Warm, fluffy, and simple southern buttermilk biscuits will be a welcomed addition to any breakfast. This recipe is easy to make with a few simple ingredients and makes the fluffiest biscuits you’ll ever try!
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Southern, From-Scratch Buttermilk Biscuits
Buttermilk biscuits are a staple on the southern table. Not only are they served with breakfast, they’re also commonly found in place of rolls at dinner. They’re made using White Lily self-rising flour, salt, cold butter, lard, and buttermilk.
Shortly after I had gotten married, an elderly man jokingly told me that woman’s worth can be measured by her ability to bake homemade biscuits.
Luckily Brent never held this expectation, but I wanted to learn to make the best biscuits just like my grandmother. I’m not going to lie, it took me a long time to get them just right, but I finally got the consistency down.
The key is keeping your ingredients cold, and not over working your dough. You want it to just come together to form the biscuits. This will create flaky layers in your biscuits. Room temperature butter will not melt to create flaky biscuits like cold butter will. I
make these homemade buttermilk biscuits on Saturday mornings for my crew, and they always take me back to days spent at my grandmother’s house.
How to make Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Southern Buttermilk Biscuit Ingredients
Start with all the essential ingredients.
- 3 cups self-rising flour. I prefer White Lily flour for making biscuits. You can also use all purpose flour, but you will need to add 3 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder to your dry ingredients.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp bacon lard plus more for the skillet. You can omit this ingredient if you don’t have any on hand. However, it makes a perfect biscuit.
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by combining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk.
Preparing the biscuits
- Start by preheating your oven to 425° F and grease a cast iron skillet or 9” round pan with lard.
2. Next, measuring 3 cups of flour in a hand sifter.
My grandmother sifted her flour and added the buttermilk straight from the carton eyeing the consistency as she went. She never used a measuring cup. I don’t possess that kind of raw talent.
Pro Tip- Keep your flour stored in an airtight container in the freezer. Not only does it decrease insect eggs that like to hide out in the flour, but it also ensures your biscuit dough stays cold. Cold dough makes fluffy buttermilk biscuits.
3. Add one teaspoon of salt to the flour mixture and sift into a large bowl.
4. Next, add ½ cup of cold butter and 2 tbsp of lard. Cube the butter into 1/2-inch cubes prior to adding it to the flour mixture.
5. Cut butter and lard into the flour until it is pea-sized or smaller. I use a pastry blender or a food processor for this part. Be sure to keep the butter cold for fluffy biscuits.
6. Slowly add in cold buttermilk starting with one measuring cup.
7. Stir in buttermilk with a wooden spoon to slightly incorporate with flour. Add additional buttermilk as needed to make dough slightly moist and just coming together. the dough should not be too dry and crumbly or too sticky. The texture is hard to master when making biscuits for the first time. The dough should stick together like play dough.
Kneading Biscuit Dough
8. Next, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface or pastry mat and work it until it just comes together. DO NOT OVERWORK the dough. 2-3 turns is usually enough.
9. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough out ¾” -1” thick. You can also use your hands for this. Putting a small amount of cold water on your finger tips will help to prevent the dough from sticking to you.
10. A biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass can be used to cut the biscuits out. Place the biscuits on the greased skillet/pan. Do not twist the biscuit cutter as this will prevent the biscuits from rising.
11. Be sure to place cut biscuit in the pan so they are barely touching or “kissing” as this will help the biscuits to rise.
12. Before baking, brush the top of the dough with melted butter, and bake in a 425 degrees f oven until golden brown.
Slice the hot biscuits and slather with butter for a delicious southern breakfast!
FAQs
What makes Southern buttermilk biscuits unique?
Southern buttermilk biscuits are known for their light, fluffy texture and buttery flavor. They’re usually made with buttermilk, which adds a flaky texture and a tangy flavor.
What’s the best way to cut biscuit dough?
Use a sharp biscuit cutter without twisting to make a clean cut. Twisting will seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, a drinking glass or cookie cutter will also work.
Can I make biscuits ahead of time and reheat them?
Yes, you can make biscuits ahead of time and reheat them. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, or freeze them in a freezer bag for longer storage. To reheat, wrap them in foil and place in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, or until warm.
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More Biscuits to Try
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups Self Rising flour I prefer White Lily
- 1/2 cup Butter cubed
- 2 tbsp Pork Lard
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Whole fat buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a cast iron skillet or 9" round baking pan. I use the vegetable shortening to grease the pan.
- Sift salt and flour together in a large glass bowl using a hand sifter.
- Add butter and lard. Cut into flour until it has pea-size pieces or smaller. I use a pastry cutter for this.
- Using a wooden spoon slowly stir in buttermilk starting with one cup. The amount you add will vary.
- Keep adding buttermilk until dough is slightly moist. You don't want it too wet and sticky or too dry and crumbly. DON'T OVER STIR.
- Put dough on a flat surface and from it into a ball, just brining it together. You may have to slightly knead the dough but be very careful not to over work it.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough a couple of times until it is about 3/4" to 1" thick.
- Cut dough using a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass.
- Place biscuits into pan so that they are slightly touching or "kissing" one another. this helps the biscuits to rise.
- Brush the tops with melted butter or excess buttermilk and bake in oven until they are golden on top. This is usually around 25 minutes
[…] easy to make, and delicious on southern biscuits or a warm piece of sourdough bread. You can also use it as a glaze on pork chops and […]