Homemade Biscuits

Delicious Homemade Biscuits that are full of soft, flaky layers and perfect for slathering honey and butter on them or enjoying with hamburger gravy!

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If you’ve never used a homemade biscuit recipe before, it can feel intimidating the first time. So, I’m sharing my favorite fool-proof recipe for homemade biscuits that turn out soft and flaky every time.

I love shortcut biscuits from a can and use them all the time, but there really isn’t a comparison with these homemade ones. The flavor and texture just can’t be beat! Plus I always have everything on hand to make these easy homemade biscuits.

Why You’ll love this recipe

• This is simple recipe that has only six ingredients. Plus, you probably already have them in your kitchen so these are easy to whip up whenever you have a craving.
• I am sharing all of my tips for making the best biscuits that puff up while they bake and are so flaky, soft and delicious.
• You don’t need any special tools and there’s nothing complicated – just follow the recipe and then devour your biscuits warm from the oven!

Ingredients For Homemade Biscuits

• All-purpose flour – I always have AP flour on hand, it can be used in everything.
• Buttermilk – Buttermilk just gives biscuits that extra push to rise and become fluffy. This isn’t something commonly on hand in most kitchens, so you can always make a really easy DIY buttermilk. If you only have 2% or whole milk available to use, that’s totally fine too!
• Butter – The key to flaky biscuits is cold butter. I even stick mine in the freezer before I make biscuits.
• Baking powder – This leavens the biscuits as they bake.
• Salt – Nicely seasons the biscuits
• Sugar – White sugar will add a touch of sweetness.

How to make homemade biscuits

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl.

Cut the cold butter into small cubes and then use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. If you are using a box grater, take the cold butter and grate it into the dry ingredients. Either way, the butter should be worked into the dough so it resembles small peas.

Add the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands about 10 to 15 times. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour. This step develops the gluten in the dough.

Once you’ve kneaded it, you will need to create layers in the dough which is called laminating. Laminating is the step that gets you those flaky layers. Take the dough and fold it over itself and gently flatten it with your hands. Rotate it 90 degrees and fold and flatten it again. Repeat this process about five to six more times.

Pat the dough so it’s approximately one inch thick. Cut out the biscuits using a lightly floured cutter. Gently press the cutter into the dough and try to avoid smooshing the dough down. There is enough dough to make six biscuits. You will need to rework the dough scraps to cut out this many.

Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake them at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden.

Can I Make Biscuit Dough Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make the dough a day in advance and refrigerate it. For best results, I recommend cutting out the biscuits and chilling them instead of chilling the dough in one lump.

You can also freeze dough after cutting out the biscuits. Keep the biscuit rounds in an airtight freezer container and pop them in the oven from frozen, whenever you want to bake them. Just add a little extra baking time.

What does it mean to ‘cut dough’?

In baking, cutting dough is a way to work the shortening, or in this case butter, into the dry ingredients to get a nice flaky pastry once it is baked. You can use a pastry cutter, two knives or even a box grater to get that perfect flaky baking.

Feeling inspired to make homemade biscuits? In under 30 minutes, you will be enjoying flakey, fluffy homemade biscuits. They are the perfect addition to any meal and so easy you can make them every week!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

5 from 5 votes

Homemade Biscuits Recipe

Light, fluffy and soft biscuits that are made with pantry staples.

Prep:15 minutes mins

Cook:12 minutes mins

Total:27 minutes mins

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Video

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Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Pastry cutter
• Box grater
• Round biscuit cutter
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Basting brush

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 6 Tablespoons butter very cold, we recommend freezing butter for 10-20 minutes before using
• ▢ ¾ cup buttermilk 2% or whole milk will also work in a pinch
• ▢ Salted butter melted, optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix until combined and set aside.
• Remove butter from the freezer. Cut butter into flour mixture using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs that are about pea sized. A box grater can also be used to shred the butter into small pieces and then add to the flour mixture.
• Add milk to the flour mixture. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined.
• Transfer the biscuit dough to a generously floured surface. Using your hands, gently work the dough together and knead 10-15 times. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky until you can easily work with the dough.
• Fold dough over itself and gently flatten layers together using your hands. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat folding about 5-6 times. Be careful not to overwork dough.
• After folding 5-6 times pat the dough to ¾’’ – 1’’ thickness. Lightly dust a 2 ¾’’ round biscuit cutter with flour.
• Gently press the biscuit cutter straight into dough and drop the biscuit on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used, making close cuts.
• With any leftover dough, gently rework into ¾’’ – 1’’ thickness and cut more biscuits out. You should have at least 6 biscuits at the end.
• Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the tops are beginning to turn golden brown.
• Brush with salted butter immediately after removing from the oven if desired.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 395kcal (20%), Carbohydrates: 62g (21%), Protein: 8g (16%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 30mg (10%), Sodium: 491mg (21%), Potassium: 290mg (8%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 350IU (7%), Calcium: 102mg (10%), Iron: 4mg (22%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.

How to serve homemade biscuits

For breakfast, brunch, or a snack I love to split a biscuit open and slather it with butter and lemon curd or cinnamon butter. A drizzle of honey is always nice, too, or top it with a favorite jelly or jam like my rhubarb jam. Make this easy Biscuits and Gravy Casserole, dip these biscuits into a cozy bowl of chili or add them to the side of a yummy fried chicken dish.

I love to surprise my family with homemade buttermilk biscuits at breakfast with scrambled eggs. If you are doing some meal prep, you can even use these delicious biscuits in place of an English muffin in our freezer breakfast sandwiches.

More Great Baking Recipes

• Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls are incredibly soft and buttery just like the restaurant version.
• Cheddar Bay Biscuits are savory and cheesy – perfect with a bowl of soup or stew.
• There’s nothing better than homemade buttery, flaky Crescent Rolls! You’ll always skip the can onca you give this recipe a try.
• Rosemary Bread has the best flavor and is so soft and delicious. This recipe makes two loaves, one to devour fresh out of the oven and one you can eat later, or freeze.