These buttermilk biscuits are soft and light with layer upon layer of buttery goodness! Serve them warm with butter and honey for the best side to any dinner!
Whenever I have barbecue, I'm always happy when I see buttermilk biscuits on the side! There's something about the soft flaky warm dough that's better than regular bread. I also think I like these so much because they remind me of traditional scones I grew up with back in Scotland. These are really similar and just as good with jam and a dollop of whipped cream. Or add some sliced strawberries and a dust powdered sugar for an easy strawberry shortcake. These buttermilk biscuits are also good with any savory ideas. They make a great egg and sausage breakfast sandwich or pulled pork sandwich and they can be made in a few minutes. Check out the tips below to make the best buttermilk biscuits.
Ingredients need for buttermilk biscuits
- Buttermilk- Always buy the full fat version and pass on the low fat option unless for dietary reasons. The regular buttermilk just tastes better and is much more creamy.
- Flour- All purpose is perfect.
- Baking Soda- Make sure it's not too old and if opened has been stored in an airtight container away from strong smells.
- Baking powder- Similar suggestions as the baking soda. Store in it's original can with the plastic lid securely closed.
- Butter- Salted or unsalted are both options but the more fat content, the better. That's why you can tell a lot about butter from the price. Higher end butter's are usually produced with ingredients that have taken time to create well, like milk from cows that are free to graze and produce a great flavored product. Mass produced butter is usually cheaper.
- Milk- Definitely go with whole milk. Skimmed milk has less calories and fat which can leave your baked goods more dry than they would be if you used full fat milk.
FAQ's about buttermilk biscuits
Can I make these without buttermilk? No. The buttermilk is part of the reaction with the baking soda and baking powder. If you don't have any buttermilk you can easily make homemade buttermilk.
Can I make these biscuits ahead? No because as soon as you combine the wet and dry ingredients the chemical reaction begins and this is what causes the biscuits to be the highest they can be.
Can I freeze my baked biscuits? Yes, store them in a large zip lock bag and freeze for up to three months.
What makes biscuits rise? The baking soda reacts with the acidity in the buttermilk and creates an opportunity to rise. The baking powder acts as a back up and helps strengthen the first rise. A really hot oven and cold butter are important also, or the butter will just weep and not be able to hold up the layers. When all the ingredients work together you should have amazing buttermilk biscuits!
Tips for making the perfect biscuits
- Your butter must be very cold. I prefer to grate mine. This helps the butter get more evenly distributed though the flour. Grate the butter before you do anything else in the recipe and then place it in the freezer while you begin the recipe.
- Only press down on the cookie cutter circle when you are cutting out each biscuit. Pressing down and twisting can twist the edges of the dough and seal the layers which will prevent the biscuits from rising.
- Place the cut biscuits very close together on the baking tray after cutting them out. When they're baking they will bake against each other and rise up.
- Don't over work the dough, use your hands to gently but quickly mix it and then pat the dough down to your chosen size instead of using a rolling pin.
- Try to keep the dough cold. If the dough gets warm, the butter begins to melt and become soft. This will prevent your biscuits from having nice layers and being tall.
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