Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
This easy recipe for biscuits from scratch is great one to add to your regular repertoire. Flaky, tender, and delicious buttermilk biscuits are the perfect addition to any meal.
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Fork
- Bench Scraper
- Rolling Pin
- Cast Iron Pan or Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 3 Cups AP Flour*
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 6 tbsp Butter Frozen
- 1/3 Cup Lard or Vegetable Shortening or bacon grease
- 1 1/4 Cups Buttermilk (or 4 tbsp buttermilk powder + 1 1/4 cups whole milk)
Instructions
- Put butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Line cookie sheet with parchment. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. (Add buttermilk powder if using, see recipe notes). Set aside.
- Remove the butter from the freezer. On the large holes of a box grater, grate the butter. Add the butter to the flour mixture and toss gently until evenly distributed. Try not to smash the butter too much.
- Create a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the lard and pour in the buttermilk (or milk or water, see recipe notes).
- Using your hands, smash the lard and buttermilk together until loosely combined.
- Using your fingers as a whisk in a circular motion, slowly begin to incorporate the flour into the liquid, pulling the flour into the center from the sides of the bowl. The dough is done when the mixture looks shaggy, and some dry spots of flour remain. Do not overmix!
- Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Remove the dough from your fingers by grasping each finger with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand, dragging down from knuckle to tip.
- Using a bench scrapper to keep the dough in a rectangle, pat the dough down to about 1 inch thick.
- With the bench scrapper fold the dough in half from top to bottom. Pat down to 1 inch again. Fold in half from left to right. Repeat patting and folding 2 more times folding right to left and finally bottom to top. The order of the folds doesn't matter too much, just be sure to do 4 folds in a full round.
- After the last fold pat (or roll with a floured rolling pin) to about ½ thickness using the bench scraper or your hands to square up the edges. Flour the edge of the bench scraper (pizza cutter or knife) and use it to cut the dough into 12 even pieces.
- Transfer the cut pieces onto the prepared pan leaving about 1/2 inch between each piece. Be sure to place smaller, thinner pieces toward the center of the pan, large, thick ones to the outside.
- Optional: Brush the top of each biscuits with milk.
- Bake on the middle rack for 12 – 16 minutes until top and bottom are golden brown. Transfer biscuits to a cooling rack for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Options:
*Substitute 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour for a whole grain option.
Use all butter instead of lard or shortening.
Use buttermilk powder. Mix it into the dry ingredients and use water as the liquid in the recipe.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Serve with softened butter, jam, jelly or clotted cream.
Serve with Sausage Gravy for a hearty breakfast.
Serve with a meal of chicken and veg.
Use to make breakfast sandwiches with bacon, sausage, eggs and cheese.