Easy Fluffy Homemade Biscuits
This is the most delicious homemade biscuit recipe we’ve ever made! It calls for milk or buttermilk and guarantees tall and fluffy biscuits! The secret to the best biscuits is using very cold butter and baking powder. They turn out tall, tender, fluffy, and perfect for breakfast, sandwiches, and more! I genuinely cannot wait for you to make them! This easy method is the one we turn to the most (they are so fluffy!). I love them topped with sausage gravy or using them to make delicious breakfast sandwiches. If you are looking for more freeform drop-style biscuits, I love these easy drop biscuits or cheese biscuits. Key Ingredients Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but soft white wheat flour like White Lilly, Martha White, and Bob’s Red Mill Fine Pastry Flour is excellent for biscuits. Its lower protein content shuts down gluten formation, making them even more light, fluffy, and tender. You can also use self-rising flour, but you will need to add extra baking powder. See the tips in the recipe below. Cold Butter: I love using European-style salted butter, like Kerrygold or Plugra, since they make our biscuits tender and delicious. If you don’t have European salted butter, plain butter works (salted or unsalted). I love the slightly more salty flavor when using salted butter in our recipe, but you can always hold back on some of the salt called for in the recipe if you aren’t looking for more savory/salty biscuits. Whatever you use, make sure it is COLD. Just like when making our pie crust recipe, the cold butter puffs in the oven and adds that amazing flaky, tender texture. Baking Powder and Baking Soda: We use 5 teaspoons of baking powder in this biscuit recipe. I know that seems like a lot, but trust me. The extra baking powder makes our biscuits fluffy and tender, and baking soda helps them brown nicely. I also use baking powder for my strawberry shortcake recipe (it’s so good!). One note on the baking powder, though. Use aluminum-free baking powder (like Rumford or Bob’s Red Mill), which has less metallic flavor. I use Bob’s Red Mill baking powder in this recipe with great results. Milk or Buttermilk: I love how this recipe works with milk or buttermilk. If you love the tangy flavor of buttermilk, use it. You won’t need to change anything in the recipe. I also love this buttermilk biscuit recipe, which was intentionally developed with buttermilk. Sugar and Salt: Add flavor. We don’t add a lot of sugar (just 1 tablespoon). Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but soft white wheat flour like White Lilly, Martha White, and Bob’s Red Mill Fine Pastry Flour is excellent for biscuits. Its lower protein content shuts down gluten formation, making them even more light, fluffy, and tender. You can also use self-rising flour, but you will need to add extra baking powder. See the tips in the recipe below. Cold Butter: I love using European-style salted butter, like Kerrygold or Plugra, since they make our biscuits tender and delicious. If you don’t have European salted butter, plain butter works (salted or unsalted). I love the slightly more salty flavor when using salted butter in our recipe, but you can always hold back on some of the salt called for in the recipe if you aren’t looking for more savory/salty biscuits. Whatever you use, make sure it is COLD. Just like when making our pie crust recipe, the cold butter puffs in the oven and adds that amazing flaky, tender texture. Baking Powder and Baking Soda: We use 5 teaspoons of baking powder in this biscuit recipe. I know that seems like a lot, but trust me. The extra baking powder makes our biscuits fluffy and tender, and baking soda helps them brown nicely. I also use baking powder for my strawberry shortcake recipe (it’s so good!). One note on the baking powder, though. Use aluminum-free baking powder (like Rumford or Bob’s Red Mill), which has less metallic flavor. I use Bob’s Red Mill baking powder in this recipe with great results. Milk or Buttermilk: I love how this recipe works with milk or buttermilk. If you love the tangy flavor of buttermilk, use it. You won’t need to change anything in the recipe. I also love this buttermilk biscuit recipe, which was intentionally developed with buttermilk. Sugar and Salt: Add flavor. We don’t add a lot of sugar (just 1 tablespoon). Find the full recipe with measurements below. Tips for Making the Best Biscuits We’ve made so many batches of biscuits over the years and now want to share all our secrets with you! These tips will help you achieve the same unbelievably tasty, tall, and fluffy results. Tip 1: Keep your butter cold. Cold butter creates pockets of steam in the oven, which puff and lead to that tender, fluffy texture (which gets even better when you add in our baking powder). I love using a food processor to quickly cut in the butter, which helps keep it nice and cold. You can absolutely do this by hand, too. Just work quickly, especially if your kitchen is warm. Tip 2: Don’t overmix or overknead the dough. Your biscuit dough should look a bit shaggy with lots of specks of butter (see my photos). Those little butter pieces are what puff up in the oven, giving you that amazing, fluffy, buttery, and flaky texture we all love. Overmixing or kneading too much will develop the gluten too much, resulting in tough biscuits. Tip 3: Fold the dough for extra layers. For incredibly flaky biscuits, gently press your dough into a rough rectangle. Then, fold the sides into the middle, just like you’re folding a letter. Rotate the dough, press it out again, and repeat the fold. There’s no need for a rolling pin, simply use your fingers to press out the dough. If you’re not clear, watch our video to see me do this on camera. It’s easy, promise! Tip 4: Bake biscuits close together. This one was a total game-changer for me. Biscuits actually rise taller when they’re closer to each other in the oven. I like using a cast iron pan or an oven-safe skillet for this, but you can achieve the same effect by placing them close together on a baking sheet. If they rise and spread enough to touch, simply use a small knife to separate them for serving. My Favorite Ways to Enjoy Them There are so many options, with the simplest being eaten warm from the oven with some salted butter brushed on top (homemade honey butter is even better!). They work beautifully with jam (try my peach jam), apple butter, and this maple pumpkin butter. Then for something more savory, I love turning these into breakfast sandwiches with scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage (made with maple and sage). They are incredible with sausage gravy, and of course are perfect for dunking into soups and homemade chili. Easy Fluffy Homemade Biscuits PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 30 mins PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 30 mins These are the most tender and fluffy biscuits from scratch we’ve ever made. These baking powder biscuits are big, tall, tender, and delicious. My preferred method is to get out my food processor. It’s an excellent tool for cutting the cold butter into our flour mixture since it’s quick. If you don’t feel like getting your food processor out, you can use your hands or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour (tips are provided in the notes section). Our family loves these with homemade honey butter or this easy sausage gravy. Makes 7 to 8 biscuits Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 5 teaspoons baking powder, use aluminum free baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 6 tablespoons (85g) cold butter 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (207ml) whole milk or buttermilk Directions 1Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and set aside an oven-safe 10-inch or 12-inch skillet like a cast iron pan or, if you do not have one, set aside a baking sheet instead. 2Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse three to four times so that it is mixed. 3Cut the cold butter into cubes or thin slices, then scatter it over the flour in the food processor. Pulse 5 to 7 times or until the butter turns into tiny bits — see our photos and video for reference. 4Empty the butter-flour mixture into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle, and then pour in the milk (or buttermilk). Stir until a shaggy dough forms. 5Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top, and then bring the dough together with your hands. It might be a bit sticky, so add flour as needed. 6Without working the dough too much, pat it down into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter — see our photos and video for reference. Rotate the rectangle 90 degrees, and then repeat this process two more times. 7Pat the dough into a rectangle between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch thick. Then use a biscuit cutter to cut out your biscuits — we use a 3-inch round cutter. Do not twist the cutter, as this will seal the edges of the biscuits and prevent them from rising. 8Place the cut-out biscuits into the skillet (or onto a baking sheet). Place them close to each other (this helps them rise taller). 9Gently press together the scraps and use them to make more biscuits, but be careful not to overwork the dough, or else they will be tough. 10Bake the biscuits until golden brown and have risen, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm. 1Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and set aside an oven-safe 10-inch or 12-inch skillet like a cast iron pan or, if you do not have one, set aside a baking sheet instead. 2Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse three to four times so that it is mixed. 3Cut the cold butter into cubes or thin slices, then scatter it over the flour in the food processor. Pulse 5 to 7 times or until the butter turns into tiny bits — see our photos and video for reference. 4Empty the butter-flour mixture into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle, and then pour in the milk (or buttermilk). Stir until a shaggy dough forms. 5Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top, and then bring the dough together with your hands. It might be a bit sticky, so add flour as needed. 6Without working the dough too much, pat it down into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter — see our photos and video for reference. Rotate the rectangle 90 degrees, and then repeat this process two more times. 7Pat the dough into a rectangle between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch thick. Then use a biscuit cutter to cut out your biscuits — we use a 3-inch round cutter. Do not twist the cutter, as this will seal the edges of the biscuits and prevent them from rising. 8Place the cut-out biscuits into the skillet (or onto a baking sheet). Place them close to each other (this helps them rise taller). 9Gently press together the scraps and use them to make more biscuits, but be careful not to overwork the dough, or else they will be tough. 10Bake the biscuits until golden brown and have risen, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm. Adam and Joanne's Tips Serving them: I love serving these biscuits while they are still warm with melted butter brushed on top or honey butter. These biscuits are also incredible with our homemade sausage gravy. No food processor: Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl, and use your hands or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until crumbly. If your butter is softening too much or your kitchen is warm, place the bowl with flour and butter into the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the milk. Measuring the flour: Too much flour makes these less fluffy. To ensure you have the right amount of flour, weigh it or use the spooned and level method. Fluff the flour in its container, gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded, then level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring. Butter: We use salted European butter in this recipe. It will work with unsalted or salted butter. I like the extra saltiness of salted butter, but you can reduce the salt to 3/4 teaspoon if you prefer. Best baking powder: Use aluminum-free baking powder (like Rumford or Bob’s Red Mill), which has less metallic flavor. I use Bob’s Red Mill baking powder in this recipe with great results. Self-rising flour: If you use self-rising flour, there won’t be enough baking powder added to the biscuit dough. So, whisk in 2 extra teaspoons of baking powder. Use 1/2 teaspoon salt instead. Baking soda: In the video, I say 1/2 tsp of baking soda. This is incorrect. Use 1/4 tsp. How to make buttermilk biscuits: Use the same amount of buttermilk as milk called for in our biscuits recipe. Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the biscuits and makes them slightly more tender. Recipe inspired and adapted from Sam Sifton’s All-Purpose Biscuits as well as our Buttermilk Biscuits The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Serving them: I love serving these biscuits while they are still warm with melted butter brushed on top or honey butter. These biscuits are also incredible with our homemade sausage gravy. No food processor: Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl, and use your hands or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until crumbly. If your butter is softening too much or your kitchen is warm, place the bowl with flour and butter into the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the milk. Measuring the flour: Too much flour makes these less fluffy. To ensure you have the right amount of flour, weigh it or use the spooned and level method. Fluff the flour in its container, gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded, then level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring. Butter: We use salted European butter in this recipe. It will work with unsalted or salted butter. I like the extra saltiness of salted butter, but you can reduce the salt to 3/4 teaspoon if you prefer. Best baking powder: Use aluminum-free baking powder (like Rumford or Bob’s Red Mill), which has less metallic flavor. I use Bob’s Red Mill baking powder in this recipe with great results. Self-rising flour: If you use self-rising flour, there won’t be enough baking powder added to the biscuit dough. So, whisk in 2 extra teaspoons of baking powder. Use 1/2 teaspoon salt instead. Baking soda: In the video, I say 1/2 tsp of baking soda. This is incorrect. Use 1/4 tsp. How to make buttermilk biscuits: Use the same amount of buttermilk as milk called for in our biscuits recipe. Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the biscuits and makes them slightly more tender. Recipe inspired and adapted from Sam Sifton’s All-Purpose Biscuits as well as our Buttermilk Biscuits The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 Biscuit (8 total) / Calories 211 / Total Fat 9g / Saturated Fat 5.5g / Cholesterol 23.4mg / Sodium 279.4mg / Carbohydrate 29.6g / Dietary Fiber 1g / Total Sugars 2.9g / Protein 4.2g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us