Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

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• Why You Will Love This Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
• Ingredients
• Variations
• How to Make Buttermilk Biscuits
• Serving Suggestions
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• More Homemade Bread Recipes
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Why You Will Love This Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

• Simple Ingredients: Homemade biscuits require just SIX ingredients that you might even already have on hand. . 
• Beginner Friendly Recipe: Making biscuits is easy enough even for beginner bakers to master. 
• Versatile: You can easily change up your biscuits by adding a few ingredients for added flavor. Plus, these biscuits can be served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Ingredients

• Flour: The secret to fluffy cast iron biscuits is using self-rising flour. My preferred flour is Martha White brand.
• Baking powder: We’re adding a bit extra to give the biscuits even more lift. 
• Salt and sugar: Add flavor to the homemade biscuit dough.
• Butter: Use salted butter for the best flavor. You will need a half cup that’s very cold and cut into cubes and a bit more at the end to add to the top of the biscuits. 
• Buttermilk: This fermented milk has a slight tangy flavor to it that really enhances the biscuits flavor and texture. The acidity makes tender biscuits that are light and fluffy. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can add one tablespoon of white vinegar to a one cup measuring cup and then add milk to fill it up. Let it sit for five minutes before adding it to the flour mixture. 

Be sure to scroll down to the full recipe card for the complete list of ingredients along with their quantities.

Variations

• Sweeter Biscuits: Add a bit more sugar to the buttermilk dough and the biscuits with cinnamon sugar before baking. You can also add some honey to the butter mixture added after baking. 
• Savory Twist: Mix in fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme to the flour mixture. You can also mix some into the butter mixture brushed over the top after baking.
• Cheese Biscuits: Add a half cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the flour mixture just before adding the buttermilk. You can also sprinkle more on top towards the end of baking.

How to Make Buttermilk Biscuits

Grab your cast iron skillet, your ingredients, and preheat the oven to 425° F. Let’s get started. 

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the self-rising flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together. 

Step 2: Cut in the butter. Add the cold butter to the bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture. The mixture should be crumbly.

Step 3: Add the buttermilk. Slowly add the buttermilk a ¼ cup at a time to the flour mixture until the dough becomes moist. 

Step 4: Knead. Knead the dough with your hands until it is fully combined. 

Step 5: Roll it out. Lightly flour a cutting board and roll the dough out until it’s a ¾ inch thick. Fold the dough over and roll out again to the same thickness. 

Step 6: Cut. Use a biscuit cutter or measuring cup to cut the dough into biscuits. 

Step 7: Bake. Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 19 minutes. 

Step 8: Season with butter. Remove the cast iron buttermilk biscuits from the oven and brush with melted butter. 

Serving Suggestions

Serve the hot biscuits with melted butter and jam, or drizzled with honey to accompany any meal. For lunch or dinner, they make a tasty side dish for a bowl of hot ham and bean soup or Dutch oven chili. 

They’re also great to serve with classic Southern dishes like chicken and dumplings or Mississippi pot roast. 

I love these biscuits for breakfast, especially stuffed with cheese, ham, or bacon for a delicious breakfast sandwich, or enjoy buttermilk biscuits and gravy by smothering them in homemade gravy! Enjoy them alongside other breakfast favorites such as a skillet frittata, scrambled eggs, or a breakfast casserole.

Expert Tips

• Skillet Tip: The key to making the perfect biscuits is to use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. This will ensure that the biscuits cook evenly and develop that irresistible crust.
• Flaky Biscuits: Cold butter is the first way to make sure you end up with flaky biscuits. Remove it from the refrigerator at the last minutes and you can even freeze it for 10 minutes before adding it to the flour. Second, folding and rolling the biscuit dough creates flaky layers.  
• Don’t Overmix: You don’t want to handle the biscuit dough too much. Mix and knead the ingredients just until they come together. Too much mixing may toughen the biscuits. 
• Store Leftovers: Store your biscuits in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to five days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to three months. Warm up in a 350° F oven wrapped in foil until heated through. You can also microwave them for a few seconds.  
• Bake Immediately: For flaky biscuits you want to work quickly and bake your biscuits while the butter is still cold. If you need to wait, store your uncooked biscuits in the refrigerator until you’re ready for them to go into the oven.

Recipe FAQs

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