Biscuits have charm and personality. They’re like the friend you always want to be around because they make you feel happy and cheerful.
While it may not be scientifically proven, those of us who spend time around biscuits, making them and serving them, know that they have special powers.
A hot buttermilk biscuit, covered in gravy, syrup, jelly or dripping in butter, is just about as good as food gets.
The proper biscuit making technique was a mystery to me. Figuring out the components was easy : flour, leavening, fat and liquid. But the ratio and handling of the ingredients was something I had a hard time perfecting.
I was over-thinking it.
The truth of the matter is that good biscuits are one of the easiest things in this world to make. True of authentic Southern cuisine, it’s simple. Simple ingredients and simple cooking instructions.
My head kept getting in the way of biscuit making perfection. Not actually my head, but my brain. I was trying to make the task hard so over and over and over again, my biscuits failed.
As a young child, I watched Granny pull out her biscuit bowl that stayed full of flour. She added all the necessary ingredients without measuring a single thing.
When she poured in buttermilk, I asked, “How do you know how much buttermilk you need?”
“Shug, ya just keep pourin’ it in, a tad at the time, and workin’ around ya dough ’till it looks jest right” , she replied.
Through lots of study and practice, I’ve demystified biscuit making. The first step, was to figure out what “jest right” dough looked like.
I’m more than happy to share my years of exhaustive research with you. This is all you need to know about making biscuits:
- Use a soft-wheat flour such as White Lily. I prefer to use self-rising. All-purpose can be used with the appropriate amount of leavening sifted together with the flour.
- Solid shortening may used instead of butter, however, butter adds flavor to the biscuits making it my fat of choice.
- Make sure the butter is good and cold before using. Cut it in small cubes and put it back into the refrigerator before using.
- Always, always, always use buttermilk when you can. Nothing substitutes for the flavor that buttermilk gives biscuits. If you’re in a pinch, add a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk.
- Don’t over handle the dough. Get in there, work it, and get out as quickly as possible. Pour in liquid just until all the flour is well incorporated. The dough should be sticky.
- Biscuits should be baked in a very hot oven. Some folks like to bake their biscuits as high as 500 degrees. My oven bakes them just right at 425 or 450 degrees.
- For biscuits with the flaky layers that you get from canned biscuits, fold the dough into three layers before cutting.
- Place biscuits in the skillet or baking sheet with sides touching for soft biscuit sides. Place them apart for crisper sides.
- Brush the tops with oil or melted butter for a golden brown color.
I wish you many years of happy biscuit making.
Y’all come see us!
High-rise Buttermilk Butter Biscuits
yield: 12 (2 inch) biscuits
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
2 cups self-rising flour (I used White Lily)
1 cup buttermilk
Work butter into flour, either by hand or with a pastry cutter, until it resembles coarse meal. Add in buttermilk and mix until combined.
Turn dough out on to flour covered surface. Sprinkle top with flour and knead 5 or 6 times. Sprinkle with more flour as needed until dough is no longer sticky.
Roll out to 1/4 inch thick.
Fold dough in thirds, lengthwise, making sure the width is at least 2 inches. Fold in half from top to bottom. Gently press the layers together.
Cut biscuits with 2 inch biscuit cutter.
Place in a seasoned cast iron skillet or on a greased baking pan. Press down slightly with backs of fingers.
Brush tops with oil or melted butter.
Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until tops are browned.
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Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup one stick unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 2 cups self-rising flour I used White Lily
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Turn dough out on to flour covered surface. Sprinkle top with flour and knead 5 or 6 times. Sprinkle with more flour as needed until dough is no longer sticky.
- Roll out to 1/4 inch thick.
- Fold dough in thirds, lengthwise, making sure the width is at least 2 inches. Fold in half from top to bottom. Gently press the layers together.
- Cut biscuits with 2 inch biscuit cutter.
- Place in a seasoned cast iron skillet or on a greased baking pan. Press down slightly with backs of fingers.
- Brush tops with oil.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until tops are browned.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I always make my biscuits on a baking sheet but I love the cast iron skillet idea. I love a good biscuit for breakfast.
Jackie Garvin says
Maureen,
A cast iron skillet is the best way to make biscuits in my opinion. I will use a baking sheet when I making more than my skillet can hold.
Jolene says
My Grannie always had the bowl of flour at the ready and she used the same biscuit pan every time. Hers were the best biscuits ever. I am blessed to have her biscuit pan.
Jackie Garvin says
What a treasure,Jolene! Do you have her biscuits recipe,also?
gloria says
I use an old recipe from a friend ,but the buttermilk is the secret mmmmm she taught me never to roll out the dough ,just pat it into a square or rectangle and cut,I like ’em close together .I put butter on mine, then i put homemade sugar syrup hot of the stove on them ,and oooooooohhhhhhh eeee they are good. syrup is 2c sugar ,1 cup water and boil till it starts to thicken
Jackie Garvin says
Gloria,
There are so many variations and tips for good biscuits. If something is working for you,don’t change a thing. 🙂
Juanita Ludford says
I love to hear about someone using sugar syrup. No one even knows what that means anymore. We were poor when i was raising my kids so i couldn’t afford syrup and always made sugar syrup for pancakes and such. I also put a littlecinnamon and butter in mine. My kids prefer it today and they are all parents.
Jackie Garvin says
Juanita,
I bet sugar syrup always make them think of wonderful breakfasts at home. 😉
Anna Lawson Cobb says
I did not know about “store bought” syrup until I married! We never had anything but sugar syrup! Still think it taste better than store bought!
Bonnie Banters says
What a wonderful biscuit making tutorial, and they do look perfectly delicious!
Jackie Garvin says
Thank you! They were fittin’ to eat. 🙂
Mary says
Beautiful biscuits……..yum yum! This is like my mama’s recipe, but she would melt bacon grease in the pan and would dip the biscuits before baking. Thanks for sharing!
Jackie Garvin says
Mary,
Bacon drippings add so much flavor to everything and biscuits are not excluded. My skillet is seasoned with bacon drippings so there is a hint of flavor. I keep thinking I’m going to try dipping them in bacon drippings instead of brushing the tops with oil. I get busy making them,though, and forget all about it until,after they’re done.
Kevin Goodnight says
Jackie, Esther made them the same way your Granny did. She used a cask iron skillet,so that is what I use. I am trying to get my biscuits to turn out just like hers, but I can’t. She had her flour bowl that she kept her sifter in and mixed everything in that bowl. She used shortening instead of butter and never anything BUT buttermilk.
Jackie Garvin says
Kevin,
What is the difference with the way Esther made them and your’s turn out?
Kevin Goodnight says
Mine are a little too dense. I think one difference is that I measure and she didn’t LOL. The only thing she did measure was the soda and baking powder. She used her hands to mix everything. I know she cut her shortening in with her hands AFTER she poured the buttermilk in. Another thing I am going to try is using a bigger skillet. I am trying to get my larger iron skillet seasoned.
Jackie Garvin says
You might be working the dough too much. Do you use White Lily flour?
Kevin Goodnight says
I don’t use White Lily Flour…I will try that.
Jackie Garvin says
It does make a difference.
Maggie moccasin says
I learned to make biscuits on a wood stove in the mountains of Kentucky. The woman who taught me made the best, and she couldn’t read. Much like your recipe, but she said only get one hand in the dough ( I suspect no running water was the reason) but you don’t over work it either. Bake em in a iron skillet. Sawmill gravy. Yum.
Jackie Garvin says
Maggie,
I’ve heard lots of biscuit making tips but only putting one hand in the dough is a new one. It may have been an attempt to keep the hand’s heat from melting the fat.
Maggie moccasin says
I think you are right..plus, if you don’t have running water, you keep one hand clean to pick up the skillet, open the oven, etc. plus you know not to wash the dough off anyway, don’t you? A little bit of waste flour on your hands and rub.
Jackie Garvin says
That’s right! Granny would just rub her hands and they came clean. It took me a while to figure out she was rubbing flour on them.
David says
The other hand is used to turn the bowl as you gradually incorporate the flour into the buttermilk lard mixture in the center. If you do not roll them out it helps to prevent overworking. Also, if you pinch off dough or “choke” it and form using cupped hands it saves on cleanup and cuts down on the amount of time required. If you want some butter, replace half of the lard with butter that has been frozen and grated (per Alton Brown). There are a number of videos on YouTube showing grannies using an old wooden bowl and making them like this.
Maggie moccasin says
One other comment…about the buttermilk measure…she told me to stir in buttermilk til it looks like ” new made butter” …who knows what that looks like anymore? But, as you said, it’s very wet, almost runny, until you knead in just enough more flour. But ” larpin’ good”. So good, you can’t sit still and eat them.
Jackie Garvin says
“New made butter”. Do you suppose she’s referring to the consistency being somewhat runny until the butter sets up? I ant imagine what else it could be.
Denise Lynn says
she means until it resembles cottage cheese~~been dipping my top in melted bacon fat for over 35 years now ~~then baking ~~it is the only way to go ~~smile~~by the way I very much enjoy your blog 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks for the clarification, Denise. I suppose new made butter would look like cottage cheese. 🙂
Erika says
Due to my own carelessness, these were a biscuit fail 🙁 ( I only had AP flour and forgot to add baking powder, salt, etc. OOPS)
But I LOVE the technique of folding into thirds and then in half. Even though I messed up and they didn’t rise, I could still see layers!
I’m gonna get myself some SR White Lily and give these another go 😉
Jackie Garvin says
Thank you, Erica! Just imagine how high your biscuits are going to rise with leavening. Let me know how they turn out!
Judi Hightower says
My grandmother used this same method, but used lard for the shortening in her dough. Unhealthy as all get out, but oh, so good baked in her old wood stove!
Jackie Garvin says
Judi,
Actually, lard has been redeemed! We’re finding out it’s not killing us, after all. Lard makes perfectly wonderful biscuits. Butter is my fat of choice because it adds flavor to the dough along flakiness.
Sue Summers says
I love the way you put your recipe instructions. Mine usually don’t turn out that we’ll. I use White Lily but not the self rising. That is maybe my problem. Will try the self rising. Love your recipes!!
Jackie Garvin says
Sue,
For some reason, people think self-rising flour is inferior to all-purpose. Maybe it’s because of the nostalgia associated with baking powder biscuits. The commercialization of baking powder revolutionized baking, including biscuit baking. It truly was an amazing accomplishment. After the invention of baking powder, it was quite some time before self-rising flour became available. So, there’s lots and lots written about baking powder biscuits but not anything about self-rising flour biscuits. I prefer self-rising to all-purpose because I find the blend of leavening in self-rising is spot on.
Anyway, I’m so glad you wrote to me. Please give self-rising White Lily a try and tell me what you think. 🙂
lindygsherrod says
Hi Jackie, it’s me again and I t-totally agree, nothing beats a good ol’ bisquit. My preference is to split it in half and drizzle (by drizzle I mean pour) on some of that Tupelo Honey. Mmmm Mmmm! Of course I love them all the other ways too.
LindY
Jackie Garvin says
Lindy,
Do you eat cane syrup? We may have discussed this before but I can’t remember?
Tricia says
Cannot get White Lily in AZ. I brought 2 bags back with me from Nashville. Makes me so mad that I can’t get it here. I guess I could pay double using Amazon. Nothing as good as a homemade biscuit!!
Jackie Garvin says
Tricia,
I feel ya! I would be sad if I couldn’t get White Lily. You can stock up on your trips down south and store the bags in your freezer.
David says
I get White Lily flour at Walmart.
Jeff says
I only buy all purpose flour, what do you recommend for the leavening?
Jackie Garvin says
The usual ratio is 1 teaspoon baking powder to 1 cup of flour. You will need about 1/4 teaspoon salt, too.
Martie says
The technique is what always escapes me. I try to be light-handed, and sometimes they’re perfect, but sometimes too tough. I’m going to keep practicing, with your recipe! Thanks!! And I LOVE a cast iron skillet. I use one for everything!
Stacey says
I’m a northern girl married to a southern boy so I needed to learn to make a good biscuit. I’ve tried several recipes and these came out yummy! Half came out a little flat and the rest rose nicely. Did I make the flat ones too thin or did I handle the dough too much?
Jackie Garvin says
Stacey,
It’s hard to say without watching your technique. You might have left the edges of the dough thinner than the middle. Next time, try smoothing the middle toward the center so the thickness of the dough is uniform. I hope you make biscuits again! I’ve a written an entire cookbook dedicated to biscuits. It’s called “BISCUITS: Sweet and Savory Southern Recipes for the All-American Kitchen” available wherever books are sold.
leilani Wemheuer says
I enjoy great biscut
leilani Wemheuer says
I enjoyed reading your biscuit preps and will make many.Thanks for sharing.
Jo Ball says
I learned to make biscuits by watching my mom. She had a cupboard with a flour bin and sifter. She kept her flour bowl stored under that bin. She sifted the big enamel bowl about half full and made a hole in the flour to hold the lard and buttermilk. She worked the ingredients together with her hand. When it was just right she pinched off the dough in small pieces and rolled them into balls. She patted them into perfect biscuits and put them in her bread pan touching. She then took her fingers and gently made indentations in each biscuit . I learned just recently that was so each one would rise evenly. She baked them in a very hot oven . She did this from lots of practice every single day of her life. Your recipe brings back so many wonderful memories. Thank you so much. I agree with you. Self rising White Lilly is the best flour and a product that has been around for many many years.
Jackie Garvin says
Jo,
What a wonderful memory you shared. It warned my heart. Thank you so much.