Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
A good biscuit is all about layers. Cold butter, chilled buttermilk, and a light hand create tender biscuits with crisp golden edges and flaky pockets throughout. The technique is simple, but temperature and handling make all the difference.
Ingredients
Mise en Place — prep before you cook
- ½ cup butter (1 stick), frozen
- 2½ cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup chilled buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- Parchment paper
- Grater
Method
Follow each step for the best flavor and texture.
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Preheat oven to 475°F.
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Grate frozen butter, ideally frozen overnight.
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Add butter to flour and toss quickly to distribute. Chill in freezer 10 minutes.
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Make a well, add cold buttermilk straight from the fridge. Stir 15 times max, just until moistened.
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Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a rectangle, fold in half, turn, and repeat 4 times.
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Roll dough to ½-inch thickness.
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Cut with a 2½-inch floured cutter—don’t twist.
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Arrange biscuits close together on parchment. Bake 15 minutes at 475°F.
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Brush tops with melted butter immediately after baking.
Chef Notes
Keep the butter and buttermilk as cold as possible. The visible pieces of butter in the dough create steam as they melt in the oven, helping form the flaky layers. When cutting the biscuits, press straight down instead of twisting so the edges can rise freely.
Did You Know?
Butter contains water as well as fat. When a cold piece of butter hits a hot oven, that water turns to steam. The expanding steam pushes apart layers of dough, which is one of the reasons properly chilled butter produces a flakier biscuit.
Flavor Notes
Rich butter provides the foundation while buttermilk brings a subtle tang that keeps the biscuits from tasting overly heavy. The hot oven creates deeply golden edges while the interior stays soft, buttery, and tender.
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