Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits are a classic Southern American treat. They are light, fluffy, and perfect for breakfast sandwiches, brunch, or as a side dish with a main course. This recipe is easy to follow, and I will give you some great tips on how to get beautiful golden brown biscuits with a crispy crust and a soft, buttery interior. The secret is in the technique, how the flour is mixed with cold butter, buttermilk and eggs. Follow these step-by-step instructions to make the best Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits you’ve ever tasted.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
- I use a large hole cheese grater to grate butter for biscuits
- Parchment paper or silicom=ne pad are a must for baking.
- Biscuit cutter, when I use biscuit cutters, my biscuits seem to rise higher.
How To Make High Flaky Biscuits.
Making biscuits is different than most baking recipes. EVERYTHING in biscuit making is cold- even your hands. The technique is to cut the butter into the flour while not totally combining it. When doing this, if your hands start feeling oily, your butter is melting. Immediately put the bowl in the refrigerator until it cools, and proceed with the recipe. You won’t hurt it. I keep the biscuits in the fridge until ready to bake them.
TIP: Grate the butter with a large cheese grater and put it in the freezer before cutting it into the flour mixture.
TIP: Refrigerate the dough between every step of folding, shaping, and before you pop them in the oven. This ensures light, flaky biscuits.
Make These Buttermilk Biscuits The Night Before.
Yes! Follow the recipe instructions up to step 9 in the instructions, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Complete step 10 and bake.
What Makes Biscuits Rise?
Biscuits receive some leavening power from chemical sources — baking powder — the difference between ordinary and greatness comes from the extra rise that steam provides. The steam is created by cold pieces of butter heating and creating steam that puffs the dough as the biscuit cooks. Keeping the dough cold throughout the mixing process is the key to exceptional biscuits.
FAQs
Why do my biscuits come out dense?
Resist adding more buttermilk. Too much liquid can produce dense biscuits.
How do I get my biscuits to rise and get fluffy?
The trick is to “cut” the butter into small pea size pieces while coating it with the flour, not totally combining it. Be sure to fully “cut ” the butter into the flour before you add the liquid.
Can I use Crisco instead of butter?
Yes, you can. Butter is more flavorful than Criso. Criso will make a shorter biscuit. Butter has a little water that creates steam that helps the biscuit rise-besides butter tastes so much better!
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups All Purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1-1/2 teas Kosher Salt (Diamond Crystal) (If using Morton's Kosher half amount)
- 1 ½ cup cold grated butter (12 tablespoons. Grated.)
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup buttermilk (shake the container before measuring)
- 1 cold large egg
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water (lightly beaten)
Garnish
- Maldon Salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Oven Temp: 425 degrees
- Prep time: 35 Minutes
- cook time 20 minutes
- 10 Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 425
- Grate cold butter with a large holed cheese grater. Let it pile up on a plate or small bowl and put it in the freezer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients together, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add agg to buttermilk and beat until mixed.
- Remove grated butter from the freezer and add it to the flour mixture. With your hands, lightly toss the mixture, coating the butter with flour. Separate the larger clumps of butter so that the flour coats them. Try not to smush the butter into the flour.
- Taking two knives, make cross-hatching motions in the mixture, breaking up any large lumps until the texture is the size of peas.(See photo). You can also use a pastry blender instead of this method.
- Add the buttermilk and egg mixture and mix gently mix until the dough starts to come together. Try to handle the dough as little as possible, mix it until there are no more dry pieces. The dough should be moist and stiff. Gently push the dough together in a flat, round ball and fold it in half. Flatten the dough again, fold it in half, and wrap it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.
- Dust your workspace with flour and roll the dough out to 3×10 inches. I pat it into shape with my hands. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or cut the dough into squares with a knife. See photos.
- Place the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes. If you have the room, you can put it in the freezer.
- Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle lightly with Maldon Salt. Place biscuits in the center of the oven. Check them after 12 minutes; if the biscuits in the back of the oven are darker than those in front, turn the baking sheet around so they cook evenly.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.
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