Buttermilk Biscuits Soft Flaky

My grandmother's kitchen always smelled like flour and butter, especially on Sunday mornings. She'd stand at the counter, hands dusted white, turning out biscuit dough with this gentle confidence that made everything look effortless. The way those biscuits rose, golden and tall, made the whole house feel like somewhere you wanted to linger. I've spent years trying to capture that same magic in my own tiny apartment kitchen.

Last winter, during that really terrible week when everything felt heavy and gray, I made three batches of these biscuits in four days. Something about the rhythm of cutting cold butter into flour, the tactile reassurance of working dough with your hands, felt like therapy. My roommate wandered into the kitchen each time, attracted by the smell, and we'd stand there eating warm biscuits with honey right off the pan, not saying much. Those quiet moments became the thing I remember most about that month.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour: The foundation of everything, spoon and level it gently to avoid packing it down
• 1 tablespoon baking powder: This is what gives you that tall, proud rise in the oven
• ½ teaspoon baking soda: Works with the buttermilk's acidity for extra lift and tenderness
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt: Don't skip this, it balances the richness and makes all the flavors sing
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar: Just enough to enhance the natural sweetness without making them taste like dessert
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed: Keep it ice cold, straight from the fridge, those butter pockets are what create flakes
• ¾ cup cold buttermilk: The tang and acidity here are non negotiable, plus extra for brushing the tops

Instructions

Get your oven ready:

Preheat to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, do this first so you're not scrambling later

Whisk the dry ingredients:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar until everything is evenly distributed

Cut in the butter:

Add those cold cubed butter pieces and work them in quickly with a pastry cutter or your fingers until you see coarse crumbs with some pea sized chunks still visible

Add the buttermilk:

Make a well in the center, pour in the cold buttermilk, and stir gently with a fork just until the dough comes together, seriously, do not overmix

Create the layers:

Turn the dough onto a floured surface, pat into a 1.5 cm rectangle, fold in half, and repeat the folding process two more times for maximum flakiness

Shape and cut:

Pat to 2.5 cm thickness and cut straight down with a 6 cm round cutter, no twisting, or you'll seal the edges and lose height

Prepare for baking:

Place the biscuits close together on your prepared sheet, brush tops with a little buttermilk for that beautiful golden finish

Bake to golden perfection:

Slide them into the oven for 13 to 15 minutes until they're tall and deeply golden, your whole kitchen will smell amazing

Let them breathe:

Cool for just a few minutes on the pan before serving warm, this firms them up slightly so they're not too crumbly

Save

These biscuits became my go to comfort food during graduate school, when I was broke and stressed and somehow always hungry at midnight. I'd make a batch on Sunday and eat them plain, warm from the oven, standing over the counter with butter melting down my fingers. Something about that simple ritual made everything feel manageable for another week.

Making Them Your Own

I've experimented with adding different elements to the dough, and the results have been mostly wonderful. Sharp cheddar and a pinch of black pepper makes them incredibly savory, perfect alongside soup or chili. Fresh herbs like rosemary or chives fold in beautifully, adding a bright freshness that cuts through the richness.

The Buttermilk Situation

Real buttermilk is worth seeking out, but I've definitely been caught without it. The trick of mixing regular milk with lemon juice or vinegar actually works surprisingly well in a pinch. Let it sit for about five minutes until it thickens slightly, and you'll get pretty similar results in both taste and texture.

Storage and Serving Ideas

Fresh biscuits are obviously best the day they're made, but leftovers reheat beautifully in a 180°C oven for about 5 minutes. I've also frozen unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet, then transferred them to a freezer bag for emergency biscuit situations, baking them straight from frozen and adding a couple extra minutes.

• Split them and fry in butter for breakfast sandwiches
• Use day old biscuits as the base for bread pudding
• Crumble leftovers over a casserole topping

Save

There's something deeply satisfying about pulling a tray of tall, golden biscuits from the oven, knowing you made that happen with your own two hands. Hope these bring you as much comfort as they've brought me over the years.

Recipe FAQs

→ Why must my butter and buttermilk be cold?

Cold butter creates steam pockets as it melts in the oven, producing those desirable flaky layers. Warm butter blends into the flour, resulting in denser texture. Keep everything chilled until mixing.

→ Can I substitute regular milk for buttermilk?

Yes. Combine ¾ cup milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly thickened and curdled. The acidity activates the baking soda for proper rise.

→ Why shouldn't I twist the biscuit cutter?

Twisting seals the edges, preventing proper rising during baking. Press straight down firmly and lift up cleanly. This keeps the layers intact and allows the sides to expand upward for maximum height.

→ How do I know when they're done baking?

Look for deep golden brown tops and bottoms. The biscuits should feel light and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. They typically finish in 13–15 minutes at 425°F.

→ Can I freeze the dough or baked biscuits?

Freeze unbaked cut biscuits on a parchment-lined sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes. Baked biscuits freeze well for up to 3 months and reheat beautifully in a 350°F oven.