3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
With a few simple tips and tricks, you can make the best Southern buttermilk biscuits from scratch with just 3 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup self-rising flour I prefer White Lily brand
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold salted butter
- 1 cup very cold whole buttermilk, well shaken
- 2 tbsp melted salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Using the larger holes on a box grater, grate the stick of butter into the flour. Use your fingers to coat all of the butter with flour, and then work the butter into the flour with your finger tips for about 2 minutes. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk, and stir with a wooden spoon (or with your hands) just until a shaggy dough comes together.
- Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Fold the dough over onto itself 6-8 times, just until it comes together. Pat the dough into a rectangle that’s about ¾ inch thick.
- Use a 2 ½ -inch round biscuit cutter to punch out the biscuits (do not twist the cutter). Arrange the biscuits on the parchment-lined baking sheet with sides touching. Re-roll the scraps and cut out additional biscuits until all of the dough is used.
- If time allows, place the biscuits back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to chill again before baking.
- Bake for 11-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the hot biscuits with the melted butter. Serve warm.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk or self-rising flour on hand, see my notes above to make your own buttermilk and your own self-rising flour at home.
- Add cheese. About 1 cup of grated cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack would be delicious.
- Stir in diced pimentos and shredded cheese for “pimento cheese” biscuits.
- Add seasonings or herbs. Try a bit of garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, or chives.
- Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into squares instead of rounds.
- Keep the butter very cold. It doesn’t need to be frozen before grating, since I find that frozen butter is much harder to work with. Just a really firm, chilled stick works perfectly.
- Properly measure the flour. Always spoon and level the flour — do not scoop it out of the package. Incorrectly measuring the flour packs it too tightly into the measuring cup and results in dense, dry biscuits.
- Keep the dough cold. I’ll say it again — the key to tall, fluffy, and flaky biscuits is cold ingredients. Don’t forget to chill the dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking.
- Arrange the Biscuits with Sides Touching. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet so that they’re all touching their neighbors. This will help them “climb” in the oven so that you get that great, high rise.
- Don’t twist the round cutter. Firmly press the cutter down into the dough, and then pull it straight back out. Twisting the biscuit cutter seals off the edges of the biscuits and they therefore will not rise as high.
- Brush with melted butter. A quick swipe of melted butter adds a ton of rich flavor to the warm biscuits.
- Recipe adapted from White Lily Flour.
Nutrition
Serving: 1biscuitCalories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 141mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 438IUCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!