Flaky Homemade Biscuits

Flaky Homemade Biscuits

By: Ashlyn Walters / Southern Hospitality Company

These homemade biscuits are surprisingly easy to make and taste like a little slice of heaven! They’re buttery, flaky, and tall… everything a perfect biscuit should be. With just a few simple steps, you’ll have fresh, warm biscuits right out of the oven. Whether you’re using a food processor for a quick and easy prep or doing it by hand (don’t worry, it’s messier, but just as delicious!), these biscuits will rise beautifully and melt in your mouth.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sugar or honey (optional)

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, cubed

1 cup cold buttermilk

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar (if you’re using it). Pulse a few times to mix it all together. Tip: You can also do this by hand with a pastry cutter or just a whisk if you don’t have a food processor, totally your call!
2. Add the Cold Butter: Add the cubed cold butter to the dry ingredients. Pulse a few more times until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs, with some larger pieces of butter still visible. This is what will make your biscuits so flaky! Tip: Make sure the butter is cold this is key for flaky biscuits!
3. Add the Buttermilk: Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and create a well in the center. Pour in the cold buttermilk and gently mix everything together with a spoon or spatula. You want the dough to come together, but don’t overmix it, you want to keep it light and fluffy.
4. Knead & Laminate the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead it a few times until it just comes together, then shape it into a rectangle. Here’s the fun part: fold the dough over itself 3-4 times to create those flaky layers. This folding process is key to getting that perfect texture.
5. Shape the Biscuits: Roll the dough out to about 1-inch thickness. This will help the biscuits rise up tall, so don’t skip this step! Use a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass to cut out rounds. Just press straight down, don’t twist, or they won’t rise as well.
6. Bake: Arrange the biscuits in a greased cast iron skillet so they’re touching each other. This helps them rise upwards as they bake, giving you taller, fluffier biscuits. Brush the tops with a little buttermilk for a golden finish. Bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and they’ve puffed up beautifully.
7. Finishing Touches: Once the biscuits are out of the oven, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky Maldon salt for the perfect finish.

Tips:

• Cold Butter is Crucial: Keep your butter cold right up until you use it. Cold butter is key to making flaky biscuits.
• Roll to 1-Inch Thickness: Roll your dough to about 1-inch thickness. This ensures the biscuits will rise tall and stay nice and fluffy.
• Biscuits Should Touch in the Skillet: Placing the biscuits touching each other in the cast iron skillet helps them rise upward instead of spreading out, giving you those perfect, tall biscuits.
• Use Fresh Baking Powder: Make sure your baking powder is fresh. Old baking powder can lead to flat biscuits. Check the expiration date or test it by adding a bit to warm water… it should bubble vigorously.
• Don’t Overwork the Dough: The more you handle the dough, the tougher the biscuits can become. Mix the dough just until everything is combined, and knead it a few times to bring it together.
• Experiment with Add-ins: Feel free to get creative! Add shredded cheddar, fresh herbs (like rosemary or thyme), or even garlic powder to change up the flavor. You can also swap sugar for honey for a slightly sweeter biscuit.
• Don’t Twist the Biscuit Cutter: When cutting out the biscuits, press the cutter straight down into the dough… don’t twist. Twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising properly.

We’d love to hear your thoughts if you try this recipe! Enjoy your biscuits!