Flaky Biscuits

4.92 from 25 votes

This flaky biscuit recipe creates tall, buttery layers with a tender crumb. A few simple techniques guarantee light, fluffy Southern-style biscuits every time.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword flaky biscuit, flaky biscuit recipe, flaky biscuits, flaky biscuits recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Chilling Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings biscuits

Calories 247kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour (I prefer White Lily brand)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) very cold salted butter, cubed
1 ¼ cups very cold whole buttermilk, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons melted salted butter, divided

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Add cold butter and toss to coat in the flour. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas. (Alternatively, you can grate the butter into the flour mixture using the large holes on a box grater. Then toss the butter fingers in the flour mixture with your fingers).
Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough comes together. Gradually add a little more buttermilk if the dough is too crumbly. It will be fairly dry (not wet and sticky) but should hold together when pressed and you shouldn't see any dry flour at the bottom.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat into an 8-inch square about 1 inch thick.
Use a bench scraper or large knife to cut the dough into 4 equal squares.
Stack the squares on top of each other. Pat or roll into an 8-inch square again. Repeat two more times (cutting into 4 squares, stacking, and patting into a square).
Use a floured knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 12 to 16 squares.
Arrange about ½ inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with half of the melted butter.
Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Brush the hot biscuits with the remaining melted butter.
Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Measure flour correctly. Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off. Scooping from the bag packs the flour too tightly and results in dense biscuits.
Keep butter cold. Cold butter is essential for flaky layers. If your kitchen is warm, pop the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes before starting.
Don't skip the freeze. Freezing the cut biscuits for 15 minutes before baking helps them rise taller.
Buttermilk substitute: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then add enough milk to equal 1¼ cups. Stir and let sit 5 minutes before using.
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Freezing: Freeze unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding about 5 extra minutes.

Nutrition