The Best Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
So easy to make, these are the best flaky buttermilk biscuits EVER! I always thought making light, tender biscuits at home was impossible. Not anymore!
Light and tender, these flaky buttermilk biscuits are absolute biscuit perfection.
For years I basically considered myself a failure in the biscuit-making department. I’m pretty sure I was over mixing, over kneading, and generally over thinking the whole process. Which is why I’ve largely stuck with these pretty amazing buttermilk drop biscuits as my go-to.
I’ll never turn my back on those drop biscuits. But I knew I wanted…and needed…to conquer classic mile high buttermilk biscuits once and for all. And I can honestly say these really are the best flaky buttermilk biscuits EVER. Ever.
They are a go-to bread side dish for us, because unlike breadsticks or rolls, you don’t need to plan ahead at all to account for rising, kneading, etc.
If you would have told me years ago that I would be making biscuits-not-from-the-can several times a month AND actually getting requests to bring these famous biscuits to family gatherings, I probably would have rolled my eyes (I have a talent for rolling my eyes).
What else can you do with homemade biscuits?
Since falling in love with these biscuits, I’ve used the base recipe for everything from chicken pot pie to biscuit cinnamon rolls (holy moly, these are lifechanging).
And while I will probably reinvent chocolate chip cookies until the day I die, I don’t forsee ever needing to experiment with another classic, super flaky buttermilk biscuit. This is the one. The only biscuit recipe I’ll ever need.
Secrets to perfect flaky buttermilk biscuits
One of the keys to me finally conquering homemade biscuits was when I started using my food processor to mix up the dough. Successful, flaky biscuits rely on not overworking the dough (similar to pie crust). You want the butter pieces to stay really cold as they are being worked into the dry ingredients.
The cold pieces of butter begin to melt and sizzle as the biscuits bake which creates the pockets of steam that in turn make for ultra-flaky layers. And trust me, you want ultra-flaky.
However, if you don’t have a food processor, never fear, you can still make these babies! The trick is to grate the cold/frozen butter into the dry ingredients with a box grater, toss together quickly, and then stir in the buttermilk without overworking the dough. You can do it, I promise.
Over the years of making this recipe again and again and again, I’ve gone from cutting the biscuits out in a classic round shape to instead patting the dough into a thick rectangle and using a bench scraper or knife to cut squares. You can see both examples above.
Guess what? Square biscuits taste just as delicious as round biscuits and you don’t have to reroll the scraps and keep cutting out with a cookie cutter. (Also, the rerolled and cut biscuits are never as flaky and tender as the first batch).
I hope you give homemade biscuits a try! Whether you’re a biscuit beginner or someone who has perfected the art, I think this recipe might quickly become your go-to like it is for me!
One Year Ago: Crab and Goat Cheese Ravioli
Two Years Ago: Smoked Mozzarella and Penne Spinach Salad
Three Years Ago: Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Pie
The Best Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups (426 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 9 tablespoons (128 g) very cold butter cut into pieces
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, more or less
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is like coarse meal and the butter is in small, pellet-sized pieces (slightly smaller than a pea). This will take a few short pulses in the food processor.
- Pour in the buttermilk and mix/pulse only until just combined. The dough should start to come together but you don’t want to overmix the dough. If there are lots of dry patches throughout the dough, add a bit more buttermilk, just a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough comes together.
- Scrape the dough out of the food processor or bowl onto a lightly floured counter. Gently pat (do not roll with a rolling pin!) the dough to about 1/2-inch thick. Gently fold the dough in half or in thirds, repeating for a total of 4-5 times and pressing it gently to 1-inch thick after the last fold. These folds, combined with the cold butter, are what help to create flaky layers in the biscuits.
- Use a round biscuit or cookie cutter to cut into circles. Do not turn the cutter while pressing into the dough, just press firmly enough to cut all the way through the dough.
- Line a large, rimmed cookie sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper. Place the biscuits on the pan with the sides barely touching each other. This helps the biscuits rise up instead of out. If you like crustier sides to your biscuits, space them further apart. They won’t rise as high but they’ll have golden edges.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes until the biscuits are lightly golden on top and bottom, taking care to not overbake. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from this recipe at southern.food.com
Recipe originally posted April 2013; updated May 2019 with new pictures, commentary, recipe notes, tricks and tips
109 Comments on “The Best Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits”
Holy cow! I finally can make a biscuit that’s not embarrassing or unpredictable. The folding of the dough is genius! I use a large parchment sheet to press and fold, I find it easier to fold and flip and keeping the counter or board clean. Woohoo!
Question: I would like to make these a day in advance. If I want to serve them warm, how would you recommend reheating them? I do have a large roaster. Thank you in advance Mel!
Could you make them, cut them out and refrigerate for a day and then bake them right before you want to serve them?
That’s a good idea! I will do that instead. Thank you Mel!
Love these biscuits – I do add about 1 tablespoon of sugar. I put them in the freezer for at least 5 minutes (up to 15 or so) to help them to rise more – after seeing that suggestion at some point in the past. For those experience flat biscuits, it might help.
I’ve been making biscuits all my life and these are hands-down the best biscuits I’ve ever tasted.
Excellent texture and the rise was absolutely perfect. I have a confession I didn’t do any of the foldingof the dough because I didn’t read that far down in the instructions. The biscuits were still amazing.
Because of how good they were the next time I’m going to follow the recipe exactly.
Hi!
I have made these twice and while they taste soooo good, they do not rise much. The remain pretty flat and not flakey….no butter oozes out. Any thoughts? Love your site! Thank you for all of your yummy recipes!
Hi Nichole – how thick are they when you cut them?
Thanks so much for getting back to me!! They are roughly about 1/2 inch. Thank you!
Mel, I just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!! It worked!!!! I made biscuits! :O and they were soft and moist and high! This recipe is an absolute winner.
I live in a super hot and humid country, so went with grating frozen butter directly into the flour. Needed a little less buttermilk than the recipe, and did the final folds directly on the baking pan. Patted it out just like you said, then cut it into pieces in the baking pan and separated them oh so gently.
This is one recipe that my husband raves about! I made them last night and he said several times- “when are we having these again?”
Due to a shopping mix up, we have self rising flour. I used that and added just a 1/2 T of baking powder. They didn’t get as high as I wanted so next time if I use self rising I would up it to 1
T baking powder.
Thanks for all you do keeping us well fed and sane during quarantine.
My son has been asking me to make Buttermilk biscuits for a long time. My grandma always used to make them and I was scared to try and fail. But today was the day. I found your recipe and got out the biscuit board my dad just made for me and made it happen. My Grandma taught me to bake.. I bake All The Time. Many times using your recipes. She passed 5 years ago yesterday and I know today she saw me in my kitchen making these biscuits and she was smiling! And oh my goodness when they came out of the oven and we buttered and jammed them.. I was right back in her kitchen! Thank you Mel…. Like you said.. I need to look no further for a buttermilk biscuit recipe.. Just Like Grandmas!!!
So. So. Good. I am not great at making biscuits normally but actually jumped up and down when I took them out of the oven. they were perfect! Did a half recipe in my small four cup processor. Needed a little extra flour. Baked in my toaster oven (turbo convection 425 degrees for about 10 min) perfect, tender, flavorful. Thanks once again Mel!
Have not see the recipe for biscuit cinnamon rolls which I’m very interested in . I make biscuits
Using 2 cups self rising flour
1/4 c butter shortening
1/4 c sour Creem
1 cup sprite
First add sour cream and shortening
To flour.
Then using Sprite add to flour.
Roll out by hand or on a sheet and cut with biscuit cutter
Best biscuits ever
These are fantastic! Got rave reviews from everyone who has tried them, including friends who are from the South. America’s Test Kitchen has a very similar recipe (excepting it has even more butter!) that I had seen just before trying these. I haven’t made their version, but watched their video on the folding method. One thing I incorporated from ATK the second time I made them was to trim 1/4 inch off the edges of the dough at the very end (before cutting the remaining dough into squares) so that the folded edges don’t prevent an even rise. Then, you take those 4 strip of dough and pinch two together to make a total of two long strips. Roll/swirl the strips into a rosette shape so it ends up looking similar to a cinnamon bun and bake with the rest of the biscuits. You can leave them as is or top with cinnamon/sugar before putting them in the oven.
What are your thoughts on powdered buttermilk? Would it work as well as the real thing in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it, but definitely worth a try!
Perfect EVERY time. OMG, thanks for not giving up on creating this recipe.
Amazing! I used pastry flour and did 8 TBS butter instead of 9. I also just used my hands to rub the butter into the flour. I loved the advice to place the biscuits close to each other to get them to rise. It worked!
I have tried several of your recipes and haven’t had a fail yet. Your site (and pinterest) is my go to. But my biscuits failed 🙁 it’s probably user era. They came out flat. Any idea what happened? They taste great though…
Hey Samantha! Were they oozing butter as they baked? Did they spread out instead of up?
Mel if they were oozing butter is that a sign that there was too much or the butter melted too fast causing the flatter biscuits?
Hi Stacy, sounds to me like maybe the butter wasn’t cold enough and so it melted quickly. If it continues to happen, you can decrease the butter by a tablespoon or try chilling the biscuits.
Good grief, I don’t even like biscuits, & I love these. I used the trusty Vitamix, & they r like the most delicious thing ever-it’s all I can do not to go back for a third one.
Very good. Very moist. Will be a family favorite!
Truly the best biscuit recipe ever!!!! The dough freezes extremely well too. I stirred up several batches by hand, cut and froze the dough. That way I can bake only 6 every morning. However when I baked the entire batch, they were just as good later. Just pop them into the microwave for 15/20 seconds and you have a “fresh baked” biscuit. Thank you so much for figuring this out for the rest of us..
I wonder how these would freeze after baking them..I’m having a large family breakfast in June 2019 and need to bake several doz.
They freeze great!
I’m on vacation at a condo. I know…it’s rough. I made delicious chicken pot pie filling but had no means to make a crust. I topped the filling (heated to 450° for 20 min) with these buttermilk biscuits. Baked for 12 min. Absolutely the bomb. Best biscuit topping ever. I even just used my fingers to mix the butter into flour (no food processor). Thanks again for all your awesome recipes and helping my trip be extra awesome.
I have made many variations of buttermilk biscuit recipes over the years. This is the absolute best recipe and works very well at high altitude. (I live at 6,100 ft). I did extend the baking time 1-2 minutes longer; watching carefully. I agree with your note regarding the food processor, but also believe the pat-and-fold of the dough vs. rolling pin makes the difference. I have made this recipe several times over the past few months and the biscuits come out light, flaky, and delicious.
I just made these for the second time, and they turned out even better. I’m a believer!
My three year old and I made these last night. She loves to hit the pulse button on the food processor. They looked and tasted amazing. Thanks for another great recipe!
Just made these…. I am AMAZED! The were so tall, and tender…just exactly what I have always wanted. I have Made many, many biscuit recipes. Hands down, these are the best. Beth
So Mel, not sure if you eat biscuits and gravy but wondering if this is a good biscuit recipe for that? Or would the drop biscuits be a better fit?
I actually am not a biscuits and gravy connoisseur, but I *think* this recipe would work fine!
Did the receipe change? I don’t remember these proportions from the past?
No, I haven’t changed the recipe.
Perfection! These are so fast and they turn out perfectly every time.
Wonderful!
I’ve never made biscuits before, but decided to try it tonight. Your directions are so clear and it seemed so easy while I was reading them. And it really was that easy to make them! I was worried about how they would turn out, but they rose perfectly, were flaky and so delicious. Oops, we ate the whole batch (my husband and sons – ages 5, 4, 2)! Definitely a make-again hit!
Hi Mel!
First of all, thank you for sharing your recipes and knowledge! I seriously use your site several times a week, it’s my “go to” for easy delicious recipes!
I was wondering what food processor you use for this recipe? It wouldn’t all fit into my cuisinart.
Hi Abbey – sorry about that! I have a Breville food processor and it is on the larger side, maybe 10-12 cups?
I made these last minute for our Easter dinner tonight. Normally I’d just make the drop biscuits, but thought I’d bump it up for the holiday. Wow!! Delicious…and only took 30 minutes start to eating! Guess I might have to make them a bit more often now.
Thank you as always for your amazing recipes.
I love making biscuits and am always on the hunt for the best recipe. These were amazing and are my new favorite! I have a question about cutting the biscuits- I can usually get 6 biscuits out of the original time I roll it out. Then I’m left with a bunch of star-like pieces that I press together again. I can get 4 or 5 more out of that. I keep putting the pieces back together, making sure not to overwork the dough. The biscuits all turn out delicious, but the ones from that first cut are definitely the best, in both texture and appearance. Is there a way to get them all to look that good?
Hi Carlin – sometimes I pat the dough into a square and cut the biscuits into squares themselves so there is no rerolling of the dough needed.
Good idea! Thanks!
These are so great as written but if anyone is curious, I sometimes just use 1 stick (8 T) butter and substitute kefir for buttermilk (I always have extra kefir to use up, don’t always have buttermilk) and they are still delicious. Plus, I just pat in a square and cut them into 12 or 16 squares so I don’t have any extra to re-roll out and cut. Lazy…I know.
Maybe this is a dumb question, but could I use a blender (high end) or a bosch mixer instead of a food processor? I guess I don’t know exactly what a food processor does…? Thanks.
Probably not, you’d be better off cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or two knives. A food processor has a blade that chops quickly and is great for things like biscuits, scones and pie crusts. By hand would work just as well…just not quite as easy (but definitely not hard).
I actually use my blendtec all the time to cut the butter in. It works great, just use the pulse button and check the consistency after a few pulses. I don’t add the buttermilk in the blender though. I just dump the flour mixture in a bowl and do the rest by hand. Sometimes since I have my blender dirty anyway, I’ll make a couple more batches of the dry ingredients/butter mixture and dump them in ziplock bags and put them in the freezer. Makes the next few times I make biscuits super easy!
Just last night I used my Blendtec mixer with the cookie whisk to cut in the butter. Just pulse it and watch it do it’s magic. It works like a dream! I use it for making a bulk sized pie crust recipe all the time. I’ve never needed a food processor with that awesome tool :).
BTW, these are the Best. Biscuits. EVER.
I made these for dinner tonight for biscuits and gravy and they were wonderful!! They were so fast too!
I made these last Saturday night in preparation for Sunday breakfast, one less thing to do when I’m running around like a headless chicken. I let the dough chill all night and then I cut them out and chilled them again. They were SO good. I did add a little extra baking powder and a couple tablespoons of sugar (for personal preference) though. I’m making these again tonight for dessert (strawberry shortcake!)
I made these tonight (to go with your chicken noodle stew) and was totally impressed – I have tried several biscuit recipes, but these are far and away the best! The whole meal was a winner and my most picky dinner time eater ate his whole meal (plus a second biscuit.) perfect recipe and your site continues to never fail me.
I’ve made these a few times with sausage gravy, and they are fantastic! Definitely easier than I expected, and better than “tube” biscuits 🙂
I second Katie’s motion for a sausage gravy recipe!
This is now my go to biscuit recipe. Mixing in the food processor makes it very easy. Thanks Mel!
I pulled out my food processor to make these this morning, and they turned out fantastic! It was the first time I’d made biscuits this way, and it definitely won’t be the last. When folding over the dough, I sprinkled with dried blueberries. Yum! Next time, we’ll have to try them with sausage gravy.
Mel, you are my favorite ever. It’s like having a best friend that I go to for recipes! For several years, you’ve been my go-to for everything. I’ve made these biscuits – they are great – I am wondering if you could pretty-please ever add a recipe for sausage gravy that would make these some killer biscuits and gravy?? In all your spare time…I know…I have 5 kids, too, from ages 10-4. Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for the comment, Katie – happy you are loving the recipes. I’ll add your request to my to-try files!
Hi Mel,
I am planning to make these biscuits. They definitely look melt in your mouth flaky. I love how they maintained their height. I am curious, and although I realize the question is probably redundant because, well because you are Mel… But do you freeze these to bake at whim later?
Thanks again, M
Good question! I haven’t done that but I think it could work really well.
Well that’s shocking. I plan to freeze them on a tray first before bagging them in freezer bags. I also often pat biscuit dough into a square 9×9 baking pan and then cut it into 12 biscuits using a bench knife to prevent over handling the dough. And of course it’s handy when I am pressed for time.
Thanks Mel
Tried a few other recipes…and they never came out right. This recipe is amazing. They came out perfectly.
Do you think these could be made the night before and just pop them in the oven in the morning?
I just made these for the first time tonight and my husband could not stop eating them. He was so excited that we finally found a light and fluffy biscuit recipe after twenty years! Thanks for your explanation about not overworking the dough and keeping the butter cold.
I made these last night with half whole wheat(King Arthur’s) and half all purpose. I thought I was going to need all the buttermilk so I just poured it all in. Turns out I did not need it all so I did as the previous poster, Courtney, and heavily floured my work surface. They came out great!! I would never have thought to fold the dough as I would think I would over work it and it would become tough. Didn’t happen. I make your cream biscuits all the time but now I can add this since they rise nicely.
These were absolutely heavenly! I poured the whole 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk in before realizing that it could be more or less. The dough was too wet and sticky, so I just pulled it out onto the floured surface and worked in extra flour as I did the folding and it worked great! I also grated the cold butter with a cheese grater so that I could just add it to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer without getting out my food processor. Had this with chicken and rice soup! It made 9 large biscuits for me! So so good!
These are seriously awesome! Just tried one straight from the oven and am trying not to eat 5 more!!
These are MAGICAL! The BEST homemade biscuits I have ever made or eaten. So fluffy, so tender, and moist! I definitely didn’t need the whole 1 1/2 cups of milk. Glad I didn’t just pour it all in! Thank you for this!
A simple question which I never know for sure..salter or unsalted butter? And the real thing right not margarine?
Kerry – Definitely use butter (you won’t get the same results with margarine) and I always use salted butter. If using unsalted, increase the salt in the recipe a bit.
Oh my goodness! For the first time ever I made biscuits that can’t be used as trebuchet ammo! Thanks, Mel.
Mel!! Thank you!! My husband and dad, both southerners living in the north, YEARN for a good biscuit. I stopped trying b/c mine turned out tough and flat (hockey pucks!). Found this recipe today and we are so excited! Easy and delicious, especially with beef stew (and below zero temps outside)! Thank you!!
Thanks Mel! I just made these biscuits and they came out perfectly! This is exactly what I was looking for. The food processor is key.
Thanks,
K
Made these tonight and loved them! The grating butter method worked just fine for me- thanks for the tips on folding and another great recipe. So glad I don’t have to buy pop-can biscuits ever again!
I’m so very excited about this post. I’m from the South and I have a very high biscuit standard. I can’t seem to meet it no matter how hard I try. I will try these tips. They sound like just what I’ve been looking for.
Mel, love your website! Have made these biscuits 3 times now and LOVE them. I had been looking for the perfec biscuit recipe and now I’ve found it! Thanks so much! I’m excited to try out more recipes of yours!
These were the best biscuits! I have tried a few other recipes and have not been impressed but these were amazing! I also used the frozen butter/grating method and it worked great, thanks for the tips on folding the dough, it was so flaky and perfect!
Just wanted to let you know your site looks good in Safari on a Mac too.
Made these this morning to serve with sausage gravy and they were fabulous. I only have a small food processor so I worked in batches. I mixed all the dry ingredients together and put a little more than a cup in the food processor, added about a third of the butter, gave a few quick pulses, then added a third of the buttermilk. I then would dump that into a large bowl and repeat until it had all been through the food processor then a few quick stirs in the big bowl to get all the batches to come together.
First time making and they were perfect!
I just made these this morning with whole wheat flour. I added a bit more butter because the dough seemed a little dry, not sure I needed to though because after baking there were little pools of butter on the pan! But boy, are they good!
Thanks Mel! Love your site. It is my #1 go-to recipe place. 🙂
Boy do I love biscuits.
I love them, and I made them without calling my Mama:)Thank You Mel
I just found your website and LOVE all the recipes!!!
Swooning over the new website! Love how you can click on a category and see every thing with a PHOTO! Have already tried out 3 things this week that never caught my eye in ‘word form’ only before. LOVED the Cuban Street Tacos, Chicken Hoagies and the Magical Layered Brownies are best thing I think I have ever made. .Ever. AND in the last few months- have finally mastered your Best Chocolate Chip Cookies- finally did the measuring flour thing with a knife and . what do you know?. .no more flat cookies- huh! Who knew that made such a huge difference?? THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like to have dinner with you and your family. I think it would be a blast!!
The new design looks great! Congrats!
Your bread is the best! But the pumpkin bars were what sucked me into your blog.
I love to eat. That means I better be able to cook. Which I can! And thanks to tried and true recipes from Mel’s Kitchen, life is even better!
Hi Jenni – I have a Cuisinart Food Processor (I’ve never had one until a few months ago; my husband surprised me for my birthday) and I believe it is 12 cup capacity.
YUM!!
Awesome, these look delicious!
These sound yummy!! Is there a Sausage Gravy recipe that goes with these biscuits?
I am so making these this weekend. Made some Lemon curd to go over them.
Mel, I’m going to have to start calling you the food psychologist. You draw me in with your descriptions and before I know it, I’m making something I had no intentions of making – and loving it.
Will make these biscuits tonight. Am Spring cleaning and need a treat!
These look very good! The recipe is similar to a recipe I have been making from Bobby Flay that he used on his show “Throwdown”. He actually won against a lady from the south known as “the biscuit lady”. It is very good. Mmmm. Makes me want one now. 🙂
You have one of the best sites out there, and I LOVE coming here and reading,…yes, reading your recipes. Better than a good book,lol. Thanks for making it such an enjoyable place!
A food network kitchen with lots of counters pace and pantries
These look fabulous!
Mel- I love making biscuits and my family loves eating them. I bought a quart of buttermilk this week to make the rosemary and buttermilk marinated chicken this weekend. However, I wanted to ask if you have ever used (or heard of) Bakewell Cream. It is a product made in Maine and makes fabulous biscuits. I would be happy to send you a can of it so you can give it a try. A little website redesign and 5th anniversary present. Just email me and let me know.
These biscuits look terrific. I am definitely going to have to try these because I too have had a problem making biscuits-mine never rise that much and get super fluffy. I’m excited to try while wheat biscuits now too!
You are right, the secret is in the temperature of the biscuits before they go in the oven. I work by hand then put the biscuits in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. Perfect rise every time. No hockey pucks! 🙂
I was going to send you a message this week asking if you would PLEASE make a post on biscuits! They have been the one thing that I can’t seem to master, and I just continue to go to the bag of frozen Pillsbury biscuits in my freezer….thank you so much for this post. I think I’ll try them tonight!
Hi Mel: Can you tell me how big your food processor is? The last time I tried a recipe using a food processor for a dough, I had to make it two batches. I guess mine is on the small end? It’s a Cuisinart Blender/Processor duo.Thanks for the recipe!
These look great! You have never let me down in the carb department!
I love biscuits but haven’t been able to make good ones. Living in the South, a good biscuit is important and my grandmother made the best biscuits. I was never able to duplicate her biscuits, even though she showed me how many times. She said it was all in the way you handle the dough.
We love biscuits … our recipe uses much less butter. I’m going to try your recipe and since butter is one of my main food groups, I’m sure I’ll love them! YUM!
I started being able to make awesome biscuits without a food processor a couple years ago when I learned to freeze & shred my butter. Just put the amount of butter on a plate, freeze for ~15 min (or longer), and shred it like you would cheese directly into the flour mixture. Perfect little cold bits of butter! And then just handle lightly and quickly from there. Much less cleanup than a food processor too 🙂