Buttery, tender, and layered with golden flaky goodness, these all butter buttermilk biscuits are made with simple ingredients, cold butter, and a straightforward recipe that results in biscuits that rise tall, have crisp edges, and soft, fluffy centers!
You may not know this, but making homemade flaky buttermilk biscuits is one of the easiest ways to get started on your baking journey. They’re about as easy as my 3-ingredient drop biscuits!
They are perfect for breakfast or brunch with a bit of honey or jam, or dinner alongside some sausage gravy.
Pair them with fried chicken or top them with berries and whipped cream for a delightful treat.
You can’t go wrong with classic buttermilk biscuits, especially when they’re this easy to make with just a handful of simple ingredients!
Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The pull-apart, flaky layers.
- Made with a handful of simple ingredients.
- It’s an easy-to-follow recipe!
- Biscuits are versatile and can be enjoyed with all your comfort food favorites.
Helpful Tools
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- All-purpose flour: Always make sure you’re using the right amount of flour by measuring with a scale or using the spoon and level method so you’re not packing too much into the measuring cup.
- White sugar: These biscuits aren’t sweet, but we add a bit of sugar to avoid a bland taste.
- Baking powder: Gives these buttermilk biscuits a fantastic rise. Baking powder reacts with the acid in the buttermilk which also keeps them nice and fluffy.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor, just like the sugar.
- Cream of tartar: Gives these buttermilk biscuits a light and fluffy texture.
- Butter: Making buttermilk biscuits without shortening means using cold butter! Using cold cubes of butter is essential for achieving those flaky layers.
- Buttermilk: Rich, thick, and tangy, it’s what gives the biscuits even more rise and gives them extra tender, flaky layers. If you don’t have any, use my homemade buttermilk substitute.
- Salted butter: I like to melt a bit of butter and brush the tops of the biscuits just out of the oven.
How to make All Butter Buttermilk Biscuits
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar in a large bowl and stir to combine. Then, use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the cold butter cubes into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs are formed. You can also pulse the mixture in a food processor, gently.
- Step Two: Make a well in the center of the crumbs and pour in the buttermilk. Use a fork to stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
- Step Three: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough until just smooth, about 6-8 times. You don’t want to overwork it. Pat it down (or use a rolling pin) to about 3/4” thick.
- Step Four: Flour a 2 1/2” biscuit cutter to cut the dough into discs. Remove the cutter without twisting.
- Step Five: Use a wide spatula to transfer the dough rounds to the prepared pan, keeping them about 1” apart. Then, roll up the scraps to cut once more. You should have about 12 biscuits.
- Step Six: Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and bake in a preheated 450°F oven for 10-12 minutes. Serve warm with honey and butter, if desired. Enjoy!
- Use cold butter. Keep it refrigerated until just before cutting it into the flour.
- I have a great recipe for making a buttermilk substitute in 3 different ways, if you don’t have any on hand. All you need is 1 tablespoon of white vinegar OR lemon juice in a measuring cup, and topping off the cup with milk. Let that stand for 5 minutes before using it.
- Knead until just combined. Overworking the dough can lead to tough, dense biscuits.
- Not twisting the biscuit cutter helps prevent the edges from compacting, which could affect their rise. It’s also a great way to allow them to bake evenly.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Keep biscuits stored at room temperature. Always have them covered in an airtight container so they don’t dry out.
Freezing Instructions
You can freeze your buttermilk biscuits for up to 3 months! Transfer them to a freezer bag and layer them with parchment paper so they don’t freeze together. Thaw them at room temperature.
Reheating Instructions
These biscuits can be enjoyed at room temperature, but if you’d like to reheat them, you can do this in the oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.
More biscuit and bread rolls you’ll love:
Click here to view my entire collection of bread recipes.
Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 g) all purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon (14 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- ¾ teaspoon (5 g) cream of tartar
- ¾ cup (170 g) butter cubed
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar.3 cups all purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Use a pastry cutter, or a fork, to cut in the butter until you have coarse crumbs.¾ cup butter
- Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Use a fork to stir until just moistened.1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead together until just smooth, 6-8 times. Pat down into approximately ¾" thick.
- Flour a 2½" biscuit cutter and cut out the biscuits without twisting the cutter.
- Use a wide spatula to transfer the biscuits to the prepared pan, approximately 1" apart.
- Gently press the scraps of dough together, reroll and cut once more. It should make 12 biscuits total.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and bake until golden brown, 10-13 minutes.3 Tablespoons salted butter
- Serve warm with additional honey and butter.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, use this buttermilk replacement: add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a one cup measuring cup and finish filling with milk up to the one cup mark. Let sit for 5 minutes and then proceed with the recipe. (adjust for amount needed)
- Alternatively, you can pulse the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a food processor with the cubed butter, if you prefer.
- Also, if you prefer, you can use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough. I just pat it down for ease.
- Depending on biscuit cutter size, it should make 12-14 biscuits.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze baked biscuits for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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