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Homemade Biscuits

Homemade biscuits with buttermilk deliver tall, flaky layers thanks to cold butter and a quick, no-overmix dough. Cut cleanly, brush with melted butter, and bake until deeply golden for an airy interior that splits open.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Dough
  • 0.5 lb unsalted butter cold, cubed
  • 0.75 cup buttermilk cold
  • 2 tbsp melted butter for brushing

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 pastry cutter

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar together in a large bowl.
Cut in butter
  1. Add the cold cubed unsalted butter and cut it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbs with some larger butter bits, using a pastry cutter or your fingers.
Make the dough
  1. Add the cold buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together—do not overmix.
  2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, fold it over on itself 3–4 times, then pat to 1-inch thickness.
Cut, brush, and bake
  1. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter (no twisting) and place them on the prepared sheet.
  2. Brush the tops with melted butter.
  3. Bake at 450°F for 12–15 minutes until deeply golden, with crisp, flaky edges.

Notes

For the tallest flaky biscuits, keep the butter cold and handle the dough as little as possible after adding the buttermilk. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat at 350°F until warm. Freezing is yes—freeze baked biscuits, then rewarm from frozen. For a dairy-free swap, use a dairy-free buttermilk substitute and dairy-free butter sticks (cold) in the same amounts.