Cathead Biscuits

5 from 1 vote

Big and fluffy, these easy cathead biscuits are a favorite from the mountains of Appalachia!

Course Breakfast, Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword cathead biscuit, cathead biscuit recipe, cathead biscuits, homemade cathead biscuits

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 5

Total Time 45

Servings biscuits

Calories 492kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Place the oven rack in the upper-middle position. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet or spray with cooking spray (or use an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan instead). Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the diced butter and diced shortening. Use your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a fork to work the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.
Add the cold buttermilk; stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is combined (do not overmix). It will be sticky, which is fine!
Drop six equal mounds of dough into the prepared skillet (these can be rustic and shaggy – no need to roll or smooth them out).
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
Brush the warm biscuits with the melted butter. Let stand for about 5 minutes, and then serve warm.

- Do not overwork the dough. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to combine the ingredients just until you no longer see dry pockets of flour -- then stop. Otherwise you can end up with dry, dense, or tough biscuits.

- Bake the biscuits in a 10-inch cast iron skillet for the best texture. The cast iron retains and evenly distributes heat, so the biscuits get nice and crispy on the outside, but stay fluffy and soft on the inside.

- If you don't have a 10-inch cast iron skillet, drop the biscuit dough into a deep 9-inch or 8-inch cake pan, or another 2-quart baking dish.

- Brush with melted butter. A quick swipe of melted butter adds a ton of rich flavor and buttery taste to the warm biscuits.
- Buttermilk substitutes: In a pinch, you can make your own buttermilk at home to use in this recipe. To do so, pour either 1 ½ tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar into a large measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1 ½ cups of liquid. Give it a stir, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then use it in the recipe as directed!
- Cathead cheese biscuits: add 1 ½ cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese into the biscuit dough. You might also like to mix in garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, or chives.
- Cathead biscuits without shortening: I use Crisco shortening for that great puffy, fluffy texture, but you can sub with lard or extra butter. If using extra salted butter, you'll likely want to decrease the total salt added to the dough (try using just 1 teaspoon).
- Recipe slightly adapted from Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest by Lauren McDuffie.