When I hear about people using store-bought biscuits from a cardboard tube, it makes me cringe. Sure, it’s fun opening them up and hearing that satisfying pop! sound. But in my opinion these biscuits are completely lacking in buttery flavor and flakiness, and are far inferior to ones made from scratch.
So today I’m on a mission to spread the word that homemade biscuits are not difficult bake. Folks, they are easy!
I have a great recipe to share with you. With just six ingredients that you likely already have on hand, you can have hot homemade biscuits in just half an hour or less! No one can resist that. Biscuits and gravy anyone? That’s what this particular batch was for, but they are excellent smeared with jam or alongside a hearty soup, or even just by themselves.
A few things about these biscuits to take into consideration…
Did you know that buttermilk is good way past its expiration date? The buttermilk I used for these biscuits is at least a month past its date. And it’s still good! I don’t know why this is, but it just is, trust me.
Also, did you know that if you don’t have buttermilk on hand you can improvise by making your own? Add either one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to enough milk to measure one cup, wait 5 minutes, and you’re good to go.
For the flakiest biscuits, try to keep your butter and buttermilk as cold as possible. The reason for this is that you want the butter to remain in little bits after you’ve cut it into the flour, which is not easily done if the butter is soft. The steam released from the butter during baking is what helps give the biscuits their rise and creates the flakiness we’re all so fond of. So use your butter and buttermilk straight from the fridge and work quickly, and you should be fine.
And one last thing, these biscuits are a great jumping off point. They are simply perfect on their own, but would be amazing with the addition of herbs, cheese, bacon and just about anything else you can come up with. Keep them simple, or get creative, you can’t go wrong.
Okay, now you really have no excuse. Next time you’ve got a hankering for biscuits and consider reaching for those processed store bought stuff, reach for this recipe instead!
Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
Makes 8 large biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk, chilled, plus additional for brushing
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together in a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, gather the dough into a bowl and knead gently 6 times. Pat dough into a 10 inch circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into three inch rounds with a lightly floured cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush with buttermilk.
Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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36 Responses to Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
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Hi, I'm Annalise and I love to bake. Welcome to my blog! Follow along as I try new recipes, share baking tips and tricks, and overindulge my sweet tooth.Current Favorites
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I don't know why I haven't ever made biscuits. They look perfect. I think I am intimidated by the process of incorporating the cold butter. But you're inspiring me and making me drool at the same time, so I think I need to give it a try! Lovely photos, too!
I just made scones and the recipe said to grate the frozen butter into the flour. It was super easy, fast, and turned out great!! This might help you with the roadblock of incorporating the butter… I am going to make these buttermilk biscuits and grate the butter – it should work…
I have heard of grating frozen butter into biscuit dough, though I haven’t tried it myself yet. I hope you enjoy these biscuits!
It totally worked – the biscuits were a HUGE hit at my choir group and grating the frozen butter was so easy… I might have just opened Pandora’s Box by discovering this trick… Better run a few extra kilometres to work off all the extra baking I will be eating!
Damn pretty looks buttermilk biscuits..fabulous clicks;.
Thank you for this recipe. The last time I made biscuits, my young daughters used them as bowling balls..LOL..
Jackie
mine where like hockey pucks!!! This recipe has so changed our breakfast, lunch and dinners! They were a big hit with my kids!
I am with you on the biscuits in a tube. There are a few things that I have taken an aversion to over the years. It drives me crazy that people would buy store bought when homemade are ten thousand times better and so very easy to make. Bottled Vinaigrette is another one.
These look scrumptious! Do you have to use a pastry blender? I use my hands most of the time, but do you find there's a big difference?
Your hands will warm the butter.
Just saw your biscuit photo on Foodgawker. They look so good… and so tall! My biscuits always seem to turn out a bit flat. Great job!
Oh so that's what "biscuits" are. We call those plain scones over here. And we call cookies "biscuits" (or cookies)
I've never made biscuits before and came across yours and pinned them to make later.
Made them tonight. SO EASY! and um… YUM!
Thank you for posting. First biscuits = success!
the reason that use bt date past milk tastes good is that its a cultured- fermented product- like cheeses, cultured milk products last waaaay longer than the label says- its a regulation issue not a taste/life/edible issue. people nned to be better educated on this, it soo adds to unecessary food waste!
Yummy! Will be making these soon!
these look perfect! Glad I found your site. I have a link party going on, Sundays that I just started come over and link up if you'd like.
http://www.you-made-that.com/sunday-spotlight-recipes-3/
I made them one weekend and they were great! my parents enjoyed them and I had a few to take back to my apartment. Thanks! I never have shortening around in my kitchen and really appreciated the butter recipe
I didn't have buttermilk so I substituted it with plain greek yogurt not entirely sure how they'll turn out… but the batter is amazing ;].
Thank you!
I am going to make these! They sound so yummy and I have some buttermilk that I need to use up. Thanks!
Biscuits turned out great.
But remember not to over knead, as the recipe states knead 6 times.
over kneading happens often and can really make the biscuits touch and not "Airy"
follow this recipe just as it is written and you will have great easy biscuits.
I felt like baking so i entered Easy Buttermilk Biscuits and well here i am ….best biscuits ive ever made, they look as good as they taste. cant wait till thanksgiving so i could show off my baking skills lol …:)
I used this recipe this morning and my wife, whose really the baker in the family, thought they were great! I have to say that it really was an “easy” recipe. I will admit that I over kneaded them a little so they were slightly dense in the middle, I know better for next time. In any event they tasted great, thanks Annalise!
OMG, for years i’ve been able to make wonderful cakes, pies, etc but my biscuits are like hockey pucks. THANK YOU for pointing out to me that butter and milk should be cold b/c of the steam! It makes soooo much sense. I think you may have solved the problem that has caused me to hang my head in shame. I’m going to try this morning to make it your way. I have high hopes for biscuits and gravy for the 4th of July. Bless you!
Tip: do not knead biscuit dough; gently fold and pat 6 times (like folding a shirt. This helps biscuits retain their intended flakey goodness!
[...] search lead me to this super easy you-probably-have-everything-in-your-house for it now recipe for buttermilk buscuits. The edges are not burnt. It’s the buttermilk glaze. Just wanted to make sure to [...]
Wow! I love buttermilk biscuits but have never made them before until I came across your recipe. It was so amazingly easy and the biscuits were the best I’ve ever had bar none.
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed them.
Don’t try subbing vinegar and milk for actual buttermilk…ever…my biscuits turned out so horrible. I had to throw them all out. also my biscuits were really heavy, thick. I don’t know what I did wrong but they sucked.
lemon juice….always lemon juice
Hands down the tastiest biscuits! Just made them tonight as my mom had leftover buttermilk…she made fried chicken and I baked the biscuits…the kids loved them!
I’m so glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed them! I bet they were excellent with fried chicken.
O M G !!!! These were awesome! I read through some of the comments and decided to grate the butter, which worked out really well. Also, being the old hippy that I am I used 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and these were perfectly flakey and delicious. Pinned it onto Pinerest and will be making them again.
Thanks so much for posting!
Best,
Carolyn
I’m so glad you liked them! I’ve been meaning to try grating the flour myself to see if that makes it a bit easier. Thanks for the comment!
[...] Even though we’re trying to be as low-carb as possible, it’s really difficult to eat a bowl of soup without bread of some kind. I still had a couple of corn muffins left over from the black bean chili, but they’d started to go spotty on top, so I convinced the Hubs that making some buttermilk biscuits would be a good idea. That buttermilk sitting in the fridge was just coincidental, honest… A little Google turned up these Easy Buttermilk Biscuits. [...]
Do I really need to use ‘parchment paper’? Or can I use something else instead?
You can use a silicone baking mat or just grease the sheet pan.