Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits are perfectly flaky on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. These make the BEST snack or side, with a few pats of butter and a drizzle of honey!

Try our Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits next!

Before moving to Texas, I’d never eaten a good biscuit. Southerners do it best in this department! But even as I say that, I know some of YOU are making them at home and rivaling the restaurants down south.

This post is for folks who want a simple, buttery biscuit that is also simple to make. You don’t have to be a southern girl to make great biscuits!

Making biscuits is similar to making scones (which are my favorite thing to bake), but simpler.

• Flour – I use all-purpose flour for my biscuits.
• Baking Powder – Needed to get that rise. I recommend using new baking powder to get a good lift for tender buttermilk biscuits.
• Sugar – Just a small amount used in my recipe, but you could easily use honey as well.
• Salt – Just a pinch.
• Butter – I almost always use unsalted butter to control the sodium.
• Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, simply combine some milk with a splash of regular vinegar. Let this mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened.

Step 1
Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

Step 2
Add butter. Add the shredded frozen butter and use your hands (or a pastry cutter) to press the butter into the ingredients.

Step 3
Add buttermilk. Form a well in the center of the ingredients and then pour in the buttermilk. Use a spoon to combine. The mixture will be scraggly.

Step 4
Form rectangle. Dump the scone mixture on top of a well-floured surface. Use your hands to form it into a rectangle and press down to about one inch thickness.

Step 5
Fold biscuit dough. Then fold the biscuite dough into overlapping thirds. Press down into a rectangle again and repeat process. Form into a square about 3/4 to an 1-inch thickness.

Step 6
Cut dough. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into nine even shapes. You should be able to see small pieces of butter throughout the biscuit dough.

Step 7
Prep for baking. Grease a cast iron skillet and place in preheated 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Then remove the pan from the oven and quickly place the dough into the skillet leaving a little room between each square.

NOTE: These fluffy biscuits can also be made on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (instead of using a skillet).

Step 8
Bake biscuits. Bake biscuits for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on the tops. Remove the skillet and brush the tops with melted butter.

Step 9
Cool. Place biscuits on a wire rack to cool – or eat them while they’re warm.

• Frozen butter. Make sure you shred your frozen butter and return to the freezer. Remove only when you are ready to add it to the flour mixture. (I like to do this step the day before I bake.)
• COLD buttermilk. Leave your buttermilk in the refrigerator until you need it.
• Just the right amount of liquid. When you add the buttermilk, don’t over-pour. In fact, add slightly less than the recipe calls for, and add as you need. You will know that you’ve got enough buttermilk when the dough stays mostly intact.
• Folding the dough. I decided to try folding the dough, and the result was a taller, flakier biscuit. See instructions for more info.
• Don’t overwork the dough. Handling the dough too much will cause the butter to warm up, and those lovely air pockets won’t form inside the biscuit. Remember, you want flaky layers!
• HOT oven. Bake your biscuits at 450 degrees to get them nice and golden on top, while maintaining a soft interior.