Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe

These homemade buttermilk biscuits have fluffy, flaky layers and a sweet honey butter topping. They take just 35 minutes to make with just 6 ingredients!

 Be sure to serve these with my savory Sausage Gravy or my Creamy Chicken Stew!

Buttermilk Biscuits

I can count on one hand the things I have been able to successfully bake in my life. So if I can nail down perfectly fluffy, flaky, buttery biscuits, anyone can!

Since biscuits go with…everything dinner recipe my site, I figured this was a side dish that was long overdue.

Definitely check out my pro tips below. If you follow the simple instructions, you’ll be golden. The temperature of the ingredients is important. Making sure you don’t twist the biscuit cutter is important. Even how close together you place the biscuits before baking them will make a difference.

So read on, and prepare for success!

Ingredients

The bottom of this post also contains recipe card with ingredients and full instructions.

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons Baking Powder (not teaspoons.)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons honey -an equal amount of sugar can be used if preferred
• 1 stick very cold butter, high quality like Cabot
• 1 cup + 3 Tablespoons cold Buttermilk

Topping

• 2 Tablespoons honey- If you don’t/can’t have honey, use all butter.
• 1 Tablespoon butter

How to Make It

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the cold butter into cubes and add it to the bowl. Use a pastry cutter to work the butter in until coarse crumbs have formed.

Create a hole in the middle and add the cold buttermilk and honey. Use a silicone spatula to stir until just combined, don’t overmix. 

Use your hands to gently form a 9-10 inch rectangle. Take the left side and fold it into the middle.

Take the right side and fold it into the middle. Rotate the dough horizontally and gently form it back into a rectangle. 

REPEAT the same folding technique 2 more times:

-Fold the left side to the middle, then the right. Rotate and gently form back into a rectangle.

-Again, fold the left and right sides to the middle. Rotate horizontally. 

Roll into a rectangle that’s about 1 1/4 inch thick.

Use 3-inch biscuit/cookie cutters to cut 2 biscuits. Place into a buttered cast iron skillet or on parchment paper. I like to store them in the fridge as I cut them to prevent them from getting too warm.

Form the dough back into a rectangle of the same thickness, cut 2 more biscuits. Repeat until all biscuits are cut. You should end up with 7.

Place them close together- this is important as this helps them to rise. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Combine honey/melted butter and brush the tops when they come out of the oven. For more browning on top, bake for up to 5 more minutes at 450°. Serve and enjoy!

Pro Tips

• To properly measure the flour, take a spoon and scoop it into the measuring cup as opposed to dipping the measuring up into the flour. Use the spoon to level off the top. This is important to have an accurate measurement.
• If you don’t have honey, an equal amount of sugar can be used in the biscuits and you can brush the tops with just butter. (But honey really adds *great* flavor!)
• Make sure the butter is very cold. When the butter melts in the oven, it creates steam which forms air pockets, which makes the layers light and fluffy.
• Don’t overmix the dough or it will become too dense and won’t be as flakey and soft.
• Fold the dough as instructed and pictured above- this is really important, that’s what creates the layers within the biscuit.
• A large fork can be used if you don’t have a pastry cutter.

Buttermilk Substitutes

To create a substitute for buttermilk, you’ll need milk and any one of the following: Sour Cream, Plain Yogurt, White Vinegar, or Lemon Juice. These instructions give you enough to make a cup, which is sufficient for this recipe.

• 4 tablespoons milk + enough sour cream to make a cup.
• 2 tablespoons milk + enough plain yogurt to make a cup.
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar + enough milk to make a cup. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to make a cup. Let sit for 10 minutes. It’ll look curdled. Stir to combine.

Tools for This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

• Pastry Cutter
• Silicone Spatula
• Biscuit Cutter
• 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Make-Ahead Method

• Method #1: Prepare the dough and cut the biscuits. Refrigerate for up to 2 days prior to baking. Alternatively, you can prepare the dough and complete the folding steps, cover the dough with plastic wrap and cut the biscuits prior to baking.
• Method #2: Make dough and cut biscuits as outlined. Flash freeze on a baking sheet for 2 hours, then store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
• Let them defrost in the fridge overnight, then bake as outlined.

What to Serve with Buttermilk Biscuits

• Sausage Gravy
• Creamy Chicken Stew
• Country Fried Chicken
• Fried Chicken Tenders
• Chicken Fried Steak
• Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
• The Pioneer Woman Chili
• Italian Wedding Soup

Storage

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Refrigerated biscuits retain more moisture and therefore taste better when reheated (vs. storing at room temperature). 

Try These Next

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Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

4.94 from 16 votes

Servings: 7 Biscuits

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These homemade buttermilk biscuits have fluffy, flaky layers and a sweet honey butter topping. They take just 35 minutes to make with just 6 ingredients!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• ▢ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Baking Powder, not teaspoons.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons honey
• ▢ 1/2 cup very cold butter, equal to 1 stick.
• ▢ 1 cup + 3 Tablespoons cold Buttermilk

Topping

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well-combined.
• Cut the cold butter into cubes and add it to the bowl. Use a pastry cutter to work it in until coarse crumbs form.
• Create a hole in the middle of the dry mixture and add the cold buttermilk and honey. Use a silicone spatula to gently stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. It will be crumbly.
• Add the dough to a floured surface and create a rectangle with your hands about 9 inches long.
• Fold the left side into the middle, then the right side. (See process shots.)
• Rotate the dough so that it’s horizontal. Gently flatten into a rectangle again, fold the left and right sides into the middle again.
• Turn horizontally one more time, fold the left and right sides into the middle. Turn horizontally, flatten into a rectangle until it’s 1 ¼ inch thick.
• Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut 2 circles. DO NOT twist the cutter! (It’s hard to stop yourself but this will seal the edges and prevent airflow which will hinder them from rising.) Lightly flour the inside of the cutter in between. I like to store them in the fridge as I cut them to prevent them from getting too warm.
• Roll the dough back out until it’s 1 ¼ inch thick again. Cut 2 more biscuits, repeat until you’ve used all of the dough, you should end up with 7 biscuits.
• Butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place the biscuits inside so that they are almost touching. The close proximity makes them rise better. You could also place them close together on parchment paper on top of a baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
• Combine the honey and melted butter and brush the warm biscuits with it. For more browning on top, bake for up to 5 more minutes at 450°.
• Store in an airtight container or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

To properly measure the flour, take a spoon and scoop it into the measuring cup as opposed to dipping the measuring up into the flour. Use the spoon to level off the top. This is important to have an accurate measurement.

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If you don’t have honey, an equal amount of sugar can be used in the biscuits and you can brush the tops with just butter. (But honey really adds *great* flavor!)

---

Don’t overmix the dough or it will become too dense and won’t be as flakey and soft.

---

Fold the dough as instructed and pictured above- this is really important, that’s what creates the layers within the biscuit.

---

Tools For This Recipe

• Pastry Cutter
• Silicone Spatula
• Biscuit Cutter
• 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Sodium: 502mg, Potassium: 449mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 510IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 200mg, Iron: 2mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Author: Stephanie

Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction