Biscuit Recipe
The BEST biscuit recipe! These homemade biscuits are full of flaky layers and perfect for slathering with butter and honey.
We just can’t get enough of these biscuits! As I’ve been testing this recipe, my family has been enjoying batch after batch of these homemade biscuits. Now that I’ve perfected the recipe, we’ll be making them even more often. These biscuits are just too good!
This biscuit recipe makes the very best biscuits. They are fluffy, soft and tender, with lots of flaky layers. The tops brown nicely in the oven, and the bottoms become deliciously crispy. They are delicious as is, and even better when you spread them with butter and a drizzle of honey.
We’ve been enjoying these biscuits as a side dish at dinner. They complement almost any meal! Try them with baked chicken thighs, slow cooker beef stew or butternut squash soup. They are also great for breakfast, alongside some eggs and baked bacon.
Milk or Buttermilk?
You can make these biscuits with milk or buttermilk, or a combination of the two. I’ve tested the recipe all three ways, and the biscuits are delicious no matter which you choose.
When you make this recipe with buttermilk, the flavorful tang of the buttermilk comes through in the buttermilk biscuits. If you use milk, the biscuits turn out especially tender. My favorite is to use half buttermilk and half milk for the best balance of flavor and texture.
Whole milk is best in this recipe, but you can use lowfat if that is what you have on hand. You can also use homemade buttermilk substitute.
How to make Biscuits
You won’t believe how quick and easy this biscuit recipe is to make! I’ll walk you through the steps, including my tips for success. You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts below.
Freeze the Butter: At least 20 minutes before you plan to make the biscuits, you’ll want to freeze the butter. Freezing makes sure that the butter is really cold, which is important for creating flaky layers in your biscuits. Frozen butter is also easier to shred using a box grater – more on that below.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Be sure to use baking powder (not baking soda), and use the full tablespoon (not teaspoon) called for in the recipe. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your taste preferences. We prefer less sweet biscuits, so I usually use just 1 or 2 teaspoons.
Grate the Butter & Stir it in: This is my favorite biscuit making trick! Once the butter has gotten really cold in the freezer, you’ll grate it on a box grater. This is really quick and easy to do. Then you can quickly mix the grated butter into the dry ingredients, using your hands or a fork. If you’re like me and don’t enjoy the process of cutting butter into dry ingredients, you are going to love this trick! The grated butter also gives you perfectly sized pieces of butter throughout your biscuits.
Mix in Milk or Buttermilk: Pour 1 cup of milk or buttermilk (or a combination of the two) into the bowl with the other ingredients. Use a fork to mix until a dough forms. It’s ok if a little bit of the dry ingredients aren’t incorporated at this point. If the dough seems very dry and you are having a hard time getting it to come together, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk or buttermilk.
Fold the Dough: Turn the dough (and any flour bits) out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough down into a rectangle that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Fold the dough in half on top of itself and press it down into a 1 1/2-inch thick rectangle again. Repeat this step, folding and pressing the dough 4 to 6 times total. This is called laminating the dough and it creates those flaky layers that we all love in biscuits.
Cut the Biscuits: After you fold the dough the last time, press it out until it is about 1-inch thick. Press a round biscuit cutter straight down into the dough to cut the biscuits. Do not twist the biscuit cutter as you cut. Place the biscuits on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Brush the Tops and Bake: Before baking the biscuits, brush the tops with milk, buttermilk or cream. This helps the tops of the biscuits to brown as they bake. Bake the biscuits until they are lightly golden on top, 13 to 16 minutes.
Biscuit Recipe Tips
- When baking biscuits, it is important to keep the butter and milk or buttermilk as cold as possible. Keep the butter in the freezer and the milk in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Avoid letting the dough sit at room temperature before baking the biscuits.
- Freeze and grate the butter using a box grater. The small pieces of shredded butter will create little steam pockets in the biscuits as they bake, giving you great rise and flaky layers.
- Don’t skip the step of folding the biscuit dough in half and pressing it out 4 to 6 times before cutting your biscuits. The folds help to create flaky layers, much like when making croissants.
- Press straight down with your biscuit cutter and do not twist or turn it. Twisting the cutter seals off the edges of the biscuits and keeps them from rising as much.
- For golden brown biscuit tops, brush them with milk, cream or buttermilk before baking.
Biscuit Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
- milk, buttermilk or cream (for brushing on biscuit tops)
Instructions
- Place butter in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425° F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Whisk together until well combined.
- Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add the butter to the bowl and mix it into the dry ingredients using your hands or a fork.
- Pour the 1 cup milk or buttermilk into the bowl and use a fork to stir until the dough comes together. It is ok if there are a few bits of flour not yet incorporated, but if the dough seems very dry and is not coming together add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk or buttermilk.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a 1½-inch thick rectangle. Fold the dough in half on top of itself and pat it down into another 1½-inch thick rectangle. Repeat the folding process 4 to 6 times. Then press the dough down into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Use a biscuit cutter (mine measures 2 ¼-inches) to cut out the biscuits, pressing it straight down into the dough without twisting. Once you've cut out as many biscuits as you can, gather the scraps and pat the dough out to 1-inch thickness a second and third time to finish cutting out all of the biscuits. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the biscuit tops with milk, buttermilk or cream. Bake for 13 to 16 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden brown.
Notes
- If using milk in this recipe, whole milk is best.
- Store biscuits at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Biscuits are best right after baking. Leftover biscuits can be reheated in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
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Can I ask what size biscuit cutter you usually use? Thank you!
As noted in step 7 of the recipe, I use my 2 1/4-inch biscuit cutter. I hope you enjoy the biscuits!
Do you happen to know of any tips or adjustments for high altitude baking? I haven’t tried your recipe yet so it may well turn out great as is, but I’ve had some issues baking here in Colorado at 7500 ft.
Hi Lawrence, I don’t have experience with high altitude baking. I would suggest doing a web search to read about high altitude baking. Good luck!
Made these this morning. Great recipe!
I’m only making breakfast for two. Can I freeze the dough for later and just pop out 2 at a time? Thanks!
Hi Nora,
I would make all the biscuits and then freeze the extra biscuits instead of freezing the dough.
These biscuits were delicious and the instructions were easy to follow. Thank you!
Hi! Do you think it would be okay to prepare the dough the night before and refrigerate until morning?
I just tested making and refrigerating the biscuits overnight and the biscuits were not nearly as good. They did not rise nearly as much after refrigerating and were less flavorful. My thought is that the baking powder reacts right away when mixed with the wet ingredients so it isn’t able to create the same lift when you bake later on. I recommend baking the biscuits right after making them. Luckily, they are really quick to mix up!
Bake all your biscuits first, then you can refrigerate any unused biscuits after they cool. You can keep them for up to a week or two in the fridge. To reheat (just what you need) set the oven or convection oven to 350 and cook them for an additional 5 minutes (or until hot). They retain all the rise and flavor of the fresh baked bread…
This biscuit recipe turned out the best I have made! I ended up using 1% milk and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, because that is what I had on hand. I think the frozen butter, grated and the folding/laminating the dough is what makes this top notch.
Have you tried this with a dairy free alternative?
I haven’t. If you decide to give it a try, let me know how it turns out.
I made these today with unsweetened almond milk, they rose beautifully and turned out great! The grated frozen butter and folding is really the key 🙂
Hi i want make for 10 people can you tell me how many flour, butter, sugar,salt,milk and baking powder needed…?! Its my first time i try to make biscuits…
I would suggest doubling the recipe if you want to serve 10 people. Use twice the amount of each ingredient. (In the recipe card, you can change the number of servings from 12 to 24 biscuits and it will double each ingredient for you.)
We loved these biscuits. Thank you.
Thank you! This is my first time making biscuits, and they came out looking and tasting delicious!
I made these tonight. First time attempting biscuits. Followed the recipe exactly & they looked amazing! The taste was not awesome. Everyone asked what the tart after taste was. I wasn’t sure if I used too much baking powder, but I used exactly 1 tbsp. Thoughts?
Hi Anje,
Maybe one of your ingredients was past the expiration date? I am not sure what might cause that issue for you.
Sounds like perhaps she’s used baking soda instead of baking powder.
The biscuits were DELICIOUS!!!!⭐️
These biscuits were delicious! I added grated cheese to mine for extra flavour. About a 1/4 cup of grated Balderson Mild cheddar cheese, and used a about 1 tablespoon more for the milk to keep the dough together.
Thanks for the tip on the grated butter, saves so much time.
Monika
I make slot of biscuits but decided to try a new recipe! Grating the butter makes the difference! My new favourite! Thanks!!
Can I make these a day or 2 ahead and then leave the dough in the fridge until I am ready to bake?
I don’t recommend making these ahead and storing them in the refrigerator because the baking powder may lose some of its rising power. You can make the biscuits ahead and freeze them. First freeze the unbaked biscuits in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet or dish and then transfer them to a zip-top bag or other storage container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can bake from frozen, but may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
I have never had luck when making biscuits before, BUT this was a game changer! Everyone enjoyed them. Easy and quick! Thank you so much for sharing.
This has become my go-to biscuit recipe. It is critical to grate the butter and to follow the instructions for rolling out the dough. The result is a very flaky and tasty biscuit.
I made these on Christmas morning and they turned out amazing. Light, flaky, and super tender. Thank you for the recipe
My biscuits turned out perfect! Nice rise and lots of flaky layers! This is a super easy biscuit recipe and grating the butter is a great tip!
Make sure to not accidentally use baking soda instead of baking powder LOL oops
Quick, easy and delicious!!! I love this recipe. Thanks for sharing ♡
These were delicious! My 7 year old daughter and I made them today (first time making biscuits!) and they were amazing. We will definitely be making these again 🙂
These were so easy, so good and EVERYONE loved them. Thanks for this keeper of a recipe!
These turned out great. My first time to make biscuits and they turn out. My family loved them! Thanks for the recipe!!
I decided to try a new recipe after using my grandma’s recipe for almost 50 years. All I can say is WOW, I have a new biscuit recipe. Thank-you for all the extra tips, they really make a difference! I have always used room temp shortening, just mixed until blended, not folded over several times and I always twisted the biscuit cutter. Thank-you for sharing this recipe!
so easy and so delicious!
I followed the recipe exactly using whole milk. They looked great with nice layering. Everything was great except the biscuits were very dry. Any suggestions? I will definitely try them again but will try it with buttermilk.
These shouldn’t be dry. I’ve made them many times with whole milk, and many times with buttermilk and they work great with either. Was the dough dry? If so, I’d try adding a little more milk or buttermilk next time. When measuring the flour, always be sure to lightly spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it off. Otherwise you could end up with too much flour.
Do you think that I could use salted butter if I omit the salt, or would they potentially still be too salty? Thanks for letting me know!
I would reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon if using salted butter. I don’t think they will be too salty that way, and having enough salt is important for the flavor. Enjoy! 🙂
This was my first time making biscuits in years. I made them for my sister and they turned out beautiful and were flaky and were so good. I will be making them again!
I made these to top a chicken pot pie. They worked great but honestly grating the butter (yes it was frozen & never defrosted) was really difficult! It was slippery, I dropped it 2 x (and cut my finger on the grater the 2nd time), butter was caught inside of the grater and difficult to remove. I worked up a sweat! I think next time I will go back to “Grandma’s method” – butter cut with a knife in very small slices & then cut the slices in half. What did I do wrong? I use a box grater that I use for cheese.
I find grating the butter to be quick and easy and don’t have those issues. You can try keeping the wrapper on one end of the stick until you get down to the end. I usually don’t grate the very last bit – I just toss that small piece into the flour mixture (or you can cut it up if it’s too big). I also use a box grater that I use for cheese and the shredded butter comes right out when I tap it over the bowl of flour or grab it gently with my fingers. If this method isn’t easy for you, then definitely do what works for you. 🙂
Biscuits …… Made them tonight. Buttery, flaky and delicious!! Will be my go to! Thank you.
This was the first time ever my home made biscuits turned out great!! The biscuits were fluffy and the taste was delicious!! I only made enough for 2 just to try. I can’t wait to make them for my family. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
❤️❤️❤️ I’ve always just used the recipe on the back of the baking powder container, and it’s fine. But I am SO happy that I found yours! Your instructions are well written and very clear. I did substitute in 1 cup of whole wheat flour and they came out fabulous! Thank you so much. 👍🏻
I tried your recipe and I totally loved them, yikes they were way better than I remember my mom’s biscuits, and I never thought I would say that, I did however use my food processer to mix everything, so much easier than doing it by hand, and truthfully yours were way prettier than mine lol
Great recipe, I have never had success making biscuits, they were excellent, they were flaky and very tasty. Thank you for the recipe.
Look forward to trying them after reading all the positive reviews.
These biscuits are outstanding!! I followed the directions exactly, so easy to do. I was so thankful this recipe could use either buttermilk or whole milk – I had just enough buttermilk left to do a half-and-half ratio so it was perfect. This is replacing my old biscuit recipe, thanks so much. I look forward to trying out more of your recipes!