Breakfast
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Tall, flaky biscuits with buttery layers that pull apart by hand.
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Servings
- 10 biscuits
Cold butter, cold buttermilk, and a gentle hand are all that separate good biscuits from great ones.
A simple letter fold builds the layers that make them pull apart cleanly.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Flaky pull-apart layers
- No mixer needed
- Ready in 35 minutes
- Freezer friendly
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk
Substitutions: Frozen grated butter is an easy shortcut for cutting in.
How to Make It
- 1
Cut in the butter
Work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized pieces remain.
- 2
Add buttermilk
Stir in the buttermilk until a shaggy dough forms.
- 3
Fold
Pat the dough into a rectangle and fold in thirds three times.
- 4
Cut and bake
Cut straight down with a floured cutter and bake at 450°F for 13 to 15 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Never twist the cutter — it seals the edges and stops the rise.
- Place biscuits so they touch for a taller bake.
What to Serve With It
- Southern Fried Chicken — Buttermilk-brined chicken with a craggy, deeply seasoned crust that stays crisp long after it leaves the skillet.
- Chicken and Dumplings — Tender chicken in a rich broth with pillowy dropped dumplings.
- Homemade Peach Cobbler — Juicy cinnamon peaches under a golden, buttery cobbler crust.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator
- Best the same day.
- Freezing
- Freeze unbaked and bake from frozen.
- Reheating
- Warm at 300°F for 6 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my biscuits flat?
Warm butter or old baking powder are the usual causes.
Recipe Card
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Tall, flaky biscuits with buttery layers that pull apart by hand.
- Prep
- 20 minutes
- Cook
- 15 minutes
- Total
- 35 minutes
- Servings
- 10 biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk
Instructions
- Work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized pieces remain.
- Stir in the buttermilk until a shaggy dough forms.
- Pat the dough into a rectangle and fold in thirds three times.
- Cut straight down with a floured cutter and bake at 450°F for 13 to 15 minutes.
Notes
Brush the tops with melted butter as soon as they come out.
You Might Also Love
Chicken
Southern Fried Chicken
Buttermilk-brined chicken with a craggy, deeply seasoned crust that stays crisp long after it leaves the skillet.
Chicken
Chicken and Dumplings
Tender chicken in a rich broth with pillowy dropped dumplings.
Desserts
Homemade Peach Cobbler
Juicy cinnamon peaches under a golden, buttery cobbler crust.