Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

in Bread, Breakfast, Lighter & Healthier

Biscuits were standard breakfast fare growing up. Mom served them every weekend alongside a pot of chocolate gravy. Dad would make his way through the baking pan, splitting biscuits to butter them while they were still warm. And I had to constantly remind him to leave me two unbuttered biscuits because he’d forget if I didn’t… and even with the reminders, he almost never left mine unbuttered.

Sometimes Mom would serve homemade drop biscuits – those were some of my favorites. Crumbly and tender, they were perfect for mopping up chocolate gravy. The Foodie Groom does not share my love for chocolate gravy so I don’t make it very often but he is all about buttered biscuits and jelly for breakfast.

The buttermilk makes the biscuits tender and moist. For a moister, slightly denser biscuit, try substituting fat-free Greek yogurt. I use Fage 0% instead of buttermilk sometimes and they’re fantastic.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Soft and fluffy homemade buttermilk biscuits in minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 stick butter + 1 Tbsp, divided
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • Black pepper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 500.
  2. Stick the 1/2 stick of butter in the freezer while gathering other ingredients.
  3. Place the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
  4. Using the grater blade, obliterate the stick of chilled butter. Switch to the dough blade and pulse 7-10 times, until the mixture is crumbly.
  5. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in buttermilk until the dough has just combined. (If you do not wish to use a food processor, you can cut chilled butter into the dry ingredients by hand. That method takes too long for me.)
  6. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and lightly pat to 1 inch thick.
  7. Use a cutter (mine was ~3 inches) dipped in flour to cut biscuits and then transfer them to a lined baking sheet with the sides touching.
  8. Lightly push together the scraps and cut biscuits from the remaining dough. (Alternately, to avoid the "scrap biscuit," pat your dough into a rectangle and use a sharp knife to cut square biscuits.)
  9. Melt remaining butter and brush over the tops. When making biscuits for savory applications, like Spicy Chicken Breakfast Biscuits, add fresh ground black pepper to the dry ingredients when making the Dough. Add a sprinkle of salt and black pepper over the tops of the buttered biscuits before baking.
  10. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Yields: 6-8 biscuits

Adapted from Pinch My Salt

Estimated time: 25 minutes

13 comments… add one
  • I have never heard of chocolate gravy. I think that even my picky 6 year old will get excited by the idea I will have to give this a try!!!

  • I always have some extra buttermilk on hand, and this recipe is going to be saved for when I’m not sure what to do with it. These look so buttery and flaky! Yummm.

  • I made my first biscuit like creations just a few weeks ago (shortcakes) and now I’m hooked! I’m definitely trying this buttermilk based recipe. With chocolate gravy, of course. And maybe even some peanut butter.

  • Love biscuits. These look a bit irresistible!

  • I also grew up with biscuits fairly regularly – made by my dad though. I now know that it’s most likely because they’re so quick to make. He usually made them on Friday mornings. We would slather blackberry jam on them. When I was little they were basically a vehicle for blackberry jam. Anyway, he suggested a variation that I’m too scared to try but will probably get around to eventually: instead of buttermilk, use orange juice concentrate. Sounds crazy enough to work, huh?

    I also often use a little whole wheat flour. I also usually add a couple tablespoons of sugar to the recipe.

    As for buttermilk substitutes… I’ve been known to use plain yogurt in a pinch without any problems.

  • shannon abdollmohammadi

    One of my most favorite childhood memories is eating homemade buttermilk waffles and biscuits!!!

  • I made these yesterday, delish!

  • My husband grew up eating biscuits, eggs, bacon, and Tang every single morning (the only time this wasn’t the case was when they weren’t home), so he went on a search for a biscuit recipe the other day. We both agreed on a recipe we found in Taste of Home cookbook, but since we had no buttermilk, we used half-and-half. Still turned out wonderful! I’m going to have him bake them up more often. 🙂

  • kgo tv

    Love biscuits. These look a bit irresistible!

  • WOW! I just made these and they were so simple and perfectly fluffy. My husband moved my cookie cutters and now can’t find them so I just hand-shaped my biscuits. Not as pretty but all the same deliciousness. Can’t wait to try this with the spicy chicken a la chick-fil-a from your site!

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