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Hi Bold Bakers!
Growing up in Ireland, we love our sweet scones, but it wasn’t until I arrived in America that I tasted the soft, buttery goodness that is a biscuit. Biscuits are the quintessential homemade bread roll and an American Classic. My homemade biscuits contain no yeast, and are whipped up in minutes.
Considering how delightfully delicious and fragrant my biscuits are, they are also quick and easy to prepare. Even after years as a pastry chef, I’m still amazing at what you can whip up with a few simple ingredients. That said, there are a few tricks to making my Best-Ever Buttermilk Biscuits, and I am here to share my top tips with you so you can wow your family and friends.
The Secrets to My Biscuits Recipe
- My first secret to making the Best-Ever Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe is in how you add the butter. All biscuit recipes require cutting cold butter into the flour to form a sandy texture. While this is usually done by hand, I do it by grating in frozen butter with a box grater. This ensures the butter is evenly distributed and stays cold in the dough.
- The second secret to my Best-Ever Biscuits Recipe is in the folding of the dough. After I bring the dough together and roll it out, I fold it in thirds, like a letter, then re-roll. This creates all those lovely layers of flaky dough, which for me, is an absolute biscuit requirement. After this, I cut out the biscuits using Sweet Creations Nested Round Cutters for the perfect shape and depth.
- Tip! When you go to cut out your biscuits, do not press and turn with the cutter! That will create an wonky biscuit. Make sure you press, then pull back straight up for the perfect biscuit shapes.
- Tip! When applying the egg wash to the top of the biscuits to get that amazing golden-brown, only apply the egg wash to the TOP of the biscuit! Do not let it run down the sides, as this will pull down the sides, also leading to an uneven look.
Bake for just 25 minutes in a hot oven and prepare for the oohs and aahs as the heavenly smell wafts around your kitchen. When baked they will be tall and golden on the outside, with a light, fluffy interior. Once you make my Best-Ever Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe from scratch you will not go back to store bought. These will surely become one of your favorite savory things to bake and a family favorite.
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Best-Ever Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1lb 4oz/600g) all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (8oz/240g) butter, frozen
- 1 1/2 cup (12oz/340ml) buttermilk
- 1 egg* , beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a box grater, grate in the frozen butter. This will ensure it is evenly distributed and create a super flaky texture.
- Add the buttermilk and mix by hand until just combined. The mix will be dry but just keep forming it. (See video for a detailed look.)
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle that is about 6 x 9 inches. Fold each side of the dough over to the middle (like you're folding a letter) and pat out again to about 6 x 9 inches ( this will create all those flaky layers).
- Cut biscuits out of the dough using a biscuit cutter and brush the tops with egg wash.
- Place on prepared baking sheet and bake 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- To store put in an airtight container. These will keep for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
Everything of yours that I have tried has turned out beautiful. Thanks so much for simple recipes that anyone can follow.
I went to make biscuits for Christmas brunch and had a complete brain freeze for my go to biscuit recipe. I was with family and had no access to my trusty recipe book that was sitting in the cupboard in my kitchen. I popped on the internet, desperate for a biscuit recipe to shake my baking fog and then remembered Gemma. Her recipes have never let me down before. And this one was no different! My old go to recipe was removed when I got home and this one was added to replace it. I’ve now made these three times… Read more »
I started baking when I was 12, I am now 64. The one thing that I have never been able to do is biscuits from scratch, even using a box mix. I have tried every “no fail recipe” out there and it’s always an epic fail. Then I tried your Best Ever Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe and they really are a No Fail and the best part they hold up to gravy. Thank you for this recipe!
Fantastic biscuits! I moved to North Carolina 5 years ago and have been trying different recipes for all of that time. These are perfect. The only thing I do differently, which is recommended in most other recipes, is to put the biscuits close together, touching each other, on the baking sheet. Makes them rise even more. I did find that mine needed a bit longer to bake and brown. Could have been my oven, so I’ll be trying this again! Thank you!
I’ve been wanting chicken pot pie with biscuits for a while after seeing your post of your dinner. And we had it tonight! I cooked the chicken pot pie in my cast iron with fresh carrots and celery, sautéed Maui onions, local potatoes, frozen mixed vegetables and rotisserie chicken(from Sam’s). Then I topped it with biscuits dough and baked the pot in oven for 30 minutes. Heaven heaven heaven! Everything is so soft and flavored. Biscuits are amazing, as always. Mahalo for making our dinner easy and varied!
GEMMA !!! I did it !! 3 time is a charm. Congratulations on you new. Baby.
I love your site and all the thing you make. With what the world is at nowIt is important home made projects.
Bought some buttermilk on sale and thought of biscuits.. Google and found Gemma’s.. I use a “Blue Bird” flour so I always have to adjust with the liquid.. they turned out beautiful and my daughter said.. this is our biscuit from now on mom.. need to write down the ingredients.. I told her real simple ingredients to remember thank you Gemma..
I absolutely love watching and making many of the recipes that you post. Today these will be our soup biscuits and though they are not even out of the oven yet they look fantastic. (And I’m a bit of a biscuit snob!)
I did switch up one thing. I make my own kefir out of cream and 3% milk (it’s thick) and I used that instead of the buttermilk. I usually have to add about 1/4 c more kefir which I did in this case.
Keep bringing us bigger and bolder baking ideas and recipes!
thank you Gemma for making biscuits understandable I tried to make biscuits before in the past and they’ve turned into little rocks this recipe worked out beautifully for me thank you
These are so so good. I think grating the butter makes all the difference. I try different biscuit and pancakes recipes frequently, and yours are the best, and have been on repeat in my kitchen!