The Best Ever Buttermilk Biscuits

The Best Ever Buttermilk Biscuits

Flaky, buttery layers, crisp golden tops, and a tender center made with cold buttermilk and sour cream.

There are some recipes that simply belong in every kitchen, and a really good homemade biscuit is one of them.

Not the kind that is dry and crumbly. Not the kind that looks beautiful coming out of the oven but falls apart the minute you try to split it. I am talking about a biscuit with a golden, buttery top, a soft and tender middle, and layer after layer that you can pull apart with your fingers.

These are those biscuits.

Our buttermilk biscuits are made with plenty of cold butter, buttermilk, and sour cream, then folded several times before baking. That folding is where the magic happens. Instead of simply mixing, cutting, and baking the dough, we build layers into it much like you would with a laminated pastry, only without making the process overly complicated.

The result is a big, rustic farmhouse biscuit that is just as good alongside eggs and bacon in the morning as it is covered in sausage gravy or served warm with butter and preserves.

And when they are still slightly warm from the oven? That's when they're at their best.

I have to give credit where credit is due because this biscuit recipe actually belongs to my daughter. Somewhere along the way, she perfected her own version of a homemade buttermilk biscuit, and it has become the recipe we turn to when we want those big, buttery, pull-apart layers. They are rustic, a little imperfect, and absolutely delicious, which is exactly how I think a homemade biscuit should be.

So while I may be sharing this recipe here at Fig Hollow Farm, these beautiful biscuits are hers. And I have a feeling this is one of those family recipes we'll still be making years from now.

Why Buttermilk and Sour Cream?

Most biscuit recipes use buttermilk for a reason. Its acidity works with the baking soda while also contributing flavor and tenderness.

For these biscuits, we take that one step further by adding sour cream. Sour cream is actually an addition to many of our recipes, including our cream sauces in various supper dishes.

The combination gives the dough richness and moisture without requiring us to overwork it. That is important because one of the secrets to a tender biscuit is handling the dough as little as possible.

The sour cream also makes this dough a little more forgiving. You still want to work gently, but you don't have to wrestle with an impossibly dry pile of flour trying to convince it to become a biscuit.

The Real Secret Is Cold Butter

If there is one rule I don't skip when making these biscuits, it is keeping the butter cold.

I start with two sticks of chilled salted butter. I prefer salted butter because I love the extra flavor it brings to the biscuits. You can certainly use unsalted butter if that's what you have on hand, but for me, salted butter gives these biscuits that little something extra. I cut each stick lengthwise into sections and then across into small cubes. Once cubed, the butter goes straight into the freezer for about 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Those little pieces of butter are exactly what we want in the dough. As the biscuits bake, the cold butter melts and releases steam. Combined with the folds we make in the dough, this helps create those beautiful layers.

That is also why you don't want to keep mixing until every bit of butter disappears. This isn't cake batter. A somewhat rough, crumbly-looking biscuit dough is a good thing.

Don't Overwork Your Biscuit Dough

This may be the hardest part of biscuit making, especially if you're accustomed to baking breads.

Resist the urge to keep mixing.

Once the ingredients have come together, stop.

You can use a stand mixer for this recipe, but only mix the butter in for a few seconds. If you're making the biscuits by hand, use a spatula or pastry cutter to fold the chilled butter into the dough.

You can even use your hands to help incorporate the butter. Just work quickly. Your hands are warm, and we are trying to keep those little butter pieces as cold as possible.

The mixture should look somewhat crumbly but hold together when pressed.

That's exactly what we want.

Why We Fold the Dough

Here's the step that takes these from ordinary biscuits to the biscuits everyone reaches for first.

Once the dough comes together, place it onto a lightly floured work surface and gently form it into a ball.

Roll the dough into approximately a 7 x 11-inch rectangle.

Now make a letter fold. Fold the top third of the dough down toward the center, then fold the bottom third up over it. Fold the dough in half and gently roll it out again. Repeat this process three times.

Every time you fold that dough over itself, you're creating additional layers of dough and butter. Once those biscuits hit the hot oven, those layers begin separating and rising.

Don't worry about making every edge perfectly straight. These are homemade biscuits. A little rustic character is welcome around here.

The Best Ever Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes 12 to 16 biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 sticks salted butter, chilled and cubed

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 2 tablespoons sugar or sweetner of choice (We use allulose)

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp cold buttermilk

• 1 cup cold sour cream

• 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted, for brushing

• 1-2 teaspoons Himalayan sea salt, for topping (You could sub with course sea salt, or herb salts)

• 1 teaspoon sugar sprinkle for topping (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the two sticks of chilled butter lengthwise into sections and then cut across to create small cubes. Place the cubed butter in a small bowl and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the dough.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar or allulose.

Add the cold buttermilk and cold sour cream. Mix lightly until the ingredients are just combined.

If using a stand mixer, add the chilled butter cubes and mix for only a few seconds, just long enough to distribute the butter throughout the dough.

If mixing by hand, fold the chilled butter cubes into the dough using a spatula or pastry cutter. You can also use your hands to help work the butter through the mixture. Work quickly so the butter stays cold.

The dough should be crumbly but hold together when pressed.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently bring it together into a ball.

Roll it into approximately a 7 x 11-inch rectangle.

Fold the top third of the dough down toward the center, then fold the bottom third up over it, like folding a letter. Fold the dough in half and gently roll it out again.

Repeat the folding and rolling process three times to create the biscuit layers.

After the final fold, turn the dough so the folded creases are against the lightly floured work surface. Roll it into approximately a 6 x 12-inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick.

Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 12 to 16 square biscuits. Cut a 3 x 4 grid for 12 larger biscuits or a 4 x 4 grid for 16 smaller biscuits.

Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them.

Generously brush the tops with melted salted butter and finish each biscuit with a sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt and sugar.

Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, or until the biscuits have risen and the tops are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve them while they're still warm.

Why We Rustic Cut Our Biscuits Into Squares

There is a practical reason I like square biscuits: there are no scraps and they make brilliant breakfast sandwiches.

When you use a round biscuit cutter, you're left with dough between each circle. You can certainly press those scraps back together and cut more biscuits, but every time you rework biscuit dough, you risk compressing the layers you worked so hard to create.

With a sharp knife or bench scraper, we can simply cut the entire rectangle into squares.

No scraps. No rerolling. No wasted dough.

Just biscuits.

Another important tip is to cut straight down through the dough rather than dragging or sawing through it. We want those cut edges to remain as clean as possible so the layers have room to rise in the oven.

A Few Tips for Really Good Biscuits

Keep everything cold. Cold butter, cold buttermilk, and cold sour cream are important. If your kitchen is particularly warm and the dough starts becoming soft while you're working with it, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes before continuing.

Don't chase perfectly smooth dough. Biscuit dough isn't supposed to look like bread dough. A slightly rough dough with visible bits of butter is exactly what you're looking for.

Flour your work surface lightly. Use enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, but don't continually work extra flour into it.

Use a sharp edge when cutting. A bench scraper or sharp knife makes beautifully clean square biscuits without twisting or sealing the edges.

Watch the biscuits, not just the timer. Ovens bake differently. Start checking around 11 minutes and look for risen biscuits with beautifully golden tops.

Sugar or Allulose?

Our recipe calls for just two tablespoons of sweetener. It isn't there to turn these into sweet biscuits. It's a small amount that balances the salt and tanginess of the buttermilk and sour cream.

We often use allulose instead of regular sugar, and either can be used here.

If you use allulose, keep an eye on the biscuits as they bake since alternative sweeteners can behave differently from granulated sugar in baked goods.

How to Serve Them

There really isn't a wrong answer here.

Split one while it's still warm and add another pat of butter. Spoon over your favorite jam or preserves. Add honey. Turn them into breakfast sandwiches with eggs and sausage. Serve them alongside a big Sunday breakfast.

And, of course, there is always sausage gravy.

They're also wonderful on the dinner table where you might normally serve rolls or bread. The slight tang from the buttermilk and sour cream works particularly well with hearty, savory meals.

Storing Leftover Biscuits

If there happen to be any left, allow the biscuits to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

They can be kept at room temperature for a short period, or refrigerated for longer storage. Warm them gently before serving to bring back some of that fresh-from-the-oven texture.

They can also be frozen. Once completely cooled, place the biscuits in a freezer-safe container or bag. Reheat them from frozen or allow them to thaw first, then warm them in the oven.

A Biscuit Recipe Worth Keeping

Some recipes don't need fancy ingredients or complicated techniques to become favorites. They just need good ingredients and a little understanding of why each step matters.

These best ever buttermilk biscuits turn out perfect every time, if you can stick to a few key things:

Keep the butter cold. Don't overmix the dough. Take the extra few minutes to make those folds, and don't worry if every biscuit isn't perfectly identical. When you pull the pan from the oven and see those golden tops and flaky layers, I don't think you'll mind one bit.

Put the butter, honey, and preserves on the table while they're still warm. Then watch how quickly the basket empties.

As always, happy biscuit making!

Jennifer