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until completely absorbed. Work the remaining 8 tablespoons of cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until pea-size bits of butter remain. Use a rubber spatula to stir the buttermilk into the flour until the mixture comes together into a shaggy dough. (Don't overmix the dough.)
• Lightly flour a cutting board or work surface, turn the dough out onto it and pat into a rectangle. Fold the dough in half and pat again into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Then fold the dough in thirds, as if folding a letter, and pat to an even thickness. Cut out biscuits with a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter and put on the prepared baking sheet. Press together the remaining scraps of dough. Pat out and fold the dough into thirds again and cut out more biscuits. Brush the biscuit tops with buttermilk.
• Bake until the tops are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool on the pan at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3-4 times. Pat or lightly roll to 3/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. , Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 425° until golden brown, 11-13 minutes. Brush tops with butter. Serve warm.

BEST BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Sift flour and baking soda together in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a knife or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the mixture and stir in buttermilk until a soft ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Roll dough out to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle.
• Cut biscuits out with biscuit cutter and transfer to a baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until tops are light brown and sides begin to darken, about 10 minutes. Remove biscuits to cool completely on a wire rack.

BUTTERMILK CHEDDAR BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.
• Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.
• Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 450°F.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
• Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.
• If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
• Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.
• If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
• Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
• Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
• You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
• Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
• If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.
• Do not overbake.
• Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
• The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
• I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of overmixing.
• You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.
• Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.
• Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.
• When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk; stir just until the dough clings together. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently, 10-12 times. Roll to 1/2-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-in. round biscuit cutter. Place 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, 11-12 minutes. Serve warm.

HERB BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, thyme, savory, kelp, parsley, and basil in a large bowl.
• Cut in the butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle the buttermilk slowly over the flour mixture while tossing lightly with a fork, just until the flour mixture is moistened. Turn the dough out onto a floured board, and knead 4 to 5 times. Pat the dough into a circle, 3/4 inch thick, and cut biscuits with a 2 inch cookie cutter. Place biscuits 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Serve warm.

HAM AND CHEESE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and garlic powder in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
• Dice the cold butter up into chunks, and cut it into the dry mixture with your fingers, a fork, or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse sand, and butter is well blended in. Stir in cheese and ham, gently stirring to evenly coat all the cheese and ham pieces with the flour mixture.
• Use a fork and stir in 1 cup buttermilk. If the mixture is still dry, add a little more liquid at a time until the dough just comes together (it should be a little bit sticky, but not "wet").
• Shape dough into a ball by hand, handling the dough gently. Then pat the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness. Use a small biscuit cutter to cut 12 to 15 biscuits out, and arrange them on a baking sheet with sides just barely touching.
• Bake in the preheated oven until just golden brown around the edges/tops/bottoms and cooked through in the center, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool briefly on the baking sheet before moving to a platter or cooling rack. Best served warm!

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS WITH EGGS AND SAUSAGE GRAVY

Steps:

• For the sausage: Combine the pork, garlic, sage, thyme, onion powder, and oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover the sausage and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Form the sausage mixture into 8 patties. Heat a large nonstick pan over high heat and cook the patties until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
• For the black pepper buttermilk biscuits: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using a dough cutter, combine the ingredients until they are incorporated. Cut in the butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and gently mix until the mixture just begins to come together. Scrape the dough onto a lightly-floured counter. Pat the dough into a 10 by 12-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. Press together the scraps of dough, and repeat the process. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with the black pepper. Bake the biscuits for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a baking rack.
• Yields: 10 to 12 biscuits
• For the cream sauce: Put the milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Melt the butter in a second small saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, do not allow the flour to color. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, increase the heat to high and continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken and the raw taste of the flour has been cooked out, about 5 minutes; season with the salt and pepper. Keep warm.
• Yield: 2 cups
• For the eggs: Beat the eggs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter over low heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the eggs and cook slowly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft curds form. Slice each biscuit in half and put a sausage patty on the bottom of each biscuit and place the other half on top. Serve 2 sausage biscuits per person. Serve with cream sauce and scrambled eggs.

CORNMEAL BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with two layers of parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Rub 2 tablespoons of the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips, until it is completely incorporated. Work the remaining butter into the flour until it's in even, pea-sizes pieces. Gently stir in the buttermilk to make a loose dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds like a business letter. Pat the dough into a 5 by 8-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Use a 2- to 3-inch round cutter to make 6 biscuits, and put biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Press together the scraps of dough, cut 2 more biscuits, and place them on the baking sheet.
• Bake until the tops are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack before serving.

HARDEE'S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Mix together but do not knead.
• Roll out to 1 inch thick.
• Cut and brush tops with additional buttermilk.
• Place on greased cookie sheet.
• Bake@ 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS WITH HONEY BUTTER

Steps:

• For the biscuits:
• Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, baking soda, and 3 cups flour in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or 2 butter knives until pea-sized lumps form. Stir in buttermilk until a shaggy dough forms.
• Gather dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, press into an 8" square. Fold sides over like a letter. Turn 90º and fold sides again, forming a small square. Press or roll to an 8" square and repeat once, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
• Pat dough into a scant 3/4" round. Cut out rounds with 2 1/2" cutter; transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Gather scraps and repeat patting and cutting (you should have 14). Freeze until chilled, about 15 minutes.
• Bake biscuits, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 22-24 minutes.
• For the Honey Butter:
• Stir butter, honey, and 2 tsp. sea salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Top biscuits with Honey Butter and sprinkle with sea salt; serve warm or at room temperature.

CHEDDAR BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cheese and toss. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll to 1 in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place 1 in. apart in a large ungreased cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet. Bake at 425° until golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Serve warm.

HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (French nonstick baking mat) or parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
• Transfer about 2 1/2 cups flour mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add butter, and pulse until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Return butter mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture. Use your fingers to combine.
• Add buttermilk, and stir just until mixture comes together; the batter will be sticky. Transfer to lightly floured work surface; use floured fingers to pat dough to 1-inch thickness. Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut biscuits as close together as possible to minimize scraps. Gather scraps together once, pat together and flatten, and cut out.
• Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet; bake until lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat.
• Add the flour to a large bowl. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to work the shortening into the flour until the crumbs are the size of large peas.
• Slowly pour in the buttermilk, then mix with your hands until the mixture starts to form a dough. Add buttermilk if it feels too dry. As soon as the dough comes together, transfer to a floured work surface. Press the dough into a square and fold it over itself to create layers, using additional flour to keep the dough from sticking. Shape into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Use a 2- to 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits, rerolling the scraps to use all the dough.
• Take the skillet out of the oven and add 2 tablespoons melted butter. Place the biscuits in the skillet, then lightly brush the tops with the remaining butter.
• Bake until lightly golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve.

TEST KITCHEN'S FAVORITE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda for 30 seconds. Toss butter into dry mixture to evenly coat, then press between your fingers to create flower-petal shapes and return to bowl.
• Slowly drizzle buttermilk over flour-butter mixture (to evenly distribute) while stirring with a fork. Stop stirring when dough begins to form but mixture is still crumbly. Transfer to center of a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather dough with your hands, pressing firmly to bind, and flatten it into a 6-by-10-inch rectangle. Lift parchment along a short end of dough and fold in half, forming a 6-by-5-inch rectangle. Turn dough 90 degrees; gently reflatten to 6 by 10 inches. Fold in half again and flatten slightly into a 6-inch square.
• To keep things easy, form the dough on the same tray it's baked on. Cut it into thirds in both directions with a large, sharp knife, to form 9 biscuits. Brush tops with buttermilk. Bake until puffed, golden brown on top, and hollow-sounding when tapped on bottom, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a kitchen towel-lined basket; cover to keep warm. Serve with butter and jam.

WHOLE WHEAT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together. Add butter, toss with your fingers to coat with flour, and rapidly pinch and fluff butter into flour with your fingertips to make small flakes. Work quickly to keep butter firm.
• Add buttermilk; stir well with a fork until the dough gathers into one large lump. Drizzle in additional droplets of buttermilk if necessary.
• Scrape dough onto a flat surface sprinkled with remaining 1/4 cup flour. Roll dough to coat with flour, then pat out into a rough rectangle about 1/2-inch-thick and fold it in thirds. Repeat the patting and folding. Pat dough into a thickness of 1 inch. Dip a 2-inch round cutter into flour and stamp out biscuits, coating the cutter with flour before each stamping. Place biscuits, top sides up, on a heavy ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown. Makes 12 biscuits.
• Note: These are really good with honey butter. To make honey butter, put approximately equal amounts of honey and soft butter into a small bowl and whip with a fork until smooth.

CAST IRON BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place 1 tablespoon butter in two 10-inch cast iron skillets.
• Place skillets in the preheated oven to heat up and melt butter, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Mix buttermilk and eggs together in a small bowl.
• Combine flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl. Rub in remaining 6 tablespoons butter with your fingers until mixture is crumbly. Gently stir in buttermilk mixture until dough just starts to come together.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into 24 biscuits.
• Remove skillets from the oven. Arrange 12 biscuits side-by-side in each, their edges touching.
• Return skillets to the oven and bake until biscuits are puffed and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.