Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Soft, fluffy, buttery, golden southern buttermilk biscuits! It’s enough to bring a man to his knees. Or so I use to hear growing up. I snagged my husband with the help of chocolate chip cookies so I can’t really vouch for biscuits. Although these southern buttermilk biscuits are heavenly and my husband did ask if I’d make them everyday to which I lovingly replied “AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FA DAT!”
The truth is, I could totally make these every day because not only are they insanely easy, but they are soooooo daggum GOOD!!!! These are the kind of biscuits where you sink your teeth into that first bite and you just have to look at the biscuit while knodding yes. It takes you there honey!! To that comforting place that only a fluffy, scratch-made southern buttermilk biscuit can!
Now if you normally suck at making biscuits (quickly raises hand) don’t let the process defeat you, even if your first or tenth batch doesn’t turn out right. KEEP TRYING! You WILL get it!! There is a such thing as biscuit gods and they will shine upon you. Although you may just get them right on your first try with this recipe. It’s that easy! Biscuit making is an art form that relies mainly on the look and feel of the dough. Many biscuit recipes work just fine but you aren’t gonna get fabulous buttermilk biscuits until you learn a few tips.
This is a southern girl speaking to you from experience honey because even after seeing and helping my grandmother make homemade biscuits almost every week as a child, I still could not get it right. My grandmother forgot to tell me a few valuable tips, so incase your grandmother or mother or whomever, forgot to tell you as well, Imma tell you right now. Are you leeesaning Leeenda?
How to get the BEST Southern Buttermilk Biscuits Everrrr!
(or at least this is what changed my biscuit making game)
1.) Keep everything COLD!!! COLD is the word of the day, m’kay! Biscuit ingredients love to be cold. When the ingredients start to warm up before they hit the oven, they start reacting with each other and you don’t want that to happen just yet. You want all the magic to take place in the oven aka the loooove zone! So freeze the butter and keep all the other ingredients in the fridge beforehand. If things start to warm up while you are making them then stick it in the fridge for a bit. Now I know why my grandmother use to work so fast, yet gently while making biscuits. She knew she had to get these bad boys in the oven while that dough was still cold.
2.) Use a gentle touch. Biscuit dough is so seeeensitiiiive! They like to be handled, touched and patted (never rolled) very gently. Awww, how precious! If you are rough with the dough or handle it for too long you’re gonna cause the dough to release gluten which will makes biscuits tough, dry and ugly. So stir gently, knead gently, matter of fact, sing a little love song to your biscuits. They like that.
3.) No twisting that cutter! Whenever you go to cut the biscuits out, do not twist that cutter! I mean it! It’s hard not to do, but don’t. This seals the biscuits and keeps them from rising and cooking properly. Just go straight down into the dough and bring the cutter back up. NO TWISTING or doing any other weird stuff! Got it? I’m watching you. *pointing to both of my eyes and then at you*
4.) Use self-rising, soft winter wheat flour. Ok now I know a few folks are gonna say “booooooo” to self-rising flour. My grandmother never used it but I’ve found out that it’s the best deal for folks who aren’t very good with biscuits. For some reason it seems to allow room for error. As much as I love adding in the salt, baking powder and baking soda to regular flour(not really) self-rising flour is the way to go for ME. Also use an all-purpose (not cake flour) white winter wheat flour like White Lilly. This brand makes the FLUFFIEST biscuits ever. I’m not even kidding you right now! Seriously. White Lily. Order it if you need to.
Ok go forth and create big beautiful buttery batches of buttermilk biscuits…Betty!! I just had to throw another B word in there.
Watch me make these Southern Buttermilk Biscuits from start to finish!
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups White Lilly self-rising flour, or any other soft winter wheat self-rising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk, super cold
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, super cold
- 6 tablespoons real butter, super cold
- 2 tablespoons butter-flavored vegetable shortening, super cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add flour, salt and brown sugar.
- Whisk until well combined. (may need to sift it to help break up the brown sugar)
- Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture.
- Add the shortening.
- Use a fork, whisk or pastry cutter to cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles large crumbs.
- Make a well in the center of the bowl.
- Mix together the buttermilk and heavy cream.
- Add to the center of well.
- Slowly and very gently begin adding the flour mixture into the well.
- Stir gently until the flour mixture is moistened (do not over stir)
- Generously flour your work surface with flour.
- Place dough onto floured surface.
- Sprinkle the top of dough with flour and flour your hands as well.
- Very gently, knead the dough by folding it in layers a few times while adding more flour, just enough so that the dough is not sticking to your hands or your work surface. (less flour, the better)
- Gently pat the dough out into a small rectangle about 1 inch thick.
- Flour your biscuit cutter and cut out circles.
- Place biscuits on prepared cookie sheet with sides barely touching.
- Make a small dent in the center of each biscuit with your finger (this helps tall biscuits rise without falling over)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. (sometimes mine take up to 14 minutes)
- Brush generously with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. (don't skip this step)
- Serve hot.
Video
Thank you for this recipe, my biscuit came out how I wanted them. They almost compare to cracker barrels biscuits. My husband and kids love them
This is the only recipe for biscuits i will use! I googled years ago the best buttermilk biscuit recipe, and this was the first recipe in the google search. It is the beat buttermilk biscuit recipe! Don’t alter this recipe people! It’s perfect!
Absolutely amazing!!! My family LOVES your banana bread so I decided to try the biscuits and we were not disappointed. Thank you!!
Thank you so much- For the 1st time in all of my years, I have mastered delicious biscuits! I had to play with it a few times, and change a few things just slightly to work for me, but these biscuits are a HIT I think my husband almost cried they were so good.
I do not know how to express our gratitude except by making these every chance we get!
Hello what does the heavy cream do 4 the biscuits? T U