Best The Best Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits Recipes

OUR FAVORITE BUTTERMILK BISCUIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F. Grate frozen butter using large holes of a box grater. Toss together grated butter and flour in a medium bowl. Chill 10 minutes.
• Make a well in center of mixture. Add buttermilk, and stir 15 times. Dough will be sticky.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly sprinkle flour over top of dough. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a ¾-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches). Fold dough in half so short ends meet. Repeat rolling and folding process 4 more times.
• Roll dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 ½-inch floured round cutter, reshaping scraps and flouring as needed.
• Place dough rounds on a parchment paper-lined jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475°F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter.

THE ULTIMATE FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUIT RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Rub the inside of a cast iron skillet with a bit of vegetable oil or melted shortening. This will create a deliciously crispy bottom on the biscuits. (*You can also bake these in a baking dish. See note below.)
• Cut the butter into small 1/2-inch pieces, put them on a plate or in a bowl, and pop it into the freezer for about 10 minutes. You want the butter to be very cold, but not frozen.
• Put the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor OR in a mixing bowl. Pulse a few times to blend, OR stir with a wire whisk.
• Add the butter and pulse 3 or 4 times, just until the butter is incorporated enough for the mixture to look like coarse crumbs. Alternatively, use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You can also just use your fingers; rub the butter into the dry ingredients just until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. (See photos above for guidance.)
• If you've been using a food processor, dump the mixture into a mixing bowl. Set a small bowl of flour nearby just incase you need it later.
• Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to gently mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough begins to form. Then, use your hands to gently knead the dough until it holds together completely. (See notes below about under and over working the dough.)
• Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface. Pat or roll it out into a rectangle that's about 1-inch thick. If it's really sticking to the work surface, sprinkle with a bit of flour. Use only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking.
• Fold one side of the dough to the center, then fold the whole thing over again, like you're folding a letter. (See photos above for guidance.)
• Give the dough a quarter turn and roll or pat it out into a 1-inch thick rectangle again. Repeat the folding process, give the dough a quarter turn, and repeat the folding process once more.
• Roll or pat the dough back out into a 1-inch thick rectangle and use a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. As you cut them out, set them on a plate. Reroll the dough as necissary, cutting out biscuits until you have 8-10 biscuits.
• Set the plate of biscuits in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then, remove the biscuits from the plate and place them in the cast iron pan (or baking dish). Set the biscuits very close together inside the pan so that their sides are touching. This will help them rise while they bake.
• Brush the tops of the biscuits with 2 tbsp (1oz/ 28g) melted butter and place in the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until their tops are golden brown. Biscuits are best served immediatly, while still warm, drizzled with honey or spread with jam.

FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Brush softened butter on a sheet pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large glass measuring cup measure the buttermilk. Add the shortening. With an immersion blender on high, blend the shortening into the buttermilk until smooth.
• Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the flour. Toss until all of the pieces are coated. Lightly pinch the butter pieces into the flour.
• Lightly coat your work surface with nonstick cooking spray, then flour. (The spray keeps the flour in place.) Add the buttermilk/shortening mixture to the flour/butter mixture. Gently mix the dough with a rubber spatula until there are no dry bits of flour left. The dough should be slightly sticky.
• Transfer dough to the prepared work surface. Lightly coat your hands with flour and gently press the dough with the palms of your hands to form it into a smooth flat rectangle, 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle the dough with flour, then fold it into thirds (like a letter). Pat the dough out again, sprinkle with a little flour, and fold it into thirds again. Turn the dough 90 degrees (this time folding in the open ends first.) Repeat one more time. Dough should no longer be sticky.
• With a floured 2- or 2 1/2- inch biscuit cutter, cut out dough rounds. Flip the rounds over so that the smooth sides that were against the work surface face up and place on the prepared pan, 1-inch apart. Stack the scraps and press and cut again. Refrigerate until cold, about 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bake until the tops are golden brown and crisp, about 16 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving hot.

FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Chill all the ingredients (except for the buttermilk) and all the equipment in the freezer, including the blade and bowl of the food processor. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and butter in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse the mixture until it is the texture of fine meal.
• Transfer the flour mixture to a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center, pour the buttermilk into the well, and mix by hand until the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough onto a clean work surface, dust with flour, and roll it into a ½-inch thick rectangle, applying even pressure and squaring off the edges. Laminate the dough by folding it into thirds, like a letter, and dust with flour; then roll the dough into a ½-inch thick rectangle again. Repeat this procedure a total of seven times, dusting with flour as necessary.
• Use the dough scraper to cut the dough into 2x2-inch squares; discard the excess dough. Place the cut biscuits on a baking sheet close together, with about ¼-inch or less between them, so they'll touch gently when they bake. Chill the cut biscuits for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle them with the sea salt. Bake the biscuits until they are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and serve warm.

FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut butter in with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it resembles bread crumbs. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk.
• Put biscuit dough onto a floured surface and sprinkle a bit of extra flour on top. Cut out 16 biscuits with a biscuit or cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining buttermilk.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes.

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.

FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
• In a bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, quickly cut in 8 tablespoons butter until it forms pea-size crumbs and is uniformly mixed it (for flaky biscuits you want the butter to remain cold). Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in buttermilk. Stir together until it just forms a moist, slightly tacky dough.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 2 or 3 times, then pat out into a 3/4-inch-thick round. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the biscuits. Twisting the cutter prevents proper rising; to prevent sticking, dip the cutter lightly in flour between biscuits. Do not re-roll the scraps, but pat them together and cut into rounds. Transfer biscuits to the baking sheet.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Brush butter lightly over the tops of biscuits. Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.