These homemade biscuits are tall, buttery and fluffy on the inside, with a delicious crusty edge, and are really simple to make. Just 6 ingredients and 25 minutes and you’ll be in biscuit heaven.
Today's recipe is one I really should have shared years ago. It's something I make at home ALL the time and one of my treasured recipes.
So it's about time I brought it to you!
These homemade biscuits really are the best. And I don't usually that phrase lightly.
Just ask my 9-year-old daughter, who’s my number one biscuit fan. She always says that everyone needs to have these biscuits. She thinks I should open a biscuit shop just to share them.
They are tall and fluffy and soft on the inside, with a delicious browned crust on the bottom and golden brown finish on the top.
They make my Southern soul oh so happy.
Plus, making from scratch biscuits is really easy to do and the flavor is lightyears beyond what you can get from a can at the store. Promise.
These biscuits are also really quick to make - about 10-15 minutes to prep and then just 12 minutes to bake.
We just need 6 basic ingredients — and even there, I’ve got tons of substitutions for you so you can use what you have on hand.
You don’t even need buttermilk. Sure, it’s classic to make buttermilk biscuits, but I usually don't have any on hand so I make these with whatever I do have.
There are details below, but you can use a “fake” buttermilk, whole milk, skim milk, a 1% or 2% or whichever type you keep on hand. I've even used soy milk and that worked great, too.
And because I’ve made this biscuit recipe dozens and dozens and dozens of times, I’ve tried quite a few substitutions, so I’ve got lots of tips and tricks to share with you.
OK, let’s get cooking.
Ingredient Notes:
Flour: The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but you can also use a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour. I’ve made this with all white wheat flour too, and that worked great. The biscuits were a little more crumbly I thought, but no one in my family noticed.
Butter: It helps to cut your butter into very small pieces so it’s easily incorporated into the dough. Make sure to keep it chilled until you’re ready to use it.
Egg: The egg helps bind the dough together. I’ve tested these before without an egg and it was fine. The dough was a bit more shaggy, but the biscuits were still delicious. It helps if your egg is cold from the fridge.
Sugar: I accidentally left the sugar out once when I made these. They were not quite as browned and crusty on the top and bottom, but they still tasted great.
Milk: Buttermilk is classic in biscuits, but I never have any on hand. You can make “fake” buttermilk with regular milk and a bit of lemon juice, details are in the recipe card. But it’s also fine to just use skim milk, 1% or 2%, whatever you have on hand. That’s what I always do. Cold milk is helpful, too.
Tip: Be sure to work quickly. You don’t want the biscuits to sit out before they go into the oven.
It's the same reason you want your butter, egg and milk to be cold.
You want those butter chunks intact in the dough when the biscuits go into the oven. The cold butter creates steam as it melts in the oven, which is what helps make the biscuits light and flaky.
Tip: Be sure you don’t overwork the dough so the biscuits don’t get too tough before you bake them. You don’t need to stir the batter like crazy. You want it to just come together.
And for this recipe, you don’t even need to do much kneading. Just 5-6 times or so until the dough comes together in a solid ball.
And in case this is one of your first times, here’s a full breakdown on kneading.
How to Knead Dough:
- Turn your dough out onto a clean and well-floured surface. Shape into a rough ball.
- Use the heel of your hand to gently press the dough down and away from you.
- Lift the edge of the dough that’s farthest from you and fold it over itself back toward you.
- Rotate the dough ball slightly and repeat.
Basically, it’s just a lot of pushing out the dough then folding it back onto itself. Very do-able.
Serving Ideas:
- Brush with butter or open and smear with butter
- Or top with apple butter, jelly, jam or preserves
- Make ham or bacon biscuit sandwiches
- Make bacon or sausage, egg and cheese biscuits
- Use for biscuits and gravy
I am so excited for you to see how very easy and utterly delicious it is to make your own homemade biscuits.
I have a feeling they will be a staple in your kitchen on the weekends just like they are in mine.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
The Best Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup cold buttermilk (or whole milk or fake buttermilk or even skim milk; see notes)
For serving (optional):
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, to brush on the tops of the biscuits after they bake
- Jam/jelly/preserves, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450.
- Cut the butter into small pieces, about the size of peas, and put in the refrigerator or freezer while you prep the other ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix well.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or using two knives to get it well incorporated into the flour mixture and slightly broken down. It should resemble small peas.
- Add the egg and milk and stir until just combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and sprinkle with a a bit of flour.
- Knead the dough 5-6 times. (See notes below for details.)
- Pat the dough out to form a round circle, about 1 inch thick. Cut out the biscuits using a biscuit cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Reshape the dough, until it’s about 1 inch thick again, and cut out remaining biscuits, repeating until all the dough is used.
- Bake at 450 for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
- Brush with melted butter, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Combine 1 cup of regular milk (even skim is fine) and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Mix them together and let sit for a few minutes, then proceed with your recipe.
- Turn your dough out onto a clean and well-floured surface. Shape into a rough ball.
- Use the heel of your hand to gently press the dough down and away from you.
- Lift the edge of the dough that’s farthest from you and fold it over itself back toward you.
- Rotate the dough ball slightly and repeat.
Video
Nutrition
How to store leftover biscuits:
Extra biscuits can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for 2-3 days and in the refrigerator for an additional 2-3 days.
Biscuits also freeze well if you want to save some for another time. Just put them in a plastic ziptop bag (that’s labeled!) and keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Defrost in the fridge overnight or pop into the microwave if you’re in a hurry.
Tips on reheating:
When reheating, we often opt for the microwave because it’s so quick and easy. They’ll get warm and soft in about 15-30 seconds.
You can also reheat these in a toaster oven or regular oven if you want to bring back some of the crusty bottom that they have when they are fresh.
Place them on a foil-lined or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 5-7 minutes, or until the biscuits are warmed through.
Danny says
Bisquits were very good
This is my favorite
Kathryn Doherty says
I'm so happy to hear you loved them! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Bonnie says
I spent nearly a lifetime being single and easily picked up biscuits at the market if I wanted them. Then I got married at age 65 to a man who does not cook. I was still on my own in the kitchen.
Yesterday, I decided to make a crock pot chicken (at my age easy is as easy does!), and wanted biscuits to go with it.
Oh, my word! So many recipes! But after reading a LOT of biscuit recipes, and nearly giving up, your biscuits looked wonderful and it was so easy to understand how to make them. They turned out beautiful and delicious, and my husband and I loved them!
Thank you for making me look like a lady that's been baking biscuits her whole life!
Kathryn Doherty says
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that you both loved these biscuits Bonnie! And that it was an easy recipe to follow! Thank you so much for sharing! 🥰