Cream Biscuits

With just 4 simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch of tall and fluffy cream biscuits!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword cream biscuit recipe, cream biscuits, cream biscuits recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 19

Chilling Time 10

Total Time 39

Servings biscuits

Calories 293kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or a 9-inch cake pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and sugar.
Add the cream, and stir with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together and the dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Fold the dough over onto itself 6-8 times, until it comes together. The dough should be soft, but not too wet or sticky. If it’s sticky, add extra flour to the counter, to your hands, and to the dough so that it’s easy to work with. Pat the dough into a rectangle that’s about ¾ inch-thick. Use a 2 ½ -inch round biscuit cutter that’s dipped in flour to punch out the biscuits (do not twist the cutter). Arrange the biscuits in the prepared pan with sides touching. Re-roll the scraps and cut out additional biscuits until all of the dough is used. Cover loosely and place the biscuits in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to chill before baking.
Bake for 15-19 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the hot biscuits with the melted butter. Serve warm.

Do not substitute a lower-fat alternative for the heavy cream. You need the high fat content in the cream, or the recipe will not work. Do not use half-and-half, milk, buttermilk, etc.

Keep the dough cold. I’ll say it again — the key to tall, fluffy biscuits is cold ingredients. Don’t forget to chill the dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking.

Use a cast iron skillet or baking pan, rather than a rimmed baking sheet. The sides of the skillet or pan help the biscuits rise upwards, rather than spreading or falling.

Arrange the biscuits with sides touching. Place the biscuits in the skillet so that they’re all touching their neighbors. This will help them “climb” in the oven so that you get that great, high rise.

Don’t twist the round cutter. Firmly press the cutter down into the dough, and then pull it straight back out. Twisting the biscuit cutter seals off the edges of the biscuits and they therefore will not rise as high.

Brush with melted butter. A quick swipe of melted butter adds a ton of rich flavor and buttery taste to the warm biscuits.