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Biscuits stack on a white marble counter
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5 from 2 reviews

Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits made from scratch are buttery, tender, flaky and incredibly delicious! These easy to make biscuits are ready in about 30 minutes!
Course Baking
Cuisine American
Keyword Buttermilk biscuits
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 large biscuits
Calories 278kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the sour cream. Set aside.
  • Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl or into the bowl of a food processor. Whisk or pulse to get the dry ingredients combined. Scatter the butter pieces evenly on top of the flour mixture and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If using the food processor, transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Turn the dough out to a lightly floured work surface and knead until it just comes together, adding extra flour as needed. Gently mold the dough into a rectangle.
  • With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a square (about 12-inches).  Using a bench scraper, fold the right third of the dough over the center, then fold the left third over so you end up with a rectangle (about 12 by 4 inches). Fold the top third down over the center, then fold the bottom third up so the whole thing is reduced to a small square (about 4-inches).
  • Press the square down and roll it out into a square (about 12-inches) and repeat the folding process one more time. Roll out the dough to a square (about 12-inches) and using a lightly floured 4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut six rounds. Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the dough scraps and cut 2 more 4-inch rounds. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This allows the dough to get cold after handling it.
  • Remove the biscuits from the fridge, brush the tops with the melted butter and bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Make sure your butter and buttermilk are very cold.
  • Don't over mix the dough. Over mixed and over worked dough turns out tough. For light and tender biscuits, mix gently and just until the ingredients are combined. 
  • When cutting your biscuits, don't twist the biscuit cutter. This seals the edges preventing the layers from raising.
  • To get homemade biscuits with many fluffy layers, fold the dough into thirds and then again into thirds (it will end up looking like a chubby square.).
  • The recipe includes 20 minutes of "resting time" after cutting the biscuits. This is an optional step. During this inactive time, I chill the already cut biscuits in the refrigerator. Since the dough has been handled, the butter is not as cold as it could be. Cold butter allows the layers to puff up.
    I have made this recipe without any resting time (because I can be impatient) and the biscuits rise nicely however, they always seem a bit taller when the dough is chilled.

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 624mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2mg