Southern Buttermilk Biscuits – Flaky, buttery and fluffy biscuits made with few ingredients and minimal prep time. So comforting and indulgent.
You’ll surely want these for breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon snacks. It almost goes perfectly with anything; Fried chicken, stew, soups, honey and butter to eggs and bacon. You’ll be wanting more of these.
Guaranteed!!!
These tasty treats take you to your comfort zone and just reminds you of that warm, tight hug from Grandma. It hits every spot and the flavor literally just melts in your mouth. You know what? I always have a few of these in the freezer whenever the need arises. A great make ahead especially if you have a crowd to feed.
I just love it with honey – that’s me – the sweet tooth gal.
But whatever floats your boat, it sure is divine. If there’s one food that I’d gladly call “food for the gods”, then this is “The Biscuit”.
It is super easy to make – not too much mixing required – and yet it still yields beautiful golden brown biscuits that are waiting to be buttered and enjoyed. With just a few tips and couple of attempts, you’ll have this too often as sides on your menu, especially during this holiday season.
When a friend brings this over during potlucks, consider yourself special and just thank them. Now go grab some flour and buttermilk and start whipping up this classic and heavenly Southern treats. They require a delicate touch when making them.
Tips and Notes:
- You may want to keep everything in this recipe cold. The cold butter in this recipe are grated to distribute the fat evenly throughout the dough. If things start to warm while making this. toss them in the fridge for 10 minutes before you bake them in the oven.
- Making it in the food processor is a great option and is a great option if you do not like grating butter. Mix all the dry ingredients in the food processor, cut butter into cubes and add to flour, then pulse 6 or 7 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs.
- If you truly want to make these southern style, then use White Lily Flour, it’s soft red winter wheat flour, perfect for creating light-textured and fluffy biscuits. Mostly available in the Southern parts of the U.S. However, you can easily purchase it online at Walmart. And it’s a under $3.
- The key to this recipe is not to over mix. Over mixing can cause the dough to yield tougher biscuits. You don’t even need to take out your mixer in this recipe. Just a few mix is what it all needed to have a perfectly textured dough.
- Folding the dough a few times creates numerous flaky textures on the biscuits. Make sure to handle the dough extra carefully as biscuits dough are quite sensitive. Handling the dough roughly and for for too long, releases gluten that makes tough and undesirable biscuits.
- Make sure to dip your cutter in flour and cut the biscuits straight up. Do not twist that cutter so as to seal the biscuits and keep them rising and cooking properly in the oven.
- Brush the biscuits with melted butter to lock in flavor before you bake them, or if you want a slightly brownish top just like in the picture then brush with cream.
- To freeze these biscuits, you have to transfer the unbaked, cut biscuits to a parchment lined cookie sheet and cover it with a plastic wrap. Then freeze it until solid for at least 4 hours. When the biscuits are frozen solid, transfer them to a resealable freezer bag (label it with the date) and keep it frozen for up to 3 months. You can bake the biscuits straight off the fridge. Keep in mind though that it may take additional 3-5 minutes longer to bake frozen biscuits depending on how many you bake off at time.
Watch How to Make It
Southern Buttermilk Biscuits – a classic Southern breakfast staple that is flaky, buttery and fluffy delicious biscuits made with few ingredients and minimal prep time.
- 3 cups ( 390 grams) all-purpose flour ( I used white lily flour, see notes 3 )
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 180 g,) butter chilled
- 1 1/4 cup (300 mL) chilled buttermilk
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
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Quickly grate frozen butter on into the bowl of flour – grated butter ensures the fat is evenly distributed throughout the dough , making it light and fluffy. Or quickly cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs,this might take about 5 minutes.
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Make a well in the center of the bowl and add buttermilk and stir with until it forms a rough ball , do not over mix. Let it rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
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Turn the dough out onto a floured board or surface; then knead about 3-4 times- just enough for it to come together .
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Gently, gently pat 0r roll out dough about 1/2″ thick.
Then Fold the dough. repeating the folding process about 6-8 times. This ensures flakiness. Go easy on the rolling process After folding is complete gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick, ready to be cut.
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Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter, or a glass to cut out the biscuits, and space them out equally across your prepared baking sheet.
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Separate wedges and place on an un greased baking sheet. Brush with cream .
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Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
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Remove and serve warm.
How To Make Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Thank you for this great recipe- I’ve tried making buttermilk biscuits so many times and it has not risen much- what stands out in your recipe is the White Lily flour (which I purchased in Atlanta last month) and the folding of the dough process. Having moved back to South India after 36 years in the US I’ve wanted to enjoy biscuits and happy to have found your recipe!
I will be making these again and again!!
Wohoo! I’m happy you’ve found this recipe and how it turned out for you. Thank you for trying it out!
I tried out this recipe, it didn’t come out fluffy, but was heavy. I would like to know what you think I may have done wrong and how I can improve on it.
Thank you
you might of work the dough to much
This recipe is the best one yet!!! I have tried several other biscuit recipes and these r the best. They come out looking just like the picture and taste amazing. Definitely kid approved!!!! Will definitely be making these for life and hopefully passing down this recipe to my daughters. Thank you so much for sharing and may God bless you.
Awww. So happy it turned out great for you, Lindsay. Thanks for dropping by. God bless you, too!
Hi! The video shows you rolling out the dough, but the directions don’t say to, so just wondering which is correct? Thanks! Also, can you please recommend a buttermilk substitute? Thanks!
Hi Annemarie,
You roll out the dough. And a good buttermilk substitution is to use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to fill up one cup. Mix, then let stand for 5 minutes.
These came out so flaky, moist & delicious! I’ve tried a couple other recipes from other sites, but these are the best hands down & sooo much better & healthier than store bought biscuits! Never buying those again! These really tasted like biscuits where other biscuit recipes taste more like rolls! Thank you so much for all your detailed baking tips. I’m a baking/cooking rookie so I really appreciate them! Also, these are teenager approved! Woot woot!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
At the end you mentioned brush with cream, what cream?
Heavy cream , if you have any on hand or ignore and brush with butter when it comes out of the oven.
These look amazing, and I am eager to try them! But I thought White Lily flour was self-rising, meaning it already has baking powder and soda in it. Is there a kind that isn’t self-rising? I have actually found soft red wheat flour locally up north in both self-rising (King Arthur makes it) and not self-rising (00 or pastry flour) varieties. Do you have better luck with one vs the other? And I woldn’t add baking powder and soda if I use self-rising flour, right?
I usually get the one without baking soda or powder- all purpose flour. I get mine from Walmart – order on line . If making with self rising flour then omit the baking powder , soda and salt . Happy Cooking!!!
How do you freeze these?
Hi, Ami. To freeze these biscuits, you have to transfer the unbaked, cut biscuits to a parchment lined cookie sheet and cover it with a plastic wrap. Then freeze it until solid for at least 4 hours. When the biscuits are frozen solid,transfer them to a resealable freezer bag (label it with the date) and keep it frozen for up to 3 months. You can bake the biscuits straight off the fridge. Keep in mind though that it may take additional 3-5 minutes longer to bake frozen biscuits depending on how many you bake off at time. Hope this helps.
Easy recipe, turned out delicious, thanks for sharing
Thank you for dropping by, Latisha!
Excellent. Very Pretty too. Been making biscuits 40 years but this is the best recipe I’ve tried. Thank You for the recipe. It’s going in my 3 Ring Binder where only the best of the best gets put….. my 15 year old daughter requested I bequeathe it to her!
YAY! Thank you SO MUCH!!!!
made these a couple of times b4 and they were good. Husband liked them. Pretty sure i added in some vegetable shortening in there too with the butter. Thanks
I know I have to add salt,, but how much do I need.
You add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt . Recipe updated!
I’m confused about which flour to use. Self rising or all purpose. In the hints you say self rising is the way to go and the ingredients list calls for all purpose.
My bad! Go with all purpose flour .
Made these over the weeekend and it it’s really delicious! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for feedback !!! Glad you enjoyed it.
Homemade biscuits are definitely one of my favorite things. They’re so simple, really, but totally take a meal up a notch!
These southern buttermilk biscuits look irresistible! Pinned to try later on.
Awesome! Thanks for pinning11
Hallo, Imma!
I’ve really been enjoying your recipes… particularly some of the African ones. My partner loves lentils, and your recipes have been real life savers.
On this recipe, though, I’m a bit confused in the directions…
At the end of step four, you cut the biscuits with a biscuit cutter – but then in step five, you’re folding the dough again and pressing it flat – is this the dough left from the initial cutting pass?
And I’m assuming that the ‘wedges’ in step 7 then are the remnants from the second cutting pass?
Sorry to be so dense, but I’m less confident with my baking than other cooking skills.
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
Hello Jaime!
I have updated the instructions to make it more clearer. Thanks for trying out my recipes and glad to know they’ve been working out well for you.
Have a great weekend!
Looking forward to making these delicious biscuits in the morning.
Love your recipes. Have made several of them.
Thanks