There is something extra-special about baking bread with love and from scratch.
These are so light, flakey, and just downright delicious. We’ll show you the tricks to making the best country biscuits ever! And it’s really much easier than you might think! And, of course, you’ll want to immediately whip up a batch of homemade biscuits and gravy!
How to Make Southern Buttermilk Biscuits from Scratch
One of the most amazing things about these classic biscuits is that there are only 3 ingredients in them!
But, it’s the way you bring those 3 humble ingredients together that makes all the difference!
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The Ingredients You Will Need
As mentioned, you only need to grab three ingredients to make perfect biscuits every single time. Here they are
Unsalted butter – Cold, cold, cold!
Self-rising flour – White Lily is best, but other brands will work, too
Buttermilk – Full fat, if possible. But even more important – Cold, cold, cold!
EXPERT TIP: To achieve the ideal texture for the ice-cold butter is to grate it with a box grater. It will create ribbons of cold butter. You’ll just need a total of 8 tbsp (1 stick), but using half of two sticks makes it easier!
Tips For Perfect Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Keep It Cold – Make sure all of your ingredients are ice-cold. Stick the butter in the freezer for a few hours, then let it sit out for about 15 minutes before grating. After combining it with the flour, place the bowl back in the freezer. Even after you’ve formed the biscuits, place them back in the freezer for 15 minutes. When the biscuits hit the hot oven, they will release steam and become beautifully flakey with some height!
Sticky Is Best – Do your best to not overwork the dough. You don’t want to break down the gluten, plus your hands will warm the butter. The dough should be sticky, but still pliable enough to form a rectangle.
Forming the Biscuits – It’s more important that your dough has height when you cut the biscuits than anything else. You’ll want the dough to be about ¾-inch to 1-inch in height. The next important thing to remember is to push the biscuit cutter straight down. Don’t twist and turn the dough, this will keep the biscuit from rising as it bakes.
These gorgeous gems only take about 15 to 20 minutes to fluff and turn a beautiful golden brown.
You might as well do them the true Southern way and finish them off with a few brushes of melted butter. Hit them with a little butter before baking, and then again once they’re done.
Biscuit heaven.
How and When To Serve
Of course, these glorious biscuits are magnificent for a breakfast feast. Right alongside the fluffiest scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and potatoes is nothing short of breakfast perfection.
But these are wonderful served at lunch or dinnertime. For the ultimate Southern-style feast, make a batch of Southern Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes with cream gravy, slow-cooked green beans, and then biscuits. It just doesn’t get much better than that.
EXPERT TIP: One batch of this dough will yield about 9 to 10 biscuits. The recipe can easily be doubled. Keep leftover biscuits in a large plastic baggie and then gently reheat them in the microwave for about 10 seconds. You can also reheat them in your air-fryer.
Other Classic Bread Baking Dishes to Try
We just love baking bread of all types. Here are some of our favorites that you will want to try:
Homemade Country White Bread
Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls
Focaccia with Rosemary, Sea Salt, and Olive Oil
Homemade Monkey Bread
Zucchini Bread
Banana Nut Bread
Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
Grandma’s Cinnamon Rolls
Orange Sweet Rolls
But in the meantime, aren’t these babies calling your name? Made even better with a little softened butter and a drizzle of honey!
There is something truly magical about these homemade biscuits.
Follow the tips and techniques outlined in this recipe, and you’ll have perfect biscuits every single time.
And, remember, practice makes perfect!
Ready to make the best Southern biscuits this side of Savanah, Georgia? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of them, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Homemade Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Equipment
- 2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter or inverted jar (or jar lid)
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, frozen
- 2¼ cups self-rising flour (We love White Lily)
- 1 cup buttermilk cold
- 2 tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Take butter out of the freezer and let thaw for about 5 to 15 minutes.
- Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the butter. (Using half of two partially frozen sticks of butter is easier than grating all of just one).
- Add the butter to the flour and toss together with spoons (or briefly with your hands). Place back in the freezer for another 15 minutes.
- Pour the buttermilk into the flour/butter mixture and stir until just incorporated. The batter will be sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cool surface and add a little more flour, if too wet. Working quickly, use your hands to press the dough into a rectangle that is about 3/4" to 1" thick.
- Use a bench scraper, or a large knife and slice the dough into quarters. Stack the quarters on top of each other and quickly, again, press the dough into a thick rectangle (3/4" to 1"). Repeat this process two more times.
- Use a 2 to 3-inch biscuit cutter to gently cut the biscuits. Be sure to press straight down, don't twist and turn the cutter. You may need to pull the dough away from the biscuits. Carefully transfer them to a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 1 inch apart from each other. Form excess dough into another square and form another biscuit or two. You should yield about 6 to 7 biscuits. Place the biscuits back in the freezer for another 15 minutes.
- Brush a little melted butter over the tops of each of the biscuits. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until lightly golden on top, turning the pan around halfway through. Remove from oven and brush more melted butter over the tops.
Video
Notes
- Everything should be super cold
- White Lily self-rising flour is best (there is a link in the blog post)
- Don't over-knead the dough, at all - just gently press it into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick
- Be sure to press the cutter straight down and don't twist it when cutting the biscuit.
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in June 2018, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in February 2023!
I made this recipe as you first suggested the were ok then add salted butter much better more like grand mamas then third time made without butter milk instead used heavy cream much better results
I need to make these biscuits for 36 to 40 people for breakfast. Any suggestions on how to scale up the recipe?
Hi John, the way I would do it is to double the recipe and then make two batches of the dough. That will get you in the range of 40 biscuits. You can make the dough, and refrigerate it, and then make another batch and refrigerate it, too. When you’re ready, divide the dough into 4 batches, and roll out the dough according to recipe directions. Maybe get 4 pans, so you can bake them all at once, or, just put them all on a large baking sheet. That should do the trick. Let us know how they turn out! You should have 36 to 40 very happy people once you brings these warm biscuits to the table!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Depending on how many biscuits the recipe makes build it up by that. Such as I be biscuit per persons add it up till it’s suffice
Yesss to all of this! This is how I make my biscuits too, with the White Lily flour, grated butter, and buttermilk. Once I tasted southern buttermilk biscuits in college, there was pretty much no going back to anything else! I was so happy to see Wegmans carrying the White Lily up here. Though, I would’ve been totally willing to drive down south just to stock up!
Thank you so much!! We couldn’t agree more…once you try homemade Southern biscuits, you never go back to anything else! I go through a bag of White Lily almost on a monthly basis (thank goodness for delivery!). xoxo
My granny always used the rim of a drinking glass to cut her biscuits instead of a cutter! I miss her biscuits– yours look perfect! They’d be perfect with some apple butter 😀
Thanks, Sarah! I can see my grandma doing the exact thing! Apple butter – divine. xo
Hi! Dweller of the South here! And I’ve got to say, these look perfect. I’ve only lived in the South for 2.5 years, but I’ve seen my share of biscuits and these look so much like my fave biscuits from Tupelo Honey. My husband has made biscuits from scratch a few times, but it’s been a long time and after seeing this, I think we’re due 😉 Gorgeous recipe!
Thank you, Dana! Doesn’t get much better than Southern cuisine, and Southern biscuits always are near the top of our lists. Hope you guys make a batch soon!! xo Kris & Wesley
So many useful tips! I love the idea of grating the butter. I can almost taste how light and flakey the ribbons of butter will make these biscuits. And oh, thank you for the tip about not twisting the cookie cutter. I had no idea that it would prevent the biscuits from rising. I will definitely keep this trick in mind for the future.
Thank you, Julia! Give ’em a try…I’ve never had a faulty batch since I started making them this way. 🙂
Your biscuits are perfect. I keep on twisting my cutters so they always end up lopsided and I hate it. But they never seem to come apart from the dough if I dont! So frustrating. Maybe it’s the recipe base I am using, so I will definitely see if this is the one for me!
Thank you, Amanda!! We hope you like them as much as we do. Thanks again for the nice comment. We appreciate it a lot!! xo Kris & Wesley
Thank you, thank you! All of this time I was doing it wrong. I can’t wait to make these and some homemade sausage gravy for biscuits and gravy. Grating the butter is the trick I was missing. I also will be trying putting in the freezer like you suggested.
Can I refrigerate the biscuits between mixing and cooking? I want to make them for a dinner party and can’t be doing it at the last minute. Thanks so much!
Hi Pat! Yes, you can definitely made the dough ahead of time. We recommend bring the dough back to room temperature. And I would also suggest may making a practice round, first. Biscuits can be a little tricky, and just giving yourself a practice round will hopefully ensure perfect biscuits for the party!! Good luck and let us know if you haven any other questions, and let us know how it turns out!! Best, Kris & Wesley
I didn’t know that little gem about grating frozen butter, that’s genius! Definitely going to make these biscuits, they look amazing, especially with that brushed on butter at the end, seriously.
You are absolutely right! Nothing is better than homemade biscuits. They look so delicious and flaky. I love the tip about grating the butter – I will have to try that for sure. Sooner than later, I mean I really feel like jumping out of bed right now and making these amazing biscuits – OK I may have to wait until tomorrow morning….. yum!
YESSS!!! Nothing beats homemade biscuits. I LOVE making them….and LOVE eating them more. I find them more addictive than dessert…but I am a bread lover. These are perfect all by themselves (slathered in butter) or alongside soup, chili or salad.
Love the biscuit cutter tip. I’m going to have to try that. I’ve seen it done with a food processor, but this looks really easy. Thanks!
Love the biscuit cutter (no twist!). Thanks much!! xo Kris & Wesley
First, I love your biscuit cutter — mine doesn’t have those fluted ridges — gonna have to invest in some. Great idea to shred the butter on a box grater. I’ve always cut the butter in with a pastry blender and they never seem to puff as much. I’m definitely going to give your method a go… and I’ll also brush them with butter — ’cause that’s the Southern way! Wish you were my neighbor…
We need a visit and feed each other! xoxo. Thank you!!
These came out perfect but I had to guess how many to cut out by trying to figure it out from the photos. It looks like 8? Seven in a circle and one in the middle?
Hi Retta! That’s so great. I usually do 7 on the outside and 1 in the middle. Depends on the thickness of your biscuits and of course, the size of your pan. Sometimes I have some dough scrapes that I form another biscuit or 2 to bake separately. So glad you liked them. We think they are just the best, and really hope you did, too. And thank you so much for letting us know. Please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
I’ve been searching for a good biscuit recipe for ages! Unfortunately no one had the good sense to ask my grandma for hers before she passed. Yours looks yummy! Gonna give it a whirl this week. Thank you!
Hi Lindsay! I had similar situation with all of grandma’s amazing recipes…none were written down. We’re pretty sure you’re going to like this one, though. Please let us know when you make them and how they turn out, or if you have any questions. Best, Kris & Wesley
they look delicious!
Thanks Dina! They are “melt in your mouth” good!
Love your blog BTW!