• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Events
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

    Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

    Modified: Dec 18, 2016 · Published: Sep 2, 2013 by Ashley

    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Flip
    • Threads
    • Bluesky

    This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

    Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

    For some reason, I was under the impression that making buttermilk biscuits from scratch would be really daunting. When I found myself with half a container of buttermilk in the fridge (leftover from making Nathan's Lemon Cake), I decided I'd poke around online and see if I could find a highly rated recipe. Let me tell you - this one came through BIG TIME. Wow. These biscuits were pretty easy to put together, and they were nice and light and fluffy and absolutely melted in our mouths. I went the food processor route for making the dough, so it would be less likely to be overworked, and it came together in a cinch. I definitely want to try out the freezing method listed in the recipe, and maybe I'll try to track down White Lily flour one of these days, as I've heard really great things about it. I will absolutely be making these beauties again... and again... and again...

    Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

    Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
    Food.com - P4

    Total Time: 22 mins
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 12 mins
    Yield: 10 biscuits

    These buttermilk biscuits are authentic. This recipe came from my great-great-grandmother, and was handed down to all the women in my family, and we are all Southern. I am the first one to commit the sin of using a food processor (lol) but I find it works very well. I would put these biscuits up against anyone's - they are perfect in every single way. I hope you all enjoy them.

    2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board (if you can get White Lily flour, your biscuits will be even better)
    ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    1 tablespoon baking powder (use one without aluminum)
    1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
    6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
    1 cup buttermilk (approx)

    1 Preheat your oven to 450°F.

    2 Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.

    3 Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.

    4 If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.

    5 Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.

    6 If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.

    7 Turn the dough out onto a floured board.

    8 Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about ½" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.

    9 Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.

    10 You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.

    11 Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.

    12 If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.

    13 Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.

    14 Do not overbake.

    15 Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.

    16 The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.

    17 I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of over mixing.

    18 You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.

    19 Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.

    20 Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.

    21 When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

    Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

    More Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

    • Ladling homemade yogurt into a glass jar for storage.
      Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt
    • Two plates of gingerbread pancakes topped with peppermint whipped cream, crushed peppermint candies, and maple syrup.
      Gingerbread Pancakes with Peppermint Whipped Cream
    • Close-up of a forkful of birthday cake confetti pancakes.
      Birthday Cake Confetti Pancakes with Sprinkles
    • Overhead view of spinach and cheddar quiche with forks.
      Baby Spinach and Cheddar Quiche Made with Fresh Spinach

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kumar's Kitchen

      September 04, 2013 at 10:26 pm

      we absolutely love southern biscuits,yours look perfectly light and golden....will go so well with a rich gravy,delicious...will be trying these lovely biscuits soon,thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Ashley

        September 05, 2013 at 2:29 pm

        I love biscuits and gravy. I may do that next time I make a batch of these beauties!

        Reply
    2. Joanne

      September 05, 2013 at 9:33 pm

      I'm always on the lookout for biscuits, biscuits and more biscuits! Thankfully I have buttermilk in the fridge. I see these in my weekend.

      Reply
    3. Katie

      November 24, 2013 at 10:10 pm

      Do these have to be eaten right away or can I bake them and serve them a few hours later?

      Reply
      • Ashley

        November 24, 2013 at 10:32 pm

        They'll be fine for a few hours. If you want, you could gently warm them in the oven again, or even just a quick zap in the microwave if you want to serve them warm. We ate them at room temperature for several days after I baked them, and they were fantastic! Hope you enjoy them! 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Ashley and I’ve been writing about food & recipes here at Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen since 2006. I want to help you (yes, you!) gain confidence in the kitchen so you are excited to cook at home for yourself and your loved ones.

    More about me →

    Favorite Spring Recipes

    • Mayo-free Deviled Eggs
    • Middle Eastern Fattoush Salad with Homemade Pita Chips
    • Birthday Cake Confetti Pancakes with Sprinkles
    • Italian Cream Cheese and Ricotta Cheesecake
    • Garlicky Mushroom Ricotta Pizza with Wild Arugula + Aged Balsamic
    • Slow Cooker "Roasted" Beets
    • Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots
    • Italian Ricotta Cookies
    • Rhubarb Custard Pie
    • Easy Instant Pot Herbed Potato Salad

    Mother's Day + Easter Brunch

    • Epic Brunch Board on a Budget
    • Baby Spinach and Cheddar Quiche Made with Fresh Spinach
    • Turkey Salad Tea Sandwiches with Dried Cherries
    • Great Grandma Maria Francesca Cardile's Italian Easter Cookies
    • Brie Waffle Bites
    • Challah French Toast
    • Creamsicle Smoothies
    • DM Bloody Mary
    • Turkey Scotch Eggs
    • The Herbalist

    Popular Now

    • Overhead view of spinach and cheddar quiche with forks.
      Baby Spinach and Cheddar Quiche Made with Fresh Spinach
    • Close up of a few cucumber slices topped with a spiced chickpea purée.
      Falafel-Spiced Cucumber Bites
    • Overhead shot of a plate with rectangles of white coconut jelly.
      Coconut Jelly
    • Falafel in pita bread with toppings served with yogurt-herb sauce.
      Falafel with Yogurt-Herb Sauce
    • Overhead view of assorted breakfast items displayed on a board.
      Epic Brunch Board on a Budget
    • No Mayo Deviled Eggs: Skip the mayo in this appetizer favorite - guaranteed to be a hit at any party!
      No Mayo Deviled Eggs

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Ashley
    • Press + Recognition
    • Events
    • Virtual Cooking Classes
    • Podcast
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign up to receive delicious recipes and exclusive content right to your inbox!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no added cost to you.

    ©2006–2025  BIG FLAVORS FROM A TINY KITCHEN LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    *Third-party advertisers may collect or use non-personally identifiable information to serve you more relevant ads.