These Easy Homemade Biscuits made with all-purpose flour are flaky, fluffy, and irresistibly buttery. Made from scratch in about 30 minutes, they’re perfect for brunch or breakfast.
Looking for an even easier biscuit? Try No Milk Drop Biscuits—no rolling, cutting, or freezing required.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Make Homemade Biscuits
- Recipe Serving Suggestions
- Expert Tips & Variations
- Recipe FAQs
- More Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
- Easy Homemade Biscuits Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Buttery: Plenty of butter gives the best flavor and a rich, southern-style texture.
- Soft: A higher fat content keeps the biscuits tender.
- Tall & flaky: Cutting, stacking, and laminating the dough creates height and layers.
- Simple: Only seven everyday ingredients—no self-rising flour or shortening required.
- Freezable: Dough or baked biscuits freeze well for make-ahead convenience.
- Versatile: Great for weekend breakfasts, brunch gatherings, or as a side for soups and casseroles.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Granulated sugar: A simple swap for brown sugar in this recipe.
- Kosher salt: Recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt. If using table salt, reduce the amount.
- Buttermilk: Substitute with the same amount of whole milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to mimic the acidity and activate the baking soda.
Complete ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Biscuits
Quick Overview
- Make the dough.
- Shape and cut, then stack to create layers.
- Chill briefly, bake, and enjoy warm.
Step by Step Instructions
There should be visible butter chunks throughout the dough.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until pieces are pea-sized. Use a pastry cutter, box grater, or pulse briefly in a food processor.
Step 3: Stir to distribute the butter evenly and make a well in the center of the mixture.
Step 4: Pour cold buttermilk into the well and fold gently until the dough comes together—don’t overmix.
Step 5: Turn the dough out onto a clean, cold, lightly floured surface.
Step 6: Shape the dough into a rough rectangle.
The exact shape isn’t important—work quickly to keep the butter cold.
Step 7: Roll or press the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 5–6 pieces—avoid pressing too hard when cutting.
Step 8: Stack the pieces, then flatten the stack into a rectangle about 1.25 inches thick to create layers.
Step 9: Cut into 8 rustic biscuits of similar size.
Step 10: Place biscuits on a plate or small baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for 10–15 minutes to firm up.
Step 11: Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush the tops with buttermilk and optionally sprinkle flaky salt.
Step 12: Bake 18–22 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Serve these biscuits fresh with extra salted butter and jam, or use them in savory preparations. Ideas:
- Spread with strawberry jam or apple curd.
- Make a biscuit sandwich with eggs and bacon or turkey bacon.
- Serve alongside an egg and sausage casserole for brunch.
- Pair with a bowl of turkey lentil soup or chili for lunch.
Expert Tips & Variations
- Use cold ingredients: Keep butter chilled and buttermilk cold until mixing to preserve flakes.
- Flour the surface and hands: Prevents sticking while shaping.
- Lamination: Cutting and stacking creates layers for extra flakiness.
- Be gentle: Use minimal pressure when rolling or cutting to avoid sealing edges and reducing rise.
- Don’t overwork the dough: Heat from your hands will melt butter; if it warms, chill for a few minutes.
- Cut into squares: Cutting the slab into squares reduces scraps and speeds the process.
- Freezing: Freeze unbaked or baked biscuits. Par-freeze pieces on a sheet before storing so they don’t stick together. Bake from frozen, adding about 5 minutes to the time—no thawing required.
Recipe FAQs
Use cold butter and cold buttermilk, avoid overworking the dough, and create layers by cutting and stacking.
Butter provides superior flavor and is preferred here.
Common types include rolled biscuits (this recipe), drop biscuits, scones, and shortcakes.
No—eggs are not usually used in traditional biscuit recipes.
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If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or comment in the recipe card below. I appreciate your feedback!
Easy Homemade Biscuits
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Mixing bowls
- Pastry cutter (or box grater/food processor)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (325 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 Tablespoons (142 g) unsalted European butter, cubed & chilled
- 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing
- Flaky salt for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized pieces remain. Grate or pulse if preferred.
- Stir to distribute the butter, then make a well in the center of the mixture.
- Pour cold buttermilk into the well and fold gently until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
- Turn the dough onto a cold, lightly floured surface and shape into a rough rectangle.
- Roll or press to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 5–6 pieces without pressing too hard.
- Stack the pieces, then flatten to about 1.25 inches thick to create layers. Cut into 8 roughly equal biscuits.
- Place on a parchment-lined plate or small sheet and freeze 10–15 minutes to firm up.
- Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle flaky salt if desired.
- Bake 18–22 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.
Notes
- Granulated sugar: Use in place of brown sugar if needed.
- Kosher salt: If substituting table salt, reduce the amount.
- Buttermilk substitute: Use whole milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice.
- Keep ingredients cold: Chilling butter and keeping buttermilk cold preserves flakiness.
- Work quickly: Avoid warming the dough; chill briefly if it becomes too soft.
- Freezing: Freeze unbaked or baked biscuits; bake from frozen adding ~5 minutes if needed.