Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dough
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 15 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 5 g fine sea salt
- 6 g granulated sugar
- 115 g unsalted butter, refrigerator cold, cut into 1 cm cubes
- 240 ml buttermilk, cold, whole milk cultured buttermilk
Finishing
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted and warm
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 283 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 31 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 558 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 40 mg
- Potassium
- 91 mg
- Calcium
- 156 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Phosphorus
- 113 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 128 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.31 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 2.2 mg
- Folate
- 71 mcg
- Water
- 35 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 0 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) with a rack arranged in the middle position.
Line a flat baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly aerated and combined.
Add the cold cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients and cut the fat into the flour using a pastry blender until pea-sized butter pieces are scattered throughout.
Pour the cold buttermilk into the bowl and stir gently with a spatula just until the flour is moistened and a shaggy mass begins to form.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, gently press it into a rough rectangle, and fold it into thirds like a business letter, repeating this folding process three times to create laminated strata.
Pat or roll the laminated dough out using a rolling pin until it forms a uniform slab 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick.
Dip a 6.5 cm round biscuit cutter into flour, press straight downward into the dough without twisting, and place the cut rounds onto the prepared baking sheet with their sides lightly touching.
Transfer the baking sheet holding the shaped biscuit rounds into the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.
Brush the tops of the chilled biscuits with 15 grams of the melted unsalted butter using a pastry brush.
Bake the biscuits at 220°C (425°F) for 14 to 16 minutes until they are well risen, tall, and golden brown on top.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and brush the steaming tops immediately with the remaining 15 grams of melted unsalted butter.
Rest the biscuits on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to let the internal crumb set before serving warm.
Chef's Notes
- Placing the cut biscuit rounds so their outer edges lightly touch on the baking sheet provides mutual support, forcing the dough upward rather than spreading sideways.
- Keeping butter cold until the moment of baking creates steam pockets inside the dough, which push the flour strata apart into distinct flaky leaves.
- When gathering leftover dough scraps for final biscuits, stack them gently instead of kneading into a ball to preserve existing flakiness.
- Cultured buttermilk provides natural lactic acid that activates the baking soda, resulting in maximum oven lift and an exceptionally tender crumb.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store fully cooled biscuits in an airtight container at 4°C (40°F) or below.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap baked biscuits individually in foil and freeze inside a zip-top bag. Unbaked rounds may also be frozen solid on a tray and stored for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Reheat refrigerated biscuits in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) for 6 to 8 minutes until hot throughout and reaching a safe internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Frozen unbaked biscuits can be baked directly at 200°C (400°F) for 18 to 22 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Biscuits turn out dense, heavy, and fail to rise tall
Cause: Butter became too warm during blending or dough was overworked, which melts fat prematurely and overdevelops tough gluten
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked; slice horizontally, toast until crisp, and serve with salted butter and jam
Prevention: Ensure butter and buttermilk remain refrigerator-cold right up until mixing, and handle the dough as sparingly as possible
Biscuits lean sideways and bake lopsided
Cause: Twisting the cutter while stamping out the rounds pinched the dough layers unevenly on one side
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked; the appearance is uneven but flavor and flaky interior remain intact
Prevention: Press cutter firmly straight down and lift straight out without turning or rotating the cutter
Biscuit bottoms burn before the tops turn golden
Cause: Baking sheet positioned too low in the oven or using thin dark-metal pans that absorb excessive radiant heat
Fix: Gently scrape the scorched bottom crust away using a microplane or fine-toothed bread knife before serving
Prevention: Bake on the center rack using light-colored aluminum pans lined with parchment paper
Cultural Context
Buttermilk biscuits are an enduring cornerstone of Southern American culinary heritage, evolving from early colonial beaten biscuits into light, leavened quick breads with the mid-nineteenth-century advent of baking powder and baking soda. Traditionally crafted using soft winter wheat flour low in gluten, these tender breads remain an indispensable everyday side dish for gravies, fried meats, and preserves.
