Aunt Bee's 3 Ingredient Biscuits

5 from 47 votes

Aunt Bee's 3 Ingredient Biscuits

Easy, buttery biscuits that bake up tall, flaky, and golden with just 3 simple ingredients. This is the recipe to start with if you've never made biscuits from scratch.

Course Breakfast, Side

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword 3 ingredient biscuit recipe, 3 ingredient biscuits, buttermilk biscuits, homemade biscuits, homemade buttermilk biscuits

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Chilling Time 10

Total Time 35

Servings biscuits (with a 2 ½-inch cutter)

Calories 235kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour (I prefer White Lily brand)
¼ cup very cold butter, cut into pats, plus more melted butter for brushing
⅔ - ¾ cup very cold buttermilk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray an 8 or 9-inch round pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Spoon the flour into a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to work the butter into the flour until the pieces are about the size of large peas. (Or freeze the butter and grate it into the flour on the large holes of a box grater, then toss with your hands to coat.)
Add ⅔ cup of the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a soft dough forms. It should hold together when pressed but shouldn't be wet. Add more buttermilk a little at a time, as needed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 1 minute by folding the dough over onto itself, adding flour to the counter and your hands as needed to prevent sticking.
Pat the dough to ¾-inch thickness. Firmly press a 2½-inch biscuit cutter straight down into the dough and lift it out without twisting. Pat out the scraps once or twice more to cut the remaining biscuits.
Arrange the biscuits in the prepared pan. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to chill.
Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, until light golden brown on top.
Brush the hot biscuits with more melted butter and serve warm.

Video

Notes

Check your flour's date. If the self-rising flour is old or expired, the leavening may not activate and the biscuits won't rise.
No buttermilk? Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a measuring cup, add milk to equal 1 cup, stir, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
No self-rising flour? Combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Cutter size: A 2½-inch cutter makes 6 large biscuits. A 1½ or 2-inch cutter makes more, smaller biscuits, so start checking them a couple of minutes early.
Freeze the dough: Freeze cut, unbaked biscuits on a tray until solid, then store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding about 5 minutes.

Nutrition