Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits
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Bring a touch of Southern warmth to your table with a basket of rich and flaky buttermilk biscuits—these feature a secret ingredient that makes them next-level tender.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Southern buttermilk biscuit recipes typically call for White Lily flour, a low-protein brand primarily available in the southern states that makes for ultra-tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits. I can’t find White Lily flour easily where I live, so I use a blend of all-purpose flour and cornstarch to get a similar effect. These buttermilk biscuits are rich, buttery, and flaky with a toasty golden crust. Plus, they’re easy to make. You can throw the dough together in 15 minutes and end enjoy the biscuits with your dinner less than fifteen minutes later.
These are traditional roll and cut biscuits. However, instead of using a biscuit cutter, I cut my biscuits into squares—it’s easier as you don’t have to deal with any scraps, plus, who says biscuits have to be round?! For an even simpler drop-and-bake method, see my recipe for drop biscuits.
Table of Contents
“These are amazing. Came together quickly for breakfast. My husband took a bite and gave me a high five. They’ll be a staple around here.”
What You’ll Need To Make Buttermilk Biscuits
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the biscuits by forming gluten when mixed with liquid. Use the spoon-and-level method to measure to ensure accuracy.
- Cornstarch: Softens the dough’s proteins to produce a more tender biscuit.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Leavening agents that work together to create rise and fluffiness in the biscuits. Baking soda also reacts with the acid in buttermilk, aiding in leavening and improving color.
- Sugar: Adds a slight sweetness to balance the flavors and aids in browning.
- Cold butter: Provides fat which, when cut into the dry ingredients, creates flaky layers as it melts during baking. The cold temperature is crucial for achieving the desired flakiness.
- Buttermilk: Adds acidity that reacts with the baking soda for leavening, contributes to the biscuits’ tender crumb, and imparts a slight tanginess. If you don’t want to buy a whole carton, see my instructions for how to make buttermilk using milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a food processor.
Pulse briefly to combine.
Add the cold chunks of butter.
Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-size clumps of butter intact.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Add the buttermilk.
Stir until the mixture comes together into a shaggy mass.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring together into a loose ball.
Gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick.
Cut the dough in thirds.
Stack the pieces on top of one another.
Pat out into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick again. You can see in the photo below how this process creates layers in the dough, which makes for deliciously flaky biscuits.
Cut the dough into thirds again.
Stack the pieces up again.
Finally, pat the dough into a rectangle with a final thickness of about 3/4 inch.
Cut the dough into 12 small squares (these biscuits are on the smaller side).
Transfer the squares to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until golden. The biscuits are best served warm out of the oven (though a few minutes in the oven will revive slightly stale biscuits).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, before baking, the biscuits can be frozen for up to three months. Place the unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, there’s no need to thaw but they may require a few extra minutes in the oven.
To freeze leftover biscuits, first let them cool completely at room temperature. Then, wrap each biscuit tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, removing as much air as possible before sealing. The biscuits can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to eat, reheat the biscuits directly from frozen in a preheated oven at 350°F until heated through.
Buttermilk is necessary for its acidity, which reacts with the baking soda to create a light and fluffy texture. However, if you don’t have buttermilk or don’t want to purchase a whole carton, you can make a substitute by adding 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and then adding regular milk to the 3/4-cup line. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes and it will be ready to use.
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Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits
Bring a touch of Southern warmth to your table with a basket of rich and flaky buttermilk biscuits—these feature a secret ingredient that makes them next-level tender.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch chunks
- ¾ cup buttermilk, plus a bit more if necessary (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 13x18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. (Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl.)
- Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized clumps of butter intact. (If making by hand, "cut" the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, two knifes, or your fingertips.) Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.
- Add the buttermilk and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass. If the dough seems too dry, add a few more tablespoons of buttermilk. Do not over-mix.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with a bit more flour and bring together gently into a loose ball. Pat the dough into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into thirds. Stack the pieces on top of one another and pat out into a rectangle about ¾ in thick again, flouring the surface lightly as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Cut the dough into thirds again. Stack the pieces on top of one another and pat into a rectangle with a final thickness of about ¾ inch.
- Dust the blade of a sharp knife with flour and cut the dough into twelve even squares (they will seem small). Transfer the squares to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly golden on top and a rich, golden brown on the bottom. The biscuits are best served warm out of the oven (though a few minutes in the oven will revive slightly older biscuits).
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, see my instructions for how to make buttermilk.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Before baking, the biscuits can be frozen for up to three months. Place the unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, there's no need to thaw but they may require a few extra minutes in the oven.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 179
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Sugar: 2g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Sodium: 148mg
- Cholesterol: 26mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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A teaspoon of cider vinegar adds flakiness as well.
I made your biscuits today. I have celiac so following GF rule of them I added one beaten egg. I did not use a food processor, do not have one. But mixed well all dry ingredients whisked before adding butter. They came out beautifully. They reminded me of the real thing. Nice rise, layers of goodness and so light. Thank you. Jane E. 🇨🇦
These were incredible. My southern husband gave them a five plus rating. And this was my first time trying to make biscuits. Also you can find the flour on Amazon.
Dalia, did you omit the cornstarch when using the white Lily? I wanted to try the white lily. Thank you.
Oh my, these are so good! The best biscuits I’ve ever had and the recipe is easy. My layers tilted to one side, when baking, but this was my first attempt. I will try to get them more uniform next time, because this will be my go-to recipe for sure! It’s so nice when something comes out so well!
Made these today but omitted the sugar and reduced the salt a bit and they were a huge hit. My mom is dairy free so also made a half batch substituting almond milk with a bit of lemon juice for the buttermilk and instead of butter I used earth balance. She loved them. I’ve tried many of your recipes over the years and everything always turns out great. This has been my go-to recipe site for quite a while and my family and friends are now fans too. Thank you!
I made these wonderful buttermilk biscuits this morning for breakfast, really enjoyed them, then noticed that I’d forgotten to add the tablespoon of sugar the recipe called for. Honestly, I don’t think the sugar was needed. I compared them to other buttermilk biscuit recipes I’ve made, and have to say that these blew the others out of the water! Using the food processor made the preparation so much easier, and the stacking method produced a lovely flaky texture. My husband and I had to force ourselves to not eat the entire batch!
Made these biscuits today and they turned out great! The instructions on what the dough was supposed to look like combined was unclear so I was not sure if I mixed too much or if I needed to add more flour or buttermilk with the consistency that I had. I would add less salt and bake for less time as at 13 minutes the biscuits were too brown. I would probably make and check at the 10-minute mark.
I swear after all my many many years spent in a kitchen, this site is the only one I ever leave a comment on. I’ll be honest, my biscuits were really wet when I put them in the oven and I was afraid this was gonna be the first negative experience I would have on this site..but nope..best biscuits I have ever made and I’m the biscuit king in the family. I’m still not sure if I made a mistake somewhere but regardless these came out delicious..main problem was there was not enough. Some things I did that helped was freezing the butter for a bit before it went into the flower..the colder the better..secondly I used a cheese grater for the butter which helps
spread it evenly theougj…and I didn’t buy buttermilk because I always waste it..just add a tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes..definitely gonna go through my recipe binder and throw my old biscuit recipe in the trash..thanks again
P.s. I’ve been having trouble with this site while using mobile..when I’m in the middle of a recipe an add pops up that doesn’t move even if I scroll..I’ve now learned to turn my phone sideways to get rid of it..it just did it again while typing this comment to remind me to mention it..
So glad you enjoyed the biscuits and found a “new” recipe! 🙂 And thanks for your feedback about the ad blocking content — I’m sorry — that definitely shouldn’t be happening! I’m going to mention it to my ad network.
I made these biscuits for a Sabbath breakfast. They were perfectly flaky and instantly became the go to for when we’re craving a biscuit. My butter fiend husband didn’t even add butter when he broke it open…which says a lot! We just add a bit of jam or curd and it’s perfect.
Gave this recipe to my college son and he is able to impress his friends with them. They think he is such a good cook….Yep, that happens when you follow a great recipe developer!!!Thanks for making your recipes fail-proof! Always taste great!!